Former Grand Chief Magella (Max) Gros-Louis, who championed Indigenous rights for more than 30 years as leader of the Huron-Wendat First Nation, has died at the age of 89.
Grand Chief Remy Vincent confirmed the news in a statement.
Born in 1931, Gros-Louis led the First Nation for a total of 33 years, from 1964 to 1984, from 1987 to 1996 and from 2004 to 2008.
According to the Huron-Wendat statement, during that time he worked to enlarge the nation's territory, brought the community to international prominence and raised awareness of Canada's mistreatment of Indigenous people.
He was one of the founding members of the National Indian Brotherhood, which became the Assembly of First Nations, and was a recipient of numerous awards including the Order of Canada and the Order of Quebec.
Vincent described Gros-Louis as one of the builders of the nation, and said it would be hard to sum up his contributions in a single statement.
"Grand Chief One Onti, on behalf of the Huron-Wendat Nation, we thank you for walking with us and by our side,” he wrote.
Ghislain Picard, the leader of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, praised Gros-Louis as a respected political leader.
"His contribution to the influence of the First Nations as well as his sense of duty, community and fraternity made him an impressive leader that everyone will remember," he said in a statement.
"Although his departure leaves a great void, his imposing political, cultural and community legacy will remain etched in history forever."
A number of federal and Quebec politicians, including Premier Francois Legault, also took to Twitter to express their condolences.
"Quebec is losing a leader, a passionate defender of the rights and culture of Aboriginal Nations," Legault wrote.
"He contributed to advancing the collaboration and respect between our peoples."
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller also paid tribute to the longtime leader, describing him as a builder who advocated for dialogue, respect and harmony
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov 14, 2020
Huron-Wendat | The Canadian Encyclopedia
- The Huron-Wendat formed trade and military alliances with French explorers. To demonstrate French solidarity with their new allies, Samuel de Champlain and two French volunteers joined a Huron-Wendat raid against its enemies, the Haudenosaunee. In order to forge closer trade relations and obtain military aid from the French, the Huron-Wendat accepted missionaries. The Récollet missionaries were sent in 1615, and were replaced by the Jesuits in 1625. In 1633 and 1635, the Huron-Wendat were asked by Ch…
Huron-Iroquois War
Huron-Iroquois War. The Huron were the French’s closest allies and served as middlemen in the fur trade; many of them converted to Catholicism. They lived in an area which the French called Huronia, located between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. Their villages in the west formed a trade center where northern tribes brought their furs to trade against French goods.
Iroquois Offensive and the Destruction of the Huron: 1647-1649
Iroquois Offensive and the Destruction of the Huron: 1647-1649 The Iroquois Confederacy (the Five Nations-Mohawk, Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Oneida) launched a massive offensive against the Huron north of the Great Lakes in the summer of 1647.
Beaver Wars - Wikipedia
With the decline of the beaver population, the Iroquois began to conquer their smaller neighbors. They attacked the Wenroin 1638 and took all of their territory, and survivors fled to the Hurons for refuge. The Wenro had served as a buffer between the Iroquois and the Neutral tribe and their Erie allies. The Neutral and Erie tribes were considerably larger and more powerful than the Iroquois, so the Iroquois turned their attention to the north and the Dutch encouraged them in this strategy. At that time, the Dutch were the Ir…
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1649 War between the Hurons and the Iroquois In 1649 the Iroquois invaded Huron lands. The documentation by Father Ragueneau of these surprise attacks gives …
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