2nd MPP Placement: Eve and MPP Sol Mamakwa

Effective policy listens to those it impacts. This principle is exemplified by MPP Sol Mamakwa, whose commitment to and advocacy for Northwestern Ontario enhanced my understanding of public service.

As Deputy Leader of the NDP (Ontario's Official Opposition) and MPP for Kiiwetinoong, Sol Mamakwa is a strong voice for Northern and Indigenous communities. Elected in 2018, he serves as Critic for Indigenous and Treaty Relations, Northern Economic Development and Growth, and First Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on the Interior.

Kiiwetinoong—meaning "North" in Ojibwe—spans 294,083 km², larger than the United Kingdom, but has fewer than 33,000 residents, compared to the provincial average of 110,000 per riding. Nearly 68% of its population is Indigenous. With four municipalities and over thirty First Nations, most communities are accessible year-round only by air. Major population hubs include Sioux Lookout, Red Lake, Ear Falls, Pikangikum, and Sandy Lake.

Born in Sioux Lookout and raised in Kingfisher Lake First Nation, MPP Mamakwa is among the first people raised in a First Nation to serve in Ontario’s Legislature. He made history by addressing the chamber in Oji-Cree, the first language other than English or French. Prior to  election, he led health system transformation for the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and served on the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) board. He has introduced bills to align Ontario law with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and to establish the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a statutory holiday in Ontario.

His humility, integrity, and dedication to constituents characterize his leadership. Every morning, he livestreams legislative updates on Facebook. In his office, I supported research, communications, speechwriting, media relations, and stakeholder engagement. I prepared policy briefings on housing, healthcare, transportation, affordability, and education, and drafted speeches for delivery inside and outside the Legislature.

This experience revealed both opportunities and obstacles in Northwestern Ontario. Kiiwetinoong is home to Ojibwe, Oji-Cree (Anishinini), and Cree communities, and learning more about First Nations’ ways of life was deeply enriching. I am honoured to have been exposed to different communities’ priorities and to have seen the unique landscapes that define the region. I encountered local figures such as Sioux Lookout musher Jesse Terry, who has raced in the 1,000-mile Iditarod. I helped prepare MPP Mamakwa's statement celebrating the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, where a delegate from Kiiwetinoong stated, "The land, the water, the Earth is not given to us by our parents; it is loaned to us by our children." Kiiwetinoong’s vast boreal forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife make it ecologically significant—and one of the few places in Ontario with wild polar bears. The riding contributes to Ontario through mining, forestry, aviation, Indigenous-owned enterprise, and tourism.

Housing is an example of a challenge; although Northern Ontario has 5% of the province’s population, it accounts for 10% of Ontario’s homeless. Transportation is another: during MPP Mamakwa’s Our Roads, Our Safety Tour, I learned about the human cost of frequent highway closures and accidents on Highways 11 and 17. In many fly-in First Nations, airports are lifelines, yet over two dozen remain outdated.

This placement deepened my understanding of Indigenous governance. I learned about band and tribal councils, such as the Independent First Nations Alliance (IFNA), as well as the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), a political organisation that represents 49 First Nations across Treaties 9 and 5.

Attending the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Spring Assembly exposed me to the region’s vibrant communities and pressing concerns. I also observed discussions on the Ontario Final Agreement (OFA) under the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT), which aims to reform the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) program.

Outside Queen’s Park, I attended events including Red Dress Day and the Moose Hide Campaign, which was hosted in Toronto for the first time. Red Dress Day honours Missing and Murdered Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Indigenous women account for 16% of female homicide victims and 11% of missing women in Canada.

Visiting Kiiwetinoong was one of the extraordinary privileges of my internship.

Travelling from Thunder Bay to Sioux Lookout, I attended a Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) event that brought together over 400 people from more than 20 First Nations. Through OLIP, I also visited Lac Seul and Kingfisher Lake First Nation. We spent time on the land, heard lived experiences, learned about Kingfisher’s history, visited the Omahamo Store, and met with community leaders, including the Chief and Band Council.

I’ve realized public service is more than passing laws or asking questions—it is about never losing sight of those whom public institutions exist to serve. My time in MPP Mamakwa’s office reinforced the importance of staying connected to one’s community. Great elected officials must always consider whom the legislature includes, whom it excludes, and how it can evolve to better serve everyone.

I am deeply grateful for the mentorship, generosity, and trust shown to me by MPP Mamakwa, Athena, Bridget, and everyone I met, including Jonathon, Delaine, Chris, Patricia, Dan, Jesse, Shirley, Dennis, David, Leah, Eddy, James, and many others. Thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime.