Breaking Trail

Growing up on the far corners of the furthest reaches of the Vernon reserve, little did Len Marchand - or anyone around him - realize that he would end up spending most of his life in Ottawa. The first elected aboriginal member of parliament in all of Canada, Len Marchand was involved in some of the most exciting, heady days of Canadian politics. Not only was he the first elected native person, he went on

to serve as the minister of various portfolios, perhaps his favourite being the Ministry of Environment. Here he was able to use his background and education to affect one of the most sensitive issues of the 20th century, the environment.

This is Len's story, and it is a story of courage and hope that should inspire us all. Len Marchand grew up in a society that said people of his background couldn't vote, couldn't buy liquor, couldn't do much of anything without the approval of the Department of Indian Affairs. Yet he overcame all odds and served Canada - this country which relegated his people to second class - faithfully, first as member of parliament and then as senator.

His collaborator, Matt Hughes, is no stranger to politics, having worked as a speech writer on both the provincial and federal level. He has written several books and currently is under contract with Warner Aspect of New York for two thrillers, one of which is completed.

The autobiography of the first native person elected to federal office in Canada.

Len Marchand was born during the depths of the Great Depression to illiterate parents on a reserve in the then remote Okanagan Valley of BC. Len pursued education with single-minded determination. His love of learning earned him a Masters Degree in Forestry, and he was on his way to a Ph.D and a satisfying career as a teacher and a research scientist. But a growing involvement in the North American Indian Brotherhood's fight for full citizenship for his people led into what should have been merely a two-year side-trip into politics. The NAIB prevailed on him to go to Ottawa as the first status Indian special assistant to the federal minister responsible for Indian affairs, a temporary job that segued into more than three decades in public life.Matt Hughes was Len Marchand's speechwriter and co-communications aide during his term as Minister of State for Small Business and Minister of the Environment. Hughes is the author of two published novels and a number of short stories, but his main occupation for the past twenty years has been as a writer for hire, specializing in freelance corporate and political speechwriting, annual reports and ghostwritten newspaper articles for a wide range of clients in business and politics.

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Chapter One: "Hey, Indian..."

Chapter Two: "You should have a bullet..."

Chapter Three: A Willing Horse

Chapter Four: A Crack in the Wall

Chapter Five: "No oil port, No Way"

Chapter Six: "Go back to the reserve..."

Chapter Seven: Righting Some Old Wrongs

Chapter Eight: Our Land, Our Voice