Elijah Harper
Encyclopedia
Elijah Harper is an Aboriginal
Cree
Canadian
politician and band chief. He was a key player in the rejection of the Meech Lake Accord
, an attempt at Canadian constitutional reform.
in northern Manitoba
. He attended residential school
s in Norway House, Brandon
and Birtle, Manitoba
, then secondary school at Garden Hill
and Winnipeg
. He studied at the University of Manitoba
in 1971 and 1972, and later worked as a community development worker, a supervisor for the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood, and a program analyst for the Manitoba Department of Northern Affairs.
In 1981, Harper contested and won the sprawling northern Manitoba riding of Rupertsland
for the New Democratic Party
to become the first Treaty Indian
to be elected as a provincial politician. On April 17, 1986, he was appointed to cabinet as a Minister without Portfolio
, responsible for Native Affairs. On February 4, 1987, he was named Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister in charge of the Communities Economic Fund Act.
He was appointed as Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for Native Affairs, on November 23, 1987. He was relieved of his ministerial responsibilities on September 9, 1987, after being involved in a car accident while driving under the influence of alcohol. No one was injured in the incident. Harper subsequently pleaded guilty to refusing a breathalyzer test, leaving the scene of an accident and driving while impaired. He was fined $450, and his driver's licence was suspended for a year. Harper acknowledged his mistake, and entered an alcohol-rehabilitation program. He was reappointed as Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for Native Affairs, on November 23, 1987, and served until the defeat of Howard Pawley
's government in 1988.
In 1990, Harper achieved national fame by holding an eagle feather as he took his stand in the Manitoba legislature and refused to accept the Meech Lake Accord
, a constitutional amendment package negotiated to gain Quebec's acceptance of the Constitution Act, 1982. The proposed Accord was negotiated in 1987 without the input of Canada's Aboriginal peoples. For ratification, the Manitoba assembly would have had to unanimously consent to a motion allowing it to hold a vote on the Accord. With only twelve days before the ratification deadline for the Accord, Harper began a filibuster
which prevented the assembly from ratifying the Accord. As a result, Newfoundland
premier Clyde Wells
cancelled a proposed vote on the Accord in the Newfoundland legislature. The Meech Lake Accord required ratification by all ten provincial legislatures and parliament to come into effect. As Meech Lake failed to pass in both Manitoba and Newfoundland, the constitution was not amended. The same year, he won the Stanley Knowles
Humanitarian Award, was voted as the "Newsmaker of the Year in Canada" by the Canadian Press
, was awarded the title of Honourary Chief for Life by Red Sucker Lake First Nation, and received a commemorative medal of Canada from the Governor General for his efforts in public service. Harper also opposed the Charlottetown Accord
in 1992.
Harper resigned from the Manitoba legislature on November 30, 1992. He initially wanted to run for the federal New Democratic Party
in the 1993 federal election
, in the northern riding of Churchill, but was rebuffed by the party leadership (the riding was already represented by NDP MP Rod Murphy, who did not want to resign). After considering offers from several parties, Harper agreed to join the Liberals
in early 1993. He claimed that this change in party affiliation did not reflect a change in his principles: he intended to represent native interests in parliament, party lines notwithstanding. His presence in the Liberal Party was controversial, however; many former allies considered his decision misguided, and some Quebec Liberal MPs did not want to be associated with the man who brought down Meech Lake.
Harper defeated Murphy in the 1993 election, and served in the Canadian House of Commons
in Ottawa
, as a Liberal. He was a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Aboriginal Affairs, but was otherwise not a prominent MP. He was defeated by New Democrat
Bev Desjarlais
in the 1997 election
, and again in the 2000 election
.
Elijah Harper is also known for bringing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples together from across Canada to find a spiritual basis for healing and understanding. One such gathering, called the Sacred Assembly '95, took place in Hull, Quebec
in December 1995. From this Sacred Assembly, people developed a Reconciliation Proclamation and a Statement of Principles and Priorities. These documents would guide people in the sharing at the Assembly. A second Sacred Assembly took place at the Sagkeeng First Nation
in August 1997, just northeast of Winnipeg
, Manitoba
.
For his work for his people, Harper received the Stanley Knowles
Humanitarian Award in 1991, and a National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1996. Elijah Harper was appointed Commissioner of the Indian Claims Commission
on January 21, 1999, and remains in demand as a speaker.
A film based on Harper’s life, focusing in particular on the month of June 1990, when Harper blocked the Manitoba legislature from voting on the Meech Lake Accord, was directed by Paul Unwin
and played in 2007 at the Vancouver International Film Festival
. The film, entitled Elijah, was produced for the CTV Television Network
. It stars Billy Merasty
in the title role.
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician and band chief. He was a key player in the rejection of the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
, an attempt at Canadian constitutional reform.
Early life
Harper was born in Red Sucker Lake, a reserveIndian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
in northern Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. He attended residential school
Canadian residential school system
-History:Founded in the 19th century, the Canadian Indian residential school system was intended to assimilate the children of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada into European-Canadian society...
s in Norway House, Brandon
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
and Birtle, Manitoba
Birtle, Manitoba
Birtle is a small town of 690 people , located on the prairies of western Manitoba, Canada at the junction of Highways 83 and 42.-History:...
, then secondary school at Garden Hill
Garden Hill, Manitoba
Garden Hill is a First Nations community in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is situated on Island Lake in the far northeast corner of the province. It is only accessible by winter ice roads via St. Theresa Point and air.-History:...
and Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. He studied at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
in 1971 and 1972, and later worked as a community development worker, a supervisor for the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood, and a program analyst for the Manitoba Department of Northern Affairs.
Politics
In 1978, he was elected as the Band Chief for Red Sucker Lake Band (now Red Sucker Lake First Nation), a position he held for four years.In 1981, Harper contested and won the sprawling northern Manitoba riding of Rupertsland
Rupertsland
Kewatinook is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Starting with the 2011 election, the riding was renamed Kewatinook which means "from the north” in Cree....
for the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
to become the first Treaty Indian
Treaty Indian
In Canada, a treaty Indian is an Indian who belongs to a band that is party to one of the eleven Numbered Treaties signed by Canada and various First Nations between 1871 and 1922. It contrasts with Indians whose bands are not party to a treaty and with non-status Indians, that is, people of...
to be elected as a provincial politician. On April 17, 1986, he was appointed to cabinet as a Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
, responsible for Native Affairs. On February 4, 1987, he was named Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister in charge of the Communities Economic Fund Act.
He was appointed as Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for Native Affairs, on November 23, 1987. He was relieved of his ministerial responsibilities on September 9, 1987, after being involved in a car accident while driving under the influence of alcohol. No one was injured in the incident. Harper subsequently pleaded guilty to refusing a breathalyzer test, leaving the scene of an accident and driving while impaired. He was fined $450, and his driver's licence was suspended for a year. Harper acknowledged his mistake, and entered an alcohol-rehabilitation program. He was reappointed as Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for Native Affairs, on November 23, 1987, and served until the defeat of Howard Pawley
Howard Pawley
Howard Russell Pawley, PC, OC, OM is a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988.-Personal life:...
's government in 1988.
In 1990, Harper achieved national fame by holding an eagle feather as he took his stand in the Manitoba legislature and refused to accept the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
, a constitutional amendment package negotiated to gain Quebec's acceptance of the Constitution Act, 1982. The proposed Accord was negotiated in 1987 without the input of Canada's Aboriginal peoples. For ratification, the Manitoba assembly would have had to unanimously consent to a motion allowing it to hold a vote on the Accord. With only twelve days before the ratification deadline for the Accord, Harper began a filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
which prevented the assembly from ratifying the Accord. As a result, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
premier Clyde Wells
Clyde Wells
Clyde Kirby Wells, QC was the fifth Premier of Newfoundland and was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador from 1999 to March 2009...
cancelled a proposed vote on the Accord in the Newfoundland legislature. The Meech Lake Accord required ratification by all ten provincial legislatures and parliament to come into effect. As Meech Lake failed to pass in both Manitoba and Newfoundland, the constitution was not amended. The same year, he won the Stanley Knowles
Stanley Knowles
Stanley Howard Knowles, PC, OC was a Canadian parliamentarian. Knowles represented the riding of Winnipeg North Centre from 1942 to 1958 on behalf of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and again from 1962 to 1984 representing the CCF's successor, the New Democratic Party .Knowles was widely...
Humanitarian Award, was voted as the "Newsmaker of the Year in Canada" by the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
, was awarded the title of Honourary Chief for Life by Red Sucker Lake First Nation, and received a commemorative medal of Canada from the Governor General for his efforts in public service. Harper also opposed the Charlottetown Accord
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
in 1992.
Harper resigned from the Manitoba legislature on November 30, 1992. He initially wanted to run for the federal New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, in the northern riding of Churchill, but was rebuffed by the party leadership (the riding was already represented by NDP MP Rod Murphy, who did not want to resign). After considering offers from several parties, Harper agreed to join the Liberals
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in early 1993. He claimed that this change in party affiliation did not reflect a change in his principles: he intended to represent native interests in parliament, party lines notwithstanding. His presence in the Liberal Party was controversial, however; many former allies considered his decision misguided, and some Quebec Liberal MPs did not want to be associated with the man who brought down Meech Lake.
Harper defeated Murphy in the 1993 election, and served in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, as a Liberal. He was a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Aboriginal Affairs, but was otherwise not a prominent MP. He was defeated by New Democrat
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
Bev Desjarlais
Bev Desjarlais
Bev Desjarlais is a retired Canadian politician. She represented Churchill in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2006, initially as a New Democrat and later as an Independent after losing her party nomination in late 2005...
in the 1997 election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, and again in the 2000 election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
.
Elijah Harper is also known for bringing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples together from across Canada to find a spiritual basis for healing and understanding. One such gathering, called the Sacred Assembly '95, took place in Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
in December 1995. From this Sacred Assembly, people developed a Reconciliation Proclamation and a Statement of Principles and Priorities. These documents would guide people in the sharing at the Assembly. A second Sacred Assembly took place at the Sagkeeng First Nation
Sagkeeng First Nation
The Sagkeeng First Nation is an Anishinaabe First Nation which holds territory east of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. Sagkeeng, which was once called Fort Alexander, has an on-reserve population of approximately 3,000 people. Ojibwe is the name of the tribe that lives in Sagkeeng.There is a...
in August 1997, just northeast of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
.
For his work for his people, Harper received the Stanley Knowles
Stanley Knowles
Stanley Howard Knowles, PC, OC was a Canadian parliamentarian. Knowles represented the riding of Winnipeg North Centre from 1942 to 1958 on behalf of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and again from 1962 to 1984 representing the CCF's successor, the New Democratic Party .Knowles was widely...
Humanitarian Award in 1991, and a National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1996. Elijah Harper was appointed Commissioner of the Indian Claims Commission
Indian claims commission
The Indian Claims Commission was a judicial panel for relations between the United States Federal Government and Native American tribes. It was established in 1946 by the United States Congress to hear claims of Indian tribes against the United States...
on January 21, 1999, and remains in demand as a speaker.
A film based on Harper’s life, focusing in particular on the month of June 1990, when Harper blocked the Manitoba legislature from voting on the Meech Lake Accord, was directed by Paul Unwin
Paul Unwin (film director)
Paul Unwin is a film, theatre, TV writer / director.As a theatre director his work includes The Man Who Had All the Luck by Arthur Miller at the Bristol Old Vic and the Young Vic, The Misanthrope at the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal National Theatre, Hamlet, Othello, In Times Like These by Jeremy...
and played in 2007 at the Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
. The film, entitled Elijah, was produced for the CTV Television Network
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
. It stars Billy Merasty
Billy Merasty
Billy Merasty is a Canadian actor and writer of Cree descent. He moved to Toronto at the age of 17, and launched his acting career after attending a theatre school program for aboriginal youth....
in the title role.