Wally Firth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wally Firth
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| Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories |
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| In office 1972–1979 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Orange |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 25, 1935 Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories |
| Died | March 2, 2024 (aged 89) Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
| Political party | New Democratic |
| Profession | Airplane pilot, broadcaster, flying instructor, fur trader, native rights worker |
Walter Firth (born January 25, 1935 – died March 2, 2024) was an important Canadian politician. He was known for being the very first Indigenous person from Canada's North to become a Member of Parliament. This means he was elected to represent people in the House of Commons of Canada, which is where Canada's laws are made.
Who Was Wally Firth?
Wally Firth was a Métis person, which is one of Canada's Indigenous groups. He made history when he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 1972. This was a big deal because he was the first Indigenous politician from the northern parts of Canada to win a seat there. He represented the Northwest Territories as a New Democratic Party Member of Parliament (MP).
His Time in Politics
Wally Firth was first elected in the 1972 federal election. People liked his work, so he was elected again in the 1974 election. He served as an MP for seven years, from 1972 to 1979. During his time, he worked to help the people of the Northwest Territories and to support Indigenous rights across Canada.
After 1979, he decided not to run for re-election. However, he tried to return to the House of Commons a few times later. He ran in the 1980 election and again in the 1997 federal election, but he was not elected in those attempts. He even tried to become a candidate for the New Democratic Party in Yukon for the 2004 election, but he was not chosen.
Life Outside of Politics
Before and after his time as an MP, Wally Firth had many interesting jobs. He was an airplane pilot and even taught others how to fly. He also worked as a broadcaster, sharing news and stories with people. For some time, he was a fur trader, which was a common job in the North. Most importantly, he was very active in working for Native rights, helping to make sure Indigenous people had fair treatment and their voices were heard.
Wally Firth passed away in Victoria, British Columbia on March 2, 2024. He was 89 years old and left behind a legacy as a pioneering Indigenous leader in Canadian politics.
