Sheila North is a Cree leader and journalist, who formerly served as Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak. North is originally from

Bunibonibee Cree Nation Bunibonibee Cree Nation (), formerly known as Oxford House First Nation and as Oxford House Band of Indians, is a First Nation located along the eastern shoreline of Oxford Lake at the headwaters of the Hayes River and is approximately northeas ...

in Northern Manitoba. As a teenager, she moved to Winnipeg to attend

Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute (DMCI) is a public high school located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The School is named after Daniel McIntyre, Winnipeg's First School Superintendent. History DMCI had its start in 1882 as the eight-student Winn ...

, before graduating from

Red River College Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) is a college located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is the province's largest institute of applied learning and applied research, with over 200 degree, diploma, and certificate programs, and more ...

in 2006 with a degree in communications. She then worked as a journalist for CBC News and CTV News. She was nominated for a Gemini Award in 2010. In 2012, she helped coin the hashtag #MMIW, for missing and murdered indigenous women, while working for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. She was involved in English-to-Cree translation for the 2012 documentary

We Were Children ''We Were Children'' is a 2012 Canadian documentary film about the experiences of First Nations children in the Canadian Indian residential school system. Directed by Tim Wolochatiuk and written by Jason Sherman, the film recounts the experiences o ...

. In 2015, she became Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, the first woman to hold the position. She was named one of Chatelaine’s top 30 women of 2015. In November 2016, she appealed to federal Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...

to accept an invitation to visit

Shamattawa First Nation The Shamattawa First Nation () () is a remote First Nations community in northern Manitoba, Canada, located in the reserve of Shamattawa 1. Shamattawa 1 is located on the banks of the Gods River where the Echoing River joins as a right trib ...

after a fire destroyed the only grocery store in the nation. In 2017, she addressed the federal parliament's Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee over the country's failure to compensate First Nations for hydropower development, as was agreed in the Northern Flood Agreement. After her term ended, she contested the 2018 Assembly of First Nations leadership election, finishing as runner up to incumbent

Perry Bellegarde Perry Bellegarde (born August 29, 1962; Little Black Bear First Nation) is a Canadian First Nations advocate and politician who served as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations from December 10, 2014, to July 8, 2021.

with 23,9% of the second ballot vote. In 2021, she announced she would be running to lead the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, aiming to become the first woman in history to become AMC Grand Chief.

References

Living people Cree people Canadian women journalists Red River College alumni First Nations journalists Year of birth missing (living people) First Nations women writers Bunibonibee Cree Nation {{Manitoba-politician-stub