Myron Wolf Child
Encyclopedia
Myron John Wolf Child (6 February 1983–27 February 2007) was a youth activist, public speaker and politician from the Kainai Nation
in southern Alberta
, Canada
. His surname was sometimes reported as Wolfchild or WolfChild.
, Wolf Child identified himself as a victim of child abuse
and neglect, who overcame this past to deliver a message to fellow youth. He helped establish youth groups including the Flying Eagles Youth Council, the Kainai Youth Council, the Peigan Youth Task Force, the Junior Foundation and the First Nations Liaison Project. He was founder and president of the Reclaiming Hope Foundation, and CEO of Reclaiming Hope, Inc. He was National Aboriginal Coordinator for the Students Commission of Canada, research assistant with Alberta Children's Services and with the University of Lethbridge, and a project coordinator with Kainai Children's Services. He received an Alberta Great Kids Award in 2002, and an honourable mention in 2003 for an Aboriginal Youth Achievement Award in the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.
By 2006, Wolf Child was a third-year native studies and political science
student at the University of Lethbridge
, where he was elected an Arts and Sciences representative to the University of Lethbridge Students' Union
in March 2006.
In proceedings of the Canadian Senate
Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples on 21 February 2001, Senator Landon Pearson
cited Wolf Child's work as a youth member of the Canadian delegation to a preliminary meeting working towards the United Nations Special Session on Children. "He was splendid. People were blown away by his capacity to speak and to present himself and to connect with other young people. We are thrilled that we have been able to give him this opportunity." (The text records his surname as WolfChild.)
, which since appears to have merged with the First Peoples National Party of Canada
.
Wolf Child ran in the 2006 federal election
as an independent
candidate in the electoral district of Macleod
in Alberta. In the first election after the Parliament of Canada had legalized same-sex marriage
across the country, he identified his support for "the traditional definition of marriage" as a priority. He also condemned abortion
. "I don’t think the courts should have the final say in these decisions, it’s undemocratic," he said.
Other priorities he identified included supporting farmers, veterans, and single mothers. He said he supported child care, opposed tax increases and supported public spending control. He also supported a "patient's bill of rights" for health care users, and proposed a national Aboriginal
peace keepers' group to confront violence in native communities.
He received 1,055 votes, 2.12% of ballots cast. In a celebratory message to his website, he congratulated the winner, Conservative
Ted Menzies
, and their fellow candidates, and called his campaign a victory rather than a loss. "I will be there next time, but it won’t be as an independent," he wrote. "To tell you the truth, I was hoping to get at least 1,000 votes and I did."
leader Paul Martin
on his loss in that election. He wrote that he had supported Martin up to and through the 2003 leadership race, but that Martin had alienated faithful Liberals like Herb Dhaliwal
, Allan Rock
, John Manley
, Sheila Copps
, "and even poor little [Don] Boudria
." "[D]on't push people around as you'll need them later on," he warned Martin. He ended the message more cheerfully: "Vive le Canada. Stay Cool and Have an awesome time."
Writing as acting leader of the APPC, he congratulated Conservative Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
on his appointment of Jim Prentice
as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
, appreciating that Prentice had committed to the Kelowna Agreement
and to the residential school
compensation package.
on 15 February 2006. "I'd like to see the Liberal Party
rejuvenated," he said. "I hope I can inspire and bring faith to Canadians to vote Liberal again."
In a 2 March 2006 comment to a post on his candidacy on the blog Our Thoughts, a poster identifying themselves as Wolf Child (including using his email address and website URL) wrote that "[due] to personal commitments and my education, I am hereby dropping my name from the list."
In a Lethbridge Herald article dated 1 April 2006, he again expressed his interest in running, saying that he expected to know whether he could raise the $50,000 and the signatures required to register within 45 days. He told the Herald he hoped to win support, especially from aboriginal organizations, and to make First Nations
issues prominent in his campaign, but to speak to all Canadians as well. “I’m a people’s candidate," he said, "I want to address a lot of the social issues we have.”
Under the username nextprimeminister, a poster identifying themselves as Wolf Child posted to Ashley MacIsaac
's Internet forum, congratulating MacIsaac on his reported candidacy in the same leadership race, and inviting MacIsaac to an official summit. Although opposed to same sex marriage, Wolf Child congratulated MacIsaac on his engagement to marry a man, and in another message wrote of his increased knowledge of and respect for the roles of two-spirited
individuals in native spirituality and history, in spite of his often-repeated hatred of same-sex marriage.
had charged Wolf Child with two counts of sexual assault
, stemming from the claim that he performed oral sex on a man and fondled the genitals of another at a house party in April 2005. Wolf Child entered a not guilty plea in court 23 October 2006. Wolf Child plead guilty to the charges during the start of his trial on 5 February 2007. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for 27 March.
On 3 March 2007, the Lethbridge Herald ran an obituary for Myron Wolf Child, which stated he died on 27 February 2007.
Kainai Nation
The Kainai Nation is a First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada with a population of 7,437 members in 2005, and had a population of 9,035 members as of 9 February 2008...
in southern Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
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...
. His surname was sometimes reported as Wolfchild or WolfChild.
Background
Born in Cardston, AlbertaCardston, Alberta
-Demographics:The population of the Town of Cardston according to its 2007 municipal census is 3,578.In 2006, it had a population of 3,452 living in 1,234 dwellings, a 0.7% decrease from 2001...
, Wolf Child identified himself as a victim of child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
and neglect, who overcame this past to deliver a message to fellow youth. He helped establish youth groups including the Flying Eagles Youth Council, the Kainai Youth Council, the Peigan Youth Task Force, the Junior Foundation and the First Nations Liaison Project. He was founder and president of the Reclaiming Hope Foundation, and CEO of Reclaiming Hope, Inc. He was National Aboriginal Coordinator for the Students Commission of Canada, research assistant with Alberta Children's Services and with the University of Lethbridge, and a project coordinator with Kainai Children's Services. He received an Alberta Great Kids Award in 2002, and an honourable mention in 2003 for an Aboriginal Youth Achievement Award in the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.
By 2006, Wolf Child was a third-year native studies and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
student at the University of Lethbridge
University of Lethbridge
The University of Lethbridge is a publicly-funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with two other urban campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The main building sits among the coulees on the west side of...
, where he was elected an Arts and Sciences representative to the University of Lethbridge Students' Union
University of Lethbridge Students' Union
The University of Lethbridge Students' Union is a not-for-profit organization representing interests of undergraduate students studying at the University of Lethbridge....
in March 2006.
In proceedings of the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples on 21 February 2001, Senator Landon Pearson
Landon Pearson
Landon Carter "Lucy" Pearson, OC, B.A., M.Ed. is a former Canadian senator and a children's rights advocate. She is the daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister Lester B...
cited Wolf Child's work as a youth member of the Canadian delegation to a preliminary meeting working towards the United Nations Special Session on Children. "He was splendid. People were blown away by his capacity to speak and to present himself and to connect with other young people. We are thrilled that we have been able to give him this opportunity." (The text records his surname as WolfChild.)
Aboriginal Peoples Party founder and independent
In 2005, Wolf Child founded the Aboriginal Peoples Party of CanadaAboriginal Peoples Party of Canada
The Aboriginal Peoples Party of Canada is a Canadian political party that was founded in 2005. Originally conceived by University of Lethbridge student Myron Wolf Child, the party held its founding meeting on August 21, 2005, in St. Albert, Alberta. The APP was headed by interim leader Bill...
, which since appears to have merged with the First Peoples National Party of Canada
First Peoples National Party of Canada
The First Peoples National Party of Canada is a registered federal political party in Canada. It intends to advance the issues of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada by nominating candidates for election in electoral districts with large Aboriginal populations.The FPNPC held its first organizational...
.
Wolf Child ran in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate in the electoral district of Macleod
Macleod (electoral district)
Macleod is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1908 to 1968 and since 1988...
in Alberta. In the first election after the Parliament of Canada had legalized same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
across the country, he identified his support for "the traditional definition of marriage" as a priority. He also condemned abortion
Abortion in Canada
Abortion in Canada is not limited by the law . While some non-legal obstacles exist, Canada is one of only a few nations with no legal restrictions on abortion. Regulations and accessibility vary between provinces....
. "I don’t think the courts should have the final say in these decisions, it’s undemocratic," he said.
Other priorities he identified included supporting farmers, veterans, and single mothers. He said he supported child care, opposed tax increases and supported public spending control. He also supported a "patient's bill of rights" for health care users, and proposed a national Aboriginal
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....
peace keepers' group to confront violence in native communities.
He received 1,055 votes, 2.12% of ballots cast. In a celebratory message to his website, he congratulated the winner, Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Ted Menzies
Ted Menzies
Ted Menzies, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He currently represents the electoral district of Macleod in the Canadian House of Commons and serves as Minister of State for Finance.- In opposition :...
, and their fellow candidates, and called his campaign a victory rather than a loss. "I will be there next time, but it won’t be as an independent," he wrote. "To tell you the truth, I was hoping to get at least 1,000 votes and I did."
Post-election comments
Wolf Child posted a farewell to LiberalLiberal 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...
leader Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
on his loss in that election. He wrote that he had supported Martin up to and through the 2003 leadership race, but that Martin had alienated faithful Liberals like Herb Dhaliwal
Herb Dhaliwal
Harbance Singh Dhaliwal, PC is a Canadian politician.Born to a Sikh family in Punjab, India, Dhaliwal's family immigrated to Vancouver when he was six. He attended John Oliver Secondary School, graduating in 1972...
, Allan Rock
Allan Rock
Allan Michael Rock, PC is a lawyer, former Canadian politician, diplomat and now the President of University of Ottawa. He was Canada's ambassador to the United Nations and had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, most notably as Justice Minister and Health Minister .Rock was...
, John Manley
John Manley (politician)
John Paul Manley, PC, OC is a Canadian lawyer, businessman and politician. He served as Liberal Member of Parliament for Ottawa South from 1988 to 2004, and a Cabinet Minister from 1993 to 2003. He is presently President and CEO of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.-Background:Manley was...
, Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
, "and even poor little [Don] Boudria
Don Boudria
Donald "Don" Boudria, PC is a former Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2005 as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien....
." "[D]on't push people around as you'll need them later on," he warned Martin. He ended the message more cheerfully: "Vive le Canada. Stay Cool and Have an awesome time."
Writing as acting leader of the APPC, he congratulated Conservative Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
on his appointment of Jim Prentice
Jim Prentice
James "Jim" Prentice, PC, QC is a Canadian lawyer, and politician. In the 2004 federal election he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Conservative Party of Canada...
as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Canada)
The Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who heads two different departments...
, appreciating that Prentice had committed to the Kelowna Agreement
Kelowna Accord
The Kelowna Accord is a series of agreements between the Government of Canada, First Ministers of the Provinces, Territorial Leaders, and the leaders of five national aboriginal organizations in Canada. The Accord sought to improve the education, employment, and living conditions for Aboriginal...
and to the 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...
compensation package.
Liberal leadership aspirant
Wolf Child's prospective candidacy in the 2006 Liberal Party of Canada leadership race was reported by the Lethbridge HeraldLethbridge Herald
Lethbridge Herald is the leading paper in the Lethbridge, Alberta area, with an average weekday circulation of 18,185 in the six-month period ending March 31, 2007. This local paper has been serving southern Alberta since 1905....
on 15 February 2006. "I'd like to see the Liberal Party
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...
rejuvenated," he said. "I hope I can inspire and bring faith to Canadians to vote Liberal again."
In a 2 March 2006 comment to a post on his candidacy on the blog Our Thoughts, a poster identifying themselves as Wolf Child (including using his email address and website URL) wrote that "[due] to personal commitments and my education, I am hereby dropping my name from the list."
In a Lethbridge Herald article dated 1 April 2006, he again expressed his interest in running, saying that he expected to know whether he could raise the $50,000 and the signatures required to register within 45 days. He told the Herald he hoped to win support, especially from aboriginal organizations, and to make First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
issues prominent in his campaign, but to speak to all Canadians as well. “I’m a people’s candidate," he said, "I want to address a lot of the social issues we have.”
Under the username nextprimeminister, a poster identifying themselves as Wolf Child posted to Ashley MacIsaac
Ashley MacIsaac
Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac is a Canadian professional fiddler from Cape Breton Island.His album Hi™ How Are You Today?, featuring the hit single "Sleepy Maggie", with vocals in Scottish Gaelic by Mary Jane Lamond was released in 1995...
's Internet forum, congratulating MacIsaac on his reported candidacy in the same leadership race, and inviting MacIsaac to an official summit. Although opposed to same sex marriage, Wolf Child congratulated MacIsaac on his engagement to marry a man, and in another message wrote of his increased knowledge of and respect for the roles of two-spirited
Two-Spirit
Two-Spirit People , is an English term that emerged in 1990 out of the third annual inter-tribal Native American/First Nations gay/lesbian American conference in Winnipeg. It describes Indigenous North Americans who fulfill one of many mixed gender roles found traditionally among many Native...
individuals in native spirituality and history, in spite of his often-repeated hatred of same-sex marriage.
Other activities
Towards the end of his life, Wolf Child's projects included Chairmanship of Reclaiming Hope Inc. and its sister foundation The Reclaiming Hope Foundation. He was also the president of the Kainai Youth Government, Southern Alberta Representative for the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Youth Advisory Committee, and Director-General of the Aboriginal Peace Keeper's Forces of Canada and Goodwill Representative for the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Program, and was named Co-Chairperson of the Aboriginal Project for Suicide Prevention alongside prominent Aboriginal leaders.Criminal charges
The Lethbridge Herald reported in August 2006 that regional policeLethbridge Regional Police Service
Lethbridge Regional Police Service was established 1 February 2004 when the police services of Lethbridge and Coaldale, Alberta, amalgamated. The service covers Lethbridge and Coaldale.-History:...
had charged Wolf Child with two counts of sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
, stemming from the claim that he performed oral sex on a man and fondled the genitals of another at a house party in April 2005. Wolf Child entered a not guilty plea in court 23 October 2006. Wolf Child plead guilty to the charges during the start of his trial on 5 February 2007. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for 27 March.
On 3 March 2007, the Lethbridge Herald ran an obituary for Myron Wolf Child, which stated he died on 27 February 2007.
External links
- Personal home page
- mwolfchild at TakingITGlobalTakingITGlobalTakingITGlobal, which is also known as TIG, is a charitable non-governmental organization focusing on global issues by promoting awareness and engagement among global youth. It was founded in 1999 in Toronto, Canada by Jennifer Corriero and Michael Furdyk, who are the Executive Director and...
- On Racism (Myron Wolf Child, Tiny Giant magazine, Summer 2000)
- 2006 riding profile for Macleod (CBC NewsCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
) - nextprimeminister profile at ashleymacisaac.com
- nextprimeminister postings to ashleymacisaac.com