The Assembly of First Nations has elected its first woman as Grand Chief.
Ontario’s RoseAnne Archibald was declared the winner after five rounds of voting.
Archibald and Saskatchewan’s Reginald Bellemare were the last two candidates during the final two rounds of voting, but neither managed to reach the 60 per cent level necessary for victory.
However, Bellemare withdrew after the fifth ballot.
Archibald says she’s committed to working with governments to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and has pledged to build a solid post-pandemic recovery plan for indigenous communities.
The Assembly represents 634 First Nations with more than 900-thousand members.