'I will make you proud,' Kyra Wilson says after election as Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs grand chief
Former Long Plain First Nation chief to lead organization after death of Cathy Merrick
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has elected Kyra Wilson, a former chief of Long Plain First Nation, as its new leader, filling the role left empty by the sudden death of Cathy Merrick last fall.
Wilson became the second woman elected to lead the organization, which represents 63 First Nations across Manitoba, after a decisive vote during a special assembly in Winnipeg Wednesday.
She will replace Merrick, who died suddenly in September and was the first woman to lead the AMC. Betsy Kennedy, chief of War Lake First Nation, had been acting as grand chief.
Wilson beat out three other candidates — former York Factory First Nation chief Leroy Constant, Sapotaweyak Cree Nation Coun. Bava Dhillon and former Peguis First Nation chief Glenn Hudson — in the first round of voting. She won 37 votes out of the 61 cast in the byelection.
"There's so much work that I know that we have to do, and it starts now. It starts now," she said in her first address to the chiefs after being sworn in.
"I really want to say thank you. I will make you proud. I will do the best that I can to bring forward our issues. I know there's many issues, but we will tackle every single one no matter what it takes. I commit to that."
Wilson has been an advocate for the search of the Prairie Green landfill, north of Winnipeg, for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, two of the women murdered by serial killer Jeremy Skibicki. Both women were originally from Long Plain First Nation.
Excavation work at the landfill as part of that search began last month.
In 2022, Wilson became the first female chief elected to lead Long Plain since the 1970s. Last year, she lost a bid to become grand chief of the Southern Chiefs' Organization, losing to incumbent Jerry Daniels.
The Southern Chiefs' Organization, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak and Assembly of First Nations Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak issued statements congratulating the new grand chief.
Premier Wab Kinew also congratulated Wilson during a press conference Wednesday afternoon, saying she received a strong mandate to lead the organization forward.
"This is good news for all Manitobans, because we're going to be able to work together to advance living conditions and economic opportunity for First Nations people in Manitoba," Kinew said.
"And of course, when that happens, that benefits all of us."