b'LEAVES FALLING MOONGUIDED by TRUTHBy Rick GarrickWendy Landrys journey from grassroots work to municipal leadershipS huniah Township Mayorpresident of Indigenous partnerships,One of the toughest challenges Landry Wendy Landry initiallyleadership and strategy. Her positionhas faced in both the private sector got involved in localentails overseeing the Indigenizationand government world has been the politics after starting up aof the schools programs and initia- need to constantly remind members youth group in her community. tives, including the recent launch ofthat reconciliation is the responsibility Confederation Colleges first everof non-Indigenous people, guided by I applied for some funding and wasReconciliation Action Plan. Indigenous people.successful, so that following year I decided to run for council, says Landry,Confederation is the first college inNothing about us without usit is a a member of Red Rock Indian Band.Ontario to launch such a plan to set upheavy lift to constantly be advocating, After four years on council, I felt I couldactions for all departments in the spirit ofreminding and educating people, but lead the council and had the supportreconciliation and the 94 Calls to Action,we need to do it. We need to be there, of the other council members to chal- Landry says. I also hold the governmentand we need to be always on, Landry lenge the mayor, [who was] at the time arelations portfolio, supporting the collegesays. It can get heavy and hard and 25-year incumbent. exhausting, yet rewarding.president on government relations.Landry says her first mayoral campaign in 2014 was a tough election. It was theLandry says the first time in my life I felt direct racistoverlap between her concerns, she says. But I won, and I haveadvocacy work and had nothing but the best support since. her relationships Now, over a decade later, Landry plans tohas been a blessing continue with her role in Shuniah, notingin many ways. The that she ran for the president of thechallenges that I Association of Municipalities of Ontariohave faced is the (AMO) last year but lost by seven votes. buy-in from corpora-tions to include I believe in our community and thatthe Indigenous I can affect more change locally thanlens in all that they I can at other levels, Landry says.do, she explains. I represented the region at NOMAIt is a change of [Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association] as the longest-servingmindsetthe college president, and that put me at the prov- employees have incial level and at the [Memorandum ofbeen eager to have Understanding] table with the province.a roadmap to lead That was hard work, and that is wherethe work, and now I believe we raised the profile of north- the Implementation western Ontario and had a voice forCommittee is guiding proposed legislation. the department heads In addition to her role in muni- to identify oppor-cipal government, Landry joinedtunities and attach Confederation College in 2023 as viceaction items.38 Fall/Winter 2025'