The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Elijah Harper, the former Churchill MP best known for single-handedly defeating the Meech Lake Accord when he was an MLA, has died. He was 64. Media outlets report that Harper passed away last Friday morning, May 17, from a heart attack stemming from diabetes complications. In a statement to the media, Harper's family called him 'a wonderful man, father, partner. 'He was a true leader and visionary in every sense of the word. He will have a place in Canadian history, forever, for his devotion to public service and uniting his fellow First Nations with pride, determination and resolve. 'Elijah will also be remembered for bringing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people together to find a spiritual basis for healing and understanding. We will miss him terribly and Love him forever.' Raised on the northern Manitoba reserve of Red Sucker Lake, Harper was just 29 years old when he was elected Chief of that First Nation in 1978. In 1981, running as a New Democrat, he was elected MLA of the vast northern Manitoba riding of Rupertsland (now Kewatinook). He later served in the cabinet of Premier Howard Pawley. In 1990, Harper famously held an eagle feather as he rose in the legislature to oppose the Mulroney government's proposed Meech Lake Accord. The accord was a set of constitutional amendments designed to convince Quebec to accept the Canada Act. It identified five main modifications to the constitution, including recognition of Quebec as a 'distinct society.' Harper felt that the accord neglected First Nations concerns, so withheld his support. Some called the move courageous; others an epic blunder. Either way, Meech Lake never saw the light of day. After resigning his provincial seat in late 1992, Harper set his sights on federal politics. He reportedly wanted to run for MP of the vast Churchill riding as a New Democrat. Unable to secure the party's nomination, he became a Liberal in early 1993. Later that year, he was elected MP and joined the first majority government of Prime Minister Jean Chr_tien. It was no small feat. Harper faced a formidable opponent in long-time New Democrat MP Rod Murphy, whom he bested by fewer than 1,000 votes. Harper joined the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Aboriginal Affairs, but despite his name recognition (or perhaps because of it), a cabinet post eluded him. He lasted just one term as MP, losing decisively to New Democrat Bev Desjarlais in 1997. Some felt that the Chr_tien government's long-gun registry _ deeply unpopular in much of rural Canada _ was a major factor in his loss. Harper ran for the Liberals again in 2000 but finished a distant second to Desjarlais despite outspending her campaign. His national political career was over. He grabbed headlines in 2005 when he defended his opposition to Meech Lake in the face of stinging criticism from former prime minister Brian Mulroney. 'Aboriginals are not to blame for Meech's failure, despite Elijah Harper's stupidity,' Mulroney was quoted as saying in the book The Secret Mulroney Tapes: The Unguarded Confessions of a Prime Minister. Mulroney was also quoted as saying that Harper 'turned down a sweetheart deal.' In response, Harper told the Winnipeg Free Press that he was simply listening to his constituents. 'When he says I'm stupid, he's calling our people stupid,' said Harper. 'We're not stupid. We're the First Nations people. We're the very people who welcomed his ancestors to this country and he didn't want to recognize us in the Constitution.' Added Harper: 'Many people have come and said to me, 'Thank you for the stand you took' _ not just aboriginal people but many ordinary Canadians.' In 2007, Harper's life was told in a made-for-TV movie called simply Elijah. Aboriginal actor Billy Merasty played the title role, but the real Harper made a cameo as himself. By now Harper had endured years of health problems but remained a highly respected figure in aboriginal circles.
