Sol Mamakwa | |
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ᓴᐧᓬ ᒣᒣᑫᐧ | |
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Deputy Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party | |
Assumed office July 13, 2022 Serving with Doly Begum | |
Leader | Peter Tabuns Marit Stiles |
Preceded by | John Vanthof and Sara Singh |
Critic, Indigenous and Treaty Relations; and Northern Development | |
Assumed office July 13, 2022 | |
Critic, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation | |
In office August 23, 2018 – June 2, 2022 | |
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Kiiwetinoong | |
Assumed office June 7, 2018 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Personal details | |
Political party | New Democratic |
Residence(s) | Sioux Lookout, Ontario |
Sol Mamakwa MPP (/ˈmɑːməˌkwɑː/ MA-mə-KWA, Oji-Cree: ᓴᐧᓬ ᒣᒣᑫᐧ)[1] is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election.[2] He represents the riding of Kiiwetinoong as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (ONDP). Mamakwa is currently the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice Policy.[3] Mamakwa is a member of the Kingfisher Lake First Nation and speaks Oji-Cree as a first language.[4]
Prior to his election to the legislature, he worked for the Nishnawbe Aski Nation in Sioux Lookout. Mamakwa was one of three MPPs of Indigenous heritage elected in 2018, alongside ONDP colleagues Suze Morrison and Guy Bourgouin, and the second person of full First Nations descent elected to the assembly after Peter North in 1990.[5]
On May 28, 2024, Mamakwa became the first person to give a speech in an Indigenous language in the Ontario Legislature. Mamakwa spoke for 10 minutes in Anishininiimowin (Oji-Cree in English) at the start of question period.[6] [7]
As of August 11, 2024, he serves as the Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition and critic for Indigenous and Treaty Relations as well as for Northern Development.