Amanda Lathlin, a member of Manitoba\u2019s New Democratic Party caucus and the first First Nations woman elected to the province\u2019s legislature, has died at the age of 49.<\/p>\n
The Manitoba NDP Caucus confirmed in a statement on Saturday that Lathlin, who represented the northern riding of The Pas\u2014Kameesak, passed away after taking a leave of absence last month due to health issues. No cause of death was provided.<\/p>\n
Lathlin made history in 2015 when she became the first First Nations woman elected to Manitoba\u2019s legislature. Before entering provincial politics, she served as a band councillor for Opaskwayak Cree Nation and was widely recognized for her advocacy on issues affecting northern and Indigenous communities.<\/p>\n
During her time in office, Lathlin helped advance legislation that extended paid leave for mothers recovering from miscarriages and pushed for improved access to sexual assault care in northern Manitoba.<\/p>\n
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew paid tribute to Lathlin on social media, describing her as a close friend and a trailblazer who helped open the door for more Indigenous women to serve in the legislature. Kinew said her influence also played a role in his own path to becoming premier.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmanda and I had a relationship like no other. I had her back through the many challenges she faced in the last few years. And she kept speaking to me in a way that few people do these days: we laughed, we argued, and sometimes she\u2019d just tell me \u2018awas!\u2019\u201d Kinew wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough these ups and downs she became a sister. The last time I spoke to her she made fun of me for wearing a suit to visit her in the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lathlin came from a family with a long history in politics. Her father, Oscar Lathlin, served as an NDP cabinet minister in the government of former Manitoba premier Gary Doer.<\/p>\n
In 2024, after a fire destroyed the historic Lido Theatre in The Pas, Lathlin spoke in the legislature about the venue\u2019s significance to the community. She described it as the \u201cbeating heart of our community,\u201d while also acknowledging its painful history of segregation, when Indigenous families were forced to sit at the back while white families occupied the front.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a great triumph when these racist laws and practices were repealed, and we could finally claim the Lido as our own space,\u201d she said at the time.<\/p>\n
Kinew remembered Lathlin as a dedicated grassroots politician who loved connecting with the people she represented.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first time I visited Trappers\u2019 Fest in The Pas she blew me away by greeting every single person we met by their first name,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs also offered condolences, describing Lathlin as \u201ca trailblazer, a leader, and a strong voice for her people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRest in power, Amanda. Your voice, your courage, and your legacy will continue to guide our Nations,\u201d the organization said in a statement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Amanda Lathlin, a member of Manitoba\u2019s New Democratic Party caucus and the first First Nations woman elected to the province\u2019s legislature, has died at the age of 49. The Manitoba NDP Caucus confirmed in a statement on Saturday that Lathlin, who represented the northern riding of The Pas\u2014Kameesak, passed away after taking a leave of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":15319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[16766,16768,16776,3672,2258,6815,16769,16774,16775,16777,16767,16772,16771,16778,16770,16773],"class_list":["post-15317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-amanda-lathlin","tag-amanda-lathlin-death","tag-amanda-lathlin-legacy","tag-amat","tag-assembly-of-manitoba-chiefs","tag-canadian-political-news","tag-first-nations-woman-legislator-manitoba","tag-indigenous-leaders-canada","tag-indigenous-representation-in-politics","tag-manitoba-legislature-news","tag-manitoba-ndp","tag-manitoba-politics-news","tag-opaskwayak-cree-nation","tag-swifteradio-news","tag-the-pas-kameesak-mla","tag-wab-kinew-tribute"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15317"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15317\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swifteradio.com\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}