Mandy Gull-Masty ready for 'huge undertaking' as 1st Cree woman elected MP in northern Quebec

Mandy Gull-Masty has been elected in Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou, making her the first Cree woman to serve as a Member of Parliament for the region.

Gull-Masty secured 41.2 per cent of the vote on Monday, unseating two-term Bloc Québécois MP Sylvie Bérubé who finished with 34 per cent of the vote.

Gull-Masty is from Waswanipi, Que., and is the former grand chief of Eeyou Istchee. She enters Parliament representing one of the largest and most culturally diverse ridings in Canada.

"This is going to be a new endeavour because I'm working not only for the Cree Nation, but also for the Inuit, the Anishinaabe, the Jamesie population, the Abitibi population," said Gull-Masty.

"Trying to find the balance amongst the needs of all of these very diverse groups is going to be a huge undertaking. That's really important to me."

Her election brings a new voice to Ottawa — one that she says is grounded in lived experience and leadership. She thanks her Cree nation for giving her leadership skills. 

"They've really shaped me and helped prepare me as a leader," said Gull-Masty.

"You learn how to listen, decision making, trying to understand where people are coming from when they're asking you something, and trying to work through challenges."

Now Gull-Masty is looking forward to bringing those skills to Ottawa. 

She believes that Indigenous voices are crucial in policy making, decision making, and implementing programs that serve remote and Indigenous communities. 

"If you want your government to evolve, to know, to understand, and respect you as an Indigenous person here in Canada, we have to have our voice at the table," she said. 

"So it is going to be my honour and pleasure to undertake that work for them." 

Gull-Masty is one of 12 First Nations, Inuit or Métis people elected to Parliament as the ballot count continues Tuesday.

For her, being heavily involved in Indigenous communities is a must. She feels that Bérubé did not do enough as MP to connect with and understand Indigenous communities.  

"I am one of the only candidates that lived not only in Eeyou Istchee but also in Nunavik," said Gull-Masty, whose husband is from Great Whale. 

Issues with voting in Indigenous communities

Some polls in Nunavik closed as early as 3:30 p.m. on election day, and some residents did not even get the opportunity to vote in the advance polls due to staffing and travel restrictions due to weather. 

Gull-Masty said that made her nervous about the outcome of the vote.

"I was keeping my eye on Nunavik; there were a number of communities that did not have the opportunity to vote. That is a lot of lost votes," she said.

"But I was really pleased to see the results. Yes, my nation came through and a lot of the votes that were cast actually also came from the other parts of the riding." 

The Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou riding is home to more than 65,000 registered electors, according to Elections Canada. Spanning over 800,000 square kilometres of land, it is one of the largest ridings in Canada, by area. 

Gull-Masty said building relationships with nations is crucial, so she can advocate for funding toward various programs that serve those communities.

"I want to be able to really shine a light on what's happening in these remote communities and offer them a better quality of service," she said. 

Gull-Masty said she'll take a short break with her family before Parliament resumes. She is set to meet with the other new MPs to learn more about her new role.

She says she'll advocate for all who live within the Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou riding.

"Their voice should not be ignored and they will be heard now," she said.