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In honour of National Indigenous History Month, Unifor is profiling trailblazing activists who are advancing workers and Indigenous rights.
Magali Picard
Magali Picard is president of the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ) and the first Indigenous woman to hold the position. A committed activist with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), she previously held various roles within her union as well as well as in the FTQ, including PSAC Executive Vice-President for the Quebec City region and FTQ vice-president.
In her youth, she experienced first-hand the complexities of identity and status within her Wendat community and went on to successfully fight the sexist exclusion of women from statushood in marriages with non-Indigenous people. This fight would shape her lifelong commitment to social justice and inclusion.
Throughout her career, Magali Picard has focused on modernizing the union and addressing the needs of its diverse membership. She has been involved in initiatives to improve working conditions, promote social justice, and advocate for Indigenous rights. Magali Picard's leadership in the Canadian Labour Congress and the International Trade Union Confederation makes her a significant figure in the national and global labour movement.
Melanie Mark
Vancouver activist Melanie Mark served as the MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant from 2016 to 2023, becoming the first First Nations woman elected to the British Columbia Legislature and the first First Nations woman cabinet minister in B.C.
Born of Nisga'a, Gitxsan, Cree, and Ojibwe ancestry and raised in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Mark faced significant challenges in her youth, including family struggles with addiction and loss. Despite these hardships, she became the first in her family to graduate high school and pursue higher education, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University.
Mark has received multiple awards for her advocacy work, particularly in children's rights and Indigenous issues, highlighting her commitment to community empowerment and social justice.
Jordan McPhail
Elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature in October 2024 to represent his northern constituency of Cumberland, Jordan McPhail is a bright young star in the Saskatchewan NDP caucus. McPhail was born and raised in La Ronge and is a proud member of Lac La Ronge Indian Band.
Before joining the legislature, he was a member of Unifor Local 2-S as a SaskTel Field Services Tech. In his role as a town councillor for seven years, MacPhail focused on bringing healthcare, opportunity, and infrastructure improvements to Northern Saskatchewan.
Niigaan Sinclair
Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, known as Niigaan Sinclair, is an Anishinaabe writer, editor, and activist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a contributor to the Winnipeg Free Press he is a member of Unifor Local 191.
Sinclair is a highly sought-after writer, public speaker and media commentator on Indigenous issues. In 2018 he received the Canadian Columnist of the Year award and has appeared on various platforms, including CTV and CBC. In 2024, Sinclair's book "Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre" won the Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction. His work emphasizes Indigenous perspectives and storytelling, significantly contributing to discussions on Indigenous rights and representation in Canada.
Sinclair currently teaches in the Department of Native Studies at the University of Manitoba.
