Wendy Grant-John

Wendy Grant-John, née Wendy Sparrow, is a prominent First Nations leader in British Columbia. She served three terms as chief of the Musqueam First Nation and was the first woman elected regional vice-chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

Grant-John in 2011

Early life and education

She is the daughter of former Musqueam chief Willard Sparrow and sister of Gail Sparrow.[1] Grant-John also has two other sisters named Debra and Robyn Sparrow who are Indigenous weavers.[2]

Career

In 1997 Grant-John came in second to Phil Fontaine in the election for National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. That year, she also enrolled in the University of Northern British Columbia.[3] From 1997 until 2000 she served as Associate Regional Director-General of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs for British Columbia.[4] She was the first woman elected Regional Chief to the Assembly of First Nations.[5]

Grant-John has been involved in the development and operation of several businesses. As Musqueam chief, she helped to create the first aboriginal commercial fishery in Canada and was a founder of Musqueam Weavers, a company that revitalized the local tradition of weaving.[6] She was also a founding member and director of the Aboriginal Healing Commission in 1998.[4]

Grant-John has served as a lay bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia and as a Commissioner of the Pacific Salmon Commission.[7] As well, in 2006, she was appointed the Minister of Indian Affairs[8] and named Assembly of First Nations Commission Co-Chair.[9] In 2011, she joined the National Aboriginal Client Services Practice.[7]

In 2017, Grant-John was one of five people appointed by the Liberal government to come up with recommendations to reform the National Energy Board.[10] Two years later, she was appointed a member of Vancouver Police Board.[11]

Awards

Grant-John received the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for Social Action in 2001, an honorary Doctor of Laws from Royal Roads University in 2003,[5] and a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, now the Indspire Awards, for Community Development in 2006. In the fall of 2011 she received another honorary doctorate from Simon Fraser University.[12]

Personal life

Grant-John is married to Edward John[11] and has four children from her previous marriage to Howard Grant.

References
  1. Howell, Mike (November 6, 2012). "Longtime Musqueam chief stepping down". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  2. Smith, Janet (June 21, 2019). "Musqueam artist Robyn Sparrow "weaves" design into Marpole crosswalk". straight.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  3. "Wendy Grant-John". royalroads.ca. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  4. "Former Musqueam chief to receive honorary degree". sfu.ca. October 4, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  5. "2013 Recipient: Wendy Grant-John". orderofbc.gov.bc.ca. Order of BC. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  6. "2013 Recipient: Wendy Grant-John – Vancouver". Musqueam. Musqueam Indian Band. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  7. "Deloitte Vancouver Announces Addition of Wendy Grant-John to their National Aboriginal Client Services Practice". nationtalk.ca. March 13, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  8. "ARCHIVED - Consultation Process". aadnc-aandc.gc.ca. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  9. "AFN Renewal Commission" (PDF). afn.ca. 2005. p. 127. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  10. "National Energy Board review panel comes to Vancouver". cbc.ca. February 8, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  11. Howell, Mike (July 17, 2019). "Former Musqueam chief Wendy Grant-John to become member of Vancouver Police Board". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  12. Hui, Stephen (March 10, 2011). "SFU to award honorary degrees to Sarah McLachlan, Ray Spaxman, Wendy Grant-John". straight.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.

Bibliography
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