Roméo Saganash
Great defender of Aboriginal rights
Roméo Saganash was born in 1962 in the Cree community of Waswanipi. In 1989, he became the first member of his nation to earn a law degree. Between 1990 and 1993, he served as Deputy Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees (of Québec). During this period, he was co-chair of the Forum paritaire québécois-autochtones, a focus group whose mission is to bring together Quebecers and Aboriginal peoples. Subsequently, he was delegated by his nation to Québec and international relations. In Québec, he actively contributed to the negotiations that led to the signing of the Paix des Braves in 2002. On the international stage, he played a prominent role in discussions surrounding the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007. In 2011, he was elected Member of Parliament for Abitibi—Baie—James—Nunavik—Eeyou for the New Democratic Party, a position he held until 2019.
