Indian in the Cabinet

Jody Wilson-Raybould was raised to be a leader. Inspired by the example of her grandmother, who persevered throughout her life to keep alive the governing traditions of her people, and raised as the daughter of a hereditary chief and Indigenous leader, Wilson-Raybould always knew she would take on leadership roles and responsibilities. She never anticipated, however, that those roles would lead to a journey from her home community of We Wai Kai in British Columbia to Ottawa as Canada's first Indigenous Minister of Justice and Attorney General in the Cabinet of then newly elected prime minister, Justin Trudeau.

Wilson-Raybould's experience in Trudeau's Cabinet reveals important lessons about how we must continue to strengthen our political institutions and culture, and the changes we must make to meet challenges such as racial justice and climate change. As her initial optimism about the possibilities of enacting change while in Cabinet shifted to struggles over inclusivity, deficiencies of political will, and concerns about adherence to core principles of our democracy, Wilson-Raybould stood on principle and, ultimately, resigned. In standing her personal and professional ground and telling the truth in front of the nation, Wilson-Raybould demonstrated the need for greater independence and less partisanship in how we govern. (From HarperCollins Publishers)

• The top 10 bestselling Canadian books of 2021
• André Picard and Jody Wilson-Raybould among finalists for inaugural $60K Balsillie Prize for Public Policy
• Jody Wilson-Raybould set to publish memoir of her time in cabinet and SNC-Lavalin affair

More about Jody Wilson-Raybould

The Current19:26Jody Wilson-Raybould talks about reconciliation, her time in government, and her new book about speaking truth to power

Jody Wilson-Raybould says she's well aware of the importance of symbolism as Canada marks its first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. But she said that symbols and words alone will not be enough to push forward true reconciliation. In an interview with Matt Galloway, she talks about the day, her time in government, and her new book, Indian in the Cabinet, Speaking Truth to Power.

'My sister was always there': How family gave MP Jody Wilson-Raybould strength in trying times

4 years ago

Duration 15:55

The Vancouver MP and her sister Kory describe how they've got each other's backs for life.