b"INDIGENOUS POLITICSA FEMALE FIRSTBy Rick GarrickIn a groundbreaking election, RoseAnne Archibald becomes the first female Chief to lead the Assembly of First Nations, and N commits to doing so with heartational Chief RoseAnne Archibald is not one to mince words, certainly not when it comes to acknowledging her own worth as an important leader within the countrys Indigenous community. Most notably, she credits her wide range of skill and experience for her recent election, this past July, to lead the Assembly of First Nations. I was elected because I was the best candi-date, says Archibald simply. I think it needs to be said that I was not elected because I was a womanI was elected because I am the most experienced and the best person for this job at this time.Archibald, a Taykwa Tagamou Nation citizen who most recently served as Ontario Regional Chief, also points out that she was not elected in a vacuum: there has been aAn experienced voice: RoseAnne Archibald's current position comes after years of leadership roleslarger movement around women and leader-ship in Indigenous communities across the country, reflecting a positive trend. EARLY START What Archibald didnt understand at the You see Mandy Gull-Masty as the newIn terms of her own upward climb as antime, however, but now wishes she had, Grand Chief of the Crees in Quebec, andIndigenous leader, Archibald notes thatis that when young leaders are elected it Constance Lake First Nation, for example,it all began when she was elected as theis often not because they are seen as fully just elected their very first woman Chief, saysfirst female and youngest Chief in herformed leaders, but rather because their Archibald. Ive seen that happening acrosscommunity in 1990, when she was justpotential is acknowledged. Its that the Canada. I just got back from Saskatchewan23 years old. So she embraced her role atpotential of their leadership is recognized, where all of those Woodland Cree Chiefsa very young age.points out Archibald. Thats what that first are women now, and all of them were the firstArchibald was inspired by her earlyelection was about; it was an acknowledge-women in those roles. experience as a band manager inment from my own community that I Archibald says many of the new femaleBiigtigong Nishnaabeg, her activism[had] this potential to be a good leader and a Chiefs have already served multiple termsas a student leader, and her familysgood Chief.as Counsellors in their communities, so theyunique experience in leadership roles.Her first term as Chief helped Archibald to are not new to their leadership roles, nor areMy family was known as a leadershipunderstand the difficulty of breaking that many of the recent elections of women tofamily in my community, and just beforetrail as the first woman to hold a leader-these leadership roles an overnight phenom- that [1990] election I had just finishedship role and aided her in building a sense enon. It is the positive outcome of yearsa year as a band manager in Biigtigongof faith in her own abilities. This, in turn, of work and effort. It isnt just suddenlyNishnaabeg, Archibald says. I hadstrengthened her tenacity to continue despite happening, Archibald says. Were suddenlydone some great work there and myany roadblocks placed in her way.seeing it, but the work thats leading up to allcommunity had heard about it, and of of these elections actually started probably 15course they knew me from my activismWhat I learned in my early years is that to 20 years ago. as a student leader. standing up and taking action is equally 26Fall/Winter 2021"