This is a list of indigenous persons in Canada who have been elected to the federal House of Commons, legislative assemblies of provinces and territories, and members appointed to the Senate. It also includes Indigenous Canadians who have been elected to overseas legislatures.
The first Metis politicians elected to the House of Commons were Pierre Delorme and Angus McKay, elected as Conservative party MPs in 1871. The very first First Nations parliamentarian is Leonard Marchand.
There have been 46 Indigenous persons who have served as Members of Parliament, as well as 21 who have been named Senators. After the 2021 Canadian election, the largest number of Indigenous persons were elected to Parliament in history â with 11 MPs (3.3% of the House of Commons). The current Indigenous Members of Parliament consist of 6 Liberals, 3 New Democrats and 2 Conservatives.
Provincially three times an Indigenous person has served as premier (or been elected to serve as premier). John Norquay, who was Métis, served as premier of Manitoba from 1878 to 1887. Peter Lougheed, who was of Metis ancestry (although that fact is not generally known), served as premier of Alberta 1971-1985. Wab Kinew, of the Onigaming First Nation, began to serve as premier of Manitoba in October 2023.
Indigenous persons have been elected to 11 of the 13 provincial legislatures â with only Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island never having had Indigenous representation. As of October 2024, 28 Indigenous people serve in seven provincial legislatures. Those 28 consist of 21 New Democrats, 4 Conservatives (one Manitoba Progressive Conservative, one BC Conservative, one CAQ, one UCP), and one Liberal.
In the territories, Indigenous persons form a majority of members of the legislatures of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Additionally, the Yukon legislature includes four indigenous MLAs (two Liberals, one New Democrat, and one Yukon Party).
Outside Canada, one Indigenous Canadian was elected in Australia: Walt Secord served as a Labor member of the New South Wales Legislative Council from 2011 until his retirement in 2023. Secord is of Mohawk and Ojibwe descent.
Nova Scotia is yet to elect an Indigenous MLA.
Prince Edward Island is yet to elect an Indigenous MLA.
No Indigenous representation.
No Indigenous representation.