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Reverted edits by 142.198.65.61 (talk) (AV)

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{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[The Honourable]]
| name = Thelma Chalifoux
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| image size =
| office = [[Senate of Canada|Senator]] for Alberta
| term_start = 26 November 1997
| term_end = 8 February 2004
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1929|2|8}}
| birth_place = [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2017|9|22|1929|2|8}}
| death_place = [[St. Albert, Alberta]], Canada
| spouse =
| party = [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]
| relations =
| children =
| residence = St. Albert, Alberta
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| profession = [[Teacher]]
| cabinet =
| committees =
| portfolio =
| signature =
| website =
}}

'''Thelma J. Chalifoux''' (8 February 1929 – 22 September 2017) was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] teacher and [[Senate of Canada|senator]].<ref name=Heidenreich/> She is a member of the [[Métis Nation of Alberta]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metismuseum.ca/media/document.php/149486.Catalogue%20metis%20dictionary%20C.pdf |title=Metis Dictionary of Biography |publisher=[[Gabriel Dumont Institute]] |accessdate=2024-10-25}}</ref>

One of five children, her mother, Helené, helped support the family by trading garden-grown vegetables. Her father, Paul Villeneuve, was a residential school survivor and served in the First World War working as a carpenter and farm hand.<ref name="Chalifoux">{{cite web|last1=Chalifoux|first1=Jenna|title=Metis Matriarch – Thelma Chalifoux|url=https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2016/03/22/metis-matriarch-thelma-chalifoux/|publisher=Edmonton City As Museum Project ECAMP|accessdate=18 October 2017|date=2016}}</ref> She studied sociology at Lethbridge Community College and later took courses in construction estimation at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.<ref name="Heidenreich" /><ref name="Inspire">{{cite web|title=Senator Thelma Chalifoux|date=20 November 2014|url=https://indspire.ca/laureate/senator-thelma-chalifoux-2/|publisher=Inspire|accessdate=18 October 2017}}</ref>

Chalifoux was a social justice activist, politician, and an active figure in the Métis community. As an employee of the government agency Company of Young Canadians, she worked to advance community development initiatives in northern communities and advocated for improved housing conditions.<ref name="CBCObit" /><ref name="Inspire" /> Chalifoux co-founded the [[Slave Lake]] [[Native Friendship Centre|Friendship Centre]], assisting women struggling with alcoholism and domestic abuse. She additionally championed the teaching of [[Cree language|Cree]] in [[Northern Alberta|northern]] schools.<ref name=Heidenreich/> Along with her community work, Chalifoux produced programming focused on Métis culture and history. She was the first woman to host a weekly show "Smoke Signals from the Peace" on Peace River's CKYL Radio and was the co-producer of the [[CITV-DT|Allarcom]] series ''Our Native Heritage''. In 1994 she founded and became a senior partner of Chalifoux and Associates Educational and Economic Consulting. She also owned Secret Garden Originals, a craft, and floral design business.<ref>Barkwell, Lawrence.her kids were taken away during the 60s scoop
http://www.metismuseum.ca/media/document.php/11985.Senator%20Thelma%20Villeneuve%20Chalifou1.pdf</ref>

Chalifoux was appointed [[Senate of Canada|to the Canadian Senate]] on the advice of [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Jean Chrétien]] on 26 November 1997, making her the first Indigenous woman and fourth Metis person to serve in the Canadian Senate, following [[Richard Hardisty]], [[William Albert Boucher]], and [[Gerry St. Germain]].<ref name="Lusty">{{cite web|last1=Lusty|first1=Terry|title=Thelma Chalifoux|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/albertans/profile/thelma_chalifoux.html|website=Alberta Online Encyclopedia|publisher=Heritage Community Foundation|accessdate=18 October 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208165411/http://www.abheritage.ca/albertans/profile/thelma_chalifoux.html|archivedate=8 December 2010}}</ref><ref name="Sutherland">{{cite web|last1=Sutherland|first1=Shannon|title=Speak Loudly, Influence People|url=https://albertaventure.com/2005/10/the-big-picture-5/|website=albertaventure.com|publisher=Alberta Venture|accessdate=18 October 2017}}</ref> She held the position until 2004 when, at the age of 75, she retired and returned to Alberta.<ref name="CBCObit">{{cite news|title=Thelma Chalifoux, former senator and Métis activist, dies in Alberta at 88|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/thelma-chalifoux-senator-m%C3%A9tis-dies-1.4305620|accessdate=18 October 2017|work=CBC News|date=25 September 2017|language=en}}</ref> The following year ''Alberta Venture'' magazine ranked her number 8 on their list of 50 Greatest Albertans.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 50 Greatest Albertans|url=https://albertaventure.com/2005/12/the-50-greatest-albertans/|publisher=Alberta Venture|accessdate=18 October 2017}}</ref>

After her retirement, she founded the [[Michif]] Cultural and Resource Institute now the Michif Cultural Connections Society, an organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the Métis history of Alberta.<ref name="CBCObit" /><ref name="Jones" /> Chalifoux was the first woman to receive the National Aboriginal Achievement Award – known today as the Indspire Award - in 1994.

Chalifoux died at the age of 88 surrounded by her family on 22 September 2017, after a period of failing health.<ref name="Heidenreich">{{cite news|last1=Heidenreich|first1=Phil|title=Thelma Chalifoux, Canada's first Indigenous woman to be appointed to Senate, dies at 88|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3766267/thelma-chalifoux-canadas-first-indigenous-woman-to-be-appointed-to-senate-dies-at-88/|accessdate=18 October 2017|work=Global News|date=24 September 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Jones">{{cite news|last1=Jones|first1=Susan|title=Chalifoux remembered as Métis advocate|url=http://www.stalbertgazette.com/article/2709-obit-chailifoux-sj-20170927|accessdate=18 October 2017|work=St. Albert Gazette|date=27 September 2017}}</ref>

On 8 May 2018, the Edmonton Public School Board of Trustees voted to name the new Thelma Chalifoux School (grade 7- 9) in [[Larkspur, Edmonton|Larkspur]] in her honour.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Thelma Chalifoux (Larkspur) 7-9 - Edmonton Public Schools|url=https://epsb.ca/schools/newschoolsandmodernizations/larkspur/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-06-23|website=Edmonton Public School Board}}</ref>

==Métis Association==
Chalifoux joined the Métis Association in the late 1960s during the early growth of local-level activism within Métis communities.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Iseke J|last2=Desmoulins L|date=2011|title=Spiritual beginnings of indigenous women's activism: The life and work of the Honourable Thelma Chalifoux, white standing Buffalo|journal=Canadian Woman Studies|language=English|volume=29|issue=1–2|pages=24–34|oclc=5540497073|issn=0713-3235}}</ref> Upon joining, Chalifoux strove to fix major issues affecting the Metis by advocating within governmental bodies. She argued that there were inadequate levels of social welfare programs despite clear indications that Métis communities were among a large majority of those in Canada not meeting their basic needs.<ref>Adams, Howard, and Xwi7xwa Collection. Tortured People: The Politics of Colonization. Rev. ed. Penticton, B.C: Theytus Books, 1999.</ref> Chalifoux, advocated for the increase of affordable shelter, food, and higher welfare grants and subsidies for Métis families. She later focused her efforts on the formation of the Welfare Unit, a group of investigators that looked into complaints concerning the Alberta Government Welfare Department's dealings with Métis communities and families. Her efforts exposed welfare injustices like those that occurred at Fort Chippewa concerning the lack of funds given to various families in desperate need of assistance. Her investigations revealed accounts like that of a widow parenting "five children [and was given] $60 a month to live on."<ref name=":0" /> She took a special interest in helping disadvantaged Métis women who had fallen through the cracks of government bureaucracy and otherwise would have remained voiceless.{{fact|date=December 2023}}

==Awards and honours==
* National Aboriginal Achievement Award (1995)<ref name="Lusty" />
* Métis National Council Lifetime Achievement Award (2014).<ref name="Jones" />
* Honorary Doctorate, University of Toronto (2004). (Awarded for her advocacy work.)

In 2023, [[Canada Post]] announced that Chalifoux will be one of three people, alongside [[George Manuel]] and [[Nellie Cournoyea]], honoured as indigenous pioneers on new postage stamps.<ref>[https://www.thestar.com/politics/2023/06/11/new-canada-post-stamp-honours-first-indigenous-woman-to-lead-a-canadian-government.html "New Canada Post stamp honours first Indigenous woman to lead a Canadian government"]. ''[[Toronto Star]]'', 11 June 2023.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.ualberta.ca/~walld/chalifoux.htm Interview and photos from her office when she was in the Senate of Canada]
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=12241}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chalifoux, Thelma}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:Métis Nation of Alberta people]]
[[Category:Canadian Métis women]]
[[Category:Canadian senators from Alberta]]
[[Category:Women members of the Senate of Canada]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Canada senators]]
[[Category:Métis politicians]]
[[Category:People from St. Albert, Alberta]]
[[Category:Politicians from Calgary]]
[[Category:Women in Alberta politics]]
[[Category:Indspire Awards]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian women politicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians]]
[[Category:Indigenous Canadian senators]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Senate of Canada]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Senate of Canada]]

Thelma Chalifoux - Revision history

imported>TonySt: Reverted edits by 142.198.65.61 (talk) (AV)