Cree politician Romeo Saganash
CBC News
Posted: Sep 26, 2012 3:26 PM CT
Last Updated: Sep 27, 2012 8:30 PM CT
Romeo Saganash is a federal politician from Nunavik. He is a member of the NDP and represents the riding of Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou in northern Quebec.
Saganash was born in Waswanipi, Que., on Oct. 28, 1961. His first language was Cree, but he also speaks English and French fluently.
As a child, Saganash was taken from his family, along with other children from his community, and sent to residential school in La Tuque. He lived with an Anglophone, Anglican family until he graduated high school.
After high school, Saganash became interested in politics, law and constitutional and resource rights. He attended law school at the University de Quebec a Montreal, becoming the first Cree to get a law degree in Quebec.
Saganash has been prominent in politics his entire life. He founded the Cree National Youth Council, served as deputy grand chief of the James Bay Crees of Northern Quebec, and also served on the Grand Council of Crees. He has also worked as a negotiator for the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
He was first elected to federal politics in 2011.
He has three children.
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