b'POLITICAL PATHWAYSPOLITICAL CREATURES: MINDING OUR OWN INDIAN AFFAIRS By Rick GarrickAFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak and mayor of Shuniah Wendy Landry discuss their political journeysT he Assembly of FirstI would listen to all these impassioned Nations National Chiefspeeches and it really helped me to under-Cindy Woodhouse Nepinakstand that First Nations, number one, we and the mayor of Shuniahare the first peoples in this country, but Township Wendy Landry credit theirnumber two, were being treated as third-political leadership roles to their lifeclass citizensnot even second class, third experiences and recognition of needs inclassand its still happening to this day, their home communities. Woodhouse Nepinak says. And then of course I met other people in university, I grew up on a First Nationback thenlike-minded people that wanted to make you grew up without access to [basicCanada a better place, and Ive been plumbing], even where we would goworking on many different initiatives to pray, says Woodhouse Nepinak, asince then.Pinaymootang First Nation citizen from Manitoba who was elected as NationalWoodhouse Nepinak recalls the time she Chief in December 2023. Our facilitybrought up an issue about the federal didnt have a bathroom in there; wegovernments plans to tax First Nations had to use an outhouse and it would bepost-secondary student living allowances really cold. And then I would stay at mywith then-prime minister Paul Martin grandmas half the week because she wasduring a dinner at his official residence a widow, so my mom and dad would makein Ottawa.AFN National Chief sure I would spend time with granny, andThe next few days it was changedatCindy Woodhouse granny also didnt have running water atthat point it sparked my interest [in theNepinak.that time. So we had to use slop pails andfact] that our lives are in these peoples stuff like that when I was growing up hands, and that relationships matter andwalks of life and different backgrounds. thats just the way life was. that getting our voices heard matters asI came to the thought that Ive built rela-Woodhouse Nepinak says she first noticedFirst Nations, Woodhouse Nepinak says.tionships my whole life and I should use I realized that politics is important, andthem to help First Nations people open the disparities in services between Firstthat people need to be paying attentiondoors, to try to change policy, to try to Nations and other communities when sheto First Nations issues, and that we havework on investments towards First Nations, attended an off-reserve high school. to get them out there and we have to start[so] that Canada doesnt forget who we They had computers, they had an artmaking changes one thing at a time. are, that were not always left out. I wanted lab, they had a science lab, they had ato show that we [women] can lead too, Woodhouse Nepinak says she decided toand that First Nations women arent less cafeteria, Woodhouse Nepinak says. Yourun for Manitoba Regional Chief when thethan anyone else, that were strong, that start going to high school and you see theposition was vacant in 2021. were resilient.disparities, the differences, and of course poverty is always high in our communities,I just stepped forward. I just knew it wasWendy Landry, a Red Rock Indian Band and you see all these other kids from themy time to try and help our people, andcitizen, president at the Northwestern town and they kind of had everything. there was this calling within myself toOntario Municipal Association (NOMA) step forward, Woodhouse Nepinak says,and vice president of Indigenous Woodhouse Nepinak says her father, whonoting she had already built relationshipsLeadership, Partnerships and Strategies was a chief in her community, used to takein Ottawa, including with senators andat Confederation College, says she first her to meetings and national assemblies. MPs from all over the country, from allran for and won a councillor position in 18Fall/Winter 2024'