Ethel Blondin-Andrew
Ethel Blondin-Andrew is a significant figure in Canadian history, recognized as the first Aboriginal woman elected to the Parliament of Canada. Born on March 25, 1951, in Tulita, Northwest Territories, she is of Dene heritage and has dedicated her life to advocating for the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples. Blondin-Andrew's educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Alberta, and she initially worked as a teacher, focusing on language and literacy within First Nations communities.
In the late 1980s, she transitioned into politics, leveraging her teaching experience and community networks to successfully run as a Liberal MP for the Western Arctic in 1988. Throughout her political career, she held various roles, including cabinet positions that allowed her to influence policies affecting Aboriginal groups, children, and individuals with disabilities. After serving five terms, she was ultimately defeated in the 2006 election but remained active in Indigenous affairs, notably as chair of the Sahtu Secretariat Inc. and as a senior adviser with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative.
Blondin-Andrew's work has earned her multiple accolades, including the Outstanding Young Canadian Award and an Officer designation in the Order of Canada in 2022. Her contributions have had lasting impacts on Indigenous rights and community development in Canada.
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Subject Terms
Ethel Blondin-Andrew
Educator, politician
- Born: March 25, 1951
- Place of Birth: Tulita, Sahtu region, Northwest Territories, Canada
Education: Grandin College; University of Alberta
Significance: Ethel Blondin-Andrew was the first aboriginal woman elected to the Parliament of Canada. In addition to serving as an elected official, she spent several years teaching. She focused on supporting language and literacy in First Nations communities. After she lost her seat in government, Blondin-Andrew continued to support aboriginal affairs.
Background
Ethel Blondin-Andrew was born Ethel Dorothy Blondin on March 25, 1951, in Tulita in the Sahtu region of the Northwest Territories of Canada. She was the daughter of Joseph and Mary Blondin. Her family was of First Nations heritage from the Dene aboriginal group. The Dene also are known as the Slavey. Blondin-Andrew attended local elementary schools, and when she was twelve years old, she contracted tuberculosis, spending more than a year recovering in the former Charles Camsell Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta.
After she graduated from high school, Blondin-Andrew attended Grandin College in Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories, where she studied teaching. She next attended the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where she received a bachelor's degree in education in 1974. That same year, she received her first teaching job. She spent the next seven years teaching at various schools throughout the Northwest Territories.
In 1981, Blondin-Andrew was hired as an aboriginal language and curriculum specialist at the Department of Education, Culture and Employment in Yellowknife. For the next three years, the native speaker of the Slavey language worked on policy development for preserving First Nations languages and cultures. She then worked at the Public Service Commission of Canada from 1984 to 1986. In 1986, Blondin-Andrew returned to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to serve as assistant deputy minister of the culture and communications department. In addition, she continued her focus on language and literacy and taught classes, programs, and workshops in the communities of the Northwest Territories. She also researched elders in the First Nations communities and published a book on the subject.
Life's Work
In the late 1980s, Blondin-Andrew, who was very outspoken, decided to enter politics to fight for and protect the rights of aboriginal people. She credited her parents for allowing her to stand up for what she believed. Growing up, her parents supported the Liberal Party of Canada, and her father helped former Liberal Party member of Parliament (MP) Merv Hardie campaign during the 1960s.
In 1988, Blondin-Andrew ran as a Liberal for MP in the House of Commons. She credited her organizational skills from teaching for helping her to focus her campaign. She set realistic goals for herself and relied on help from the networking she had built during her time teaching and working for the Public Service Commission. She was elected to the position, becoming the first aboriginal woman to hold the Western Arctic MP seat for Liberal Party. She served as the opposition critic for Aboriginal Affairs (later called Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada), working on issues that affected First Nations peoples.
In 1993, the Liberal Party assumed power, and Blondin-Andrew was reelected. She also was named to a cabinet position, serving as the secretary of state for training and youth (later called the minister of state for children and youth) for the Queen's Privy Council for Canada under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. In 1997 and 2000, Blondin-Andrew was reelected as MP and retained her cabinet position. In these positions, she advocated for the rights of aboriginals, children, and disabled people. She worked to raise awareness on many issues such as health care that plagued the First Nations communities and began work on employment initiatives that included aboriginal groups. She continued her work in aboriginal affairs and served on various committees, including the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and the Special Joint Committee on a Renewed Canada. Blondin-Andrew was reelected as MP in 2004 and named minister of state of northern development under Prime Minister Paul Martin.
In 2006, Blondin-Andrew again ran to retain her MP seat. Her opponent was New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Dennis Bevington, who had run against her in the 2004 election. In the previous election cycle, he was shy fifty-three votes and lost the seat. This time, Bevington won the election, ousting Blondin-Andrew. She conceded her defeat after serving five terms.
Afterward, the former politician remained dedicated to working for aboriginal affairs. She became the chair of Sahtu Secretariat Inc., an organization that works on land treaty relations between the Sahtu region and the Canadian government. One of her key focuses into the 2010s was shale oil production and ensuring the Sahtu region was protected. She became a senior adviser with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative (ILI). This organization worked to help Indigenous people protect their lands.
Impact
Blondin-Andrew spent her career fighting for the rights of others and standing up for what she believed. As a member of the Parliament of Canada, she was able to use her personal experiences growing up as a Dene to help aboriginal groups; she used her teaching experience to help other groups such as children and youth. She was instrumental to the development of the Aboriginal Head Start program, Canada's Youth Employment Strategy, and the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Agreement (AHRDA), among other programs. Blondin-Andrew also supported women's leadership roles and participated in several Liberal Party committees. She was recognized for her service to aboriginal peoples and received several awards, including the Outstanding Young Canadian Award, the Government Service Award, and the Award for Culture and Heritage Preservation. In 2022, she was appointed an Officer to the Order of Canada.
Personal Life
Blondin-Andrew married Leon Andrew. The couple had two sons, Troy and Tim, and one daughter, Tanya. For her dedicated work to aboriginal communities, Blondin-Andrew received an honorary doctorate from Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, in 2001.
Bibliography
"Blondin-Andrew Defeated in N.W.T." CBC News, 24 Jan. 2006, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/blondin-andrew-defeated-in-n-w-t-1.576985. Accessed 2 May 2017.
Briley, John. "A New Collaboration for Vast and Lasting Conservation." Pew Charitable Trusts, 6 May 2022, www.pewtrusts.org/en/trust/archive/spring-2022/a-new-collaboration-for-vast-and-lasting-conservation. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.
"Ethel Blondin-Andrew." Canadian Encyclopedia, 4 July 2022, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ethel-blondin-andrews. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.
"Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Dene, 1951–." Native Leaders of Canada, www.newfederation.org/Native‗Leaders/Bios/Blondin-Andrew.htm. Accessed 2 May 2017.
Sleeman, Elizabeth. "Blondin-Andrew, Ethel." The International Who's Who of Women 2002. 3rd ed. Europa Publications, 2002, p. 65.