This Indigenous Journalist And Rapper Has Become Canada’s First First Nations Province Leader
41-year-old Wab Kinew, said his election is “a testament to our province and country moving forward”.
![This Indigenous Journalist And Rapper Has Become Canada’s First First Nations Province Leader](/content/images/size/w1200/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/canada-manitoba-first-nation-premier-wab-kinew-1.jpg)
Wab Kinew made history on Tuesday, Oct. 3, as he was elected to become Canada’s Manitoba province’s first-ever First Nations premier.
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41-year-old Kinew, who is the son of an Anishinaabe chief in Ontario, has led the left-wing New Democratic Party since 2017. Before that, he was a former rapper, broadcast journalist and university administrator.
![canada first nation premier wab kinew](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/canada-first-nation-premier-wab-kinew.jpg)
According to unofficial results, his party won 34 seats out of 57 in the elections, securing a majority government in Manitoba, which is Canada’s fifth most populous province and has the highest proportion of Indigenous people in the country.
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He succeeded Heather Stefanson, Manitoba’s first woman premier, who also stepped down as leader of Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative Party since the historic vote.
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Following his victory, Kinew delivered a speech in Winnipeg to inspire the Indigenous youth. “My life became immeasurably better when I stopped making excuses and I started looking for a reason,” he said. “And I found that reason in our family, I found that reason in our community. And I found that reason in our province and country.”
![canada first premier wab kinew](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/canda-first-premier-wab-kinew.jpg)
In his speech, he also reaffirmed his upcoming agenda, which will focus on healthcare and social housing.
![wab kinew canada nation premier](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/wab-kinew-canada-nation-premier.jpg)
“When my father was a young man, he was not allowed to vote. And today I have the honor to ask the people in this province to vote for our team,” he said, according to Reuters. “That is a testament to our province and country moving forward. Long way to go, but you cannot tell me that we haven’t made progress.”
![canada wab kinew first nation premier](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/canada-wab-kinew-first-nation-premier.jpg)
Canada’s three Indigenous groups, including The First Nations, represent around 5% of the national population and were only granted the right to vote in 1960.