MCK Congratulates Kateri Champagne Jourdain Election Victory
Written by Jeremy Zafran on 4 October 2022
The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke has offered congratulations Kateri Champagne Jourdain on her election in yesterday’s provincial election, becoming the first Indigenous woman elected to the National Assembly. She has stated publicly that her Innu culture will help her in her work with Indigenous communities. Ohén:ton Í:iente ne Ratitsénhaienhs Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer is confident that her heritage will be an asset to her and that, hopefully, as an Indigenous woman Member of the National Assembly, she will be able to inspire a greater understanding by the CAQ of the challenges faced by Indigenous peoples across the province, something that has been sorely lacking during the first term of the Legault government:
“I definitely know that women in politics have some level of influence and coming from that space, her culture, her heritage, her upbringing will definitely help shape the positions that she takes on different political initiatives and hopefully raise awareness and try to educate at the same time because a lot of these politicians really have no idea about Indigenous issues and what our reality has been, so if she can use that as a strength to push our issue forward, then we support that.”
Jourdain is from the Innu community of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam easily defeated the Parti Quebecois candidate. The PQ had held the riding for 40 years.
