Sol Mamakwa

Sol Mamakwa
ᓴᐧᓬ ᒣᒣᑫᐧ
Deputy Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party
Assumed office
July 13, 2022
Serving with Doly Begum
LeaderPeter Tabuns
Marit Stiles
Preceded byJohn 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 byConstituency established
Personal details
Political partyNew 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.

  1. ^ @ONPARLeducation (13 July 2022). "Within the halls of the Legislature are walls that contain the names of every Member of Provincial Parliament elected to Ontario's Legislature since 1867. The names for the 42nd Parliament were recently added. For the first time a Member's name was inscribed in Oji-Cree syllabics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ "Ontario Votes 2018: Sol Mamakwa wins new Kiiwetinoong riding". CBC Thunder Bay. June 8, 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "Sol Mamakwa | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". www.ola.org. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  4. ^ "Sol Mamawka elected Kiiwetinoong NDP candidate". Sioux Lookout Bulletin, May 16, 2018. He currently serves as Deputy Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party along with Doly Begum
  5. ^ "Sol Mamakwa, seul membre d'une Première Nation à Queen's Park". Ici Radio-Canada Espaces autochtones, June 8, 2018.
  6. ^ "Ontario First Nation legislator makes history at Queen's Park". CBC News. May 28, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  7. ^ "'We receive strength in speaking our language': Indigenous MPP makes history at Queen's Park". Toronto Star. May 28, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.