Name: Emma Sorensen CHC2D Five-Paragraph Research Essay – Final Draft What sets up the criteria for being considered a great Canadian? Though opinions differ, some might say that being historically significant, making a big change or having a legacy live on are adequate criteria. Well, if anyone were to fit the mold it would be Thelma Chalifoux. In the past, the view of “Great Canadians” has been pretty limited, even though the people who truly fit the word are often not given recognition. She is also known as the first Métis woman appointed to the Senate of Canada. She was such an impactful person that her ideals and morals still live on today. Chaifoux was born right before the Great Depression on February 8th in Calgary AB, 1929 she passed…show more content… Chalifoux wanted to help others but on a larger scale, hence in the 1980s, she started her political career. At the beginning of her career, she was involved in constitutional talks with Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. She later went to Ottawa to work towards getting Inuit, First Nations, and Métis people recognized as separate and individual nations. She was the first Métis woman to be appointed to the Senate, having done so on November 26, 1997. She stopped being a senator in 2004 after a mandatory retirement at age 75. Throughout her career, she continued to advocate for Indigenous rights and recognition, leaving a lasting impact on Canadian politics. During her political career, she was also the Vice president of the Aboriginal Women’s Development Corporation. She was also a co-chair of the Alberta Métis Senate until 1997. She supported and participated in many other committees: Agriculture and forestry, Human rights, fisheries and the ocean, illegal drugs etc.Throughout her political career Thelma Chalifoux worked very hard to support Métis communities as well as women, this is why she should be considered a great
