Bernard Cleary, a former Bloc Québécois MP for the riding of Louis-Saint-Laurent, has died. Originally from Mashteuiatsh, an Innu Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation reserve in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region, he was known as a strong defender of Indigenous peoples' rights. According to a 2004 profile in Ottawa's The Hill Times newspaper, Cleary was the first Indigenous MP to be elected in Quebec and the first Innu person to be elected in Canada. He served as a member of Parliament for the riding of Louis-Saint-Laurent in the Capitale-Nationale region from 2004 to 2006. Earlier in his career, Cleary worked as a journalist at Le Soleil newspaper in Quebec City before becoming news director at Télé-Capitale.

Source: CBC News August 02, 2020 18:35 UTC