James Gladstone

James Gladstone (or Akay -na- muka, "Many guns "; born May 21, 1887 in Mountain Hill, Northwest Territories, † September 4, 1971 in Fernie, British Columbia) was a Canadian politician and farmer. He was the first representative of the First Nations ( Indians), who was appointed senator.

Biography

Gladstone was a Cree by birth, but was picked up by the Kainai, in their reserve he was born ( also referred to as the Kainai Blood belong to the Blackfoot ). Until 1903, he attended an Anglican mission school, after which he learned at the " Indian Industrial School " in Calgary the profession of the printer. In 1905 he returned to his reserve, where he worked as a translator. On surrounding ranches he found additional work as a drover. In 1911 he joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, where he worked as a scout, translator and postman.

Later Gladstone built together with his sons on a livestock operation. At the beginning of the 1920s, he introduced the first tractor in the reserve and convinced the Kainai to switch to modern forms of agriculture and livestock. In association Indian Association of Alberta (IAA ), he mediated between warring groups and took over as director of a leading position. The IAA he stood from 1950 to 1953 and from 1956 to 1957 as president before. Several times he was in the capital Ottawa to negotiate the revision of the Indian Act.

On January 31, 1958 Gladstone was appointed by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker for the first Indian representative in the Senate, two years before all Indians and Inuit received the unconditional right to vote. In Parliament he advocated as an independent Conservative for the improvement of the living conditions of the indigenous people. Gladstone resigned on 31 March 1971. Six months later he died at the age of 84 years.