A Conversation with Jeff Copenace, Chief of the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation

The Pearson Centre’s Pam Damoff was pleased to speak with Jeff Copenace, Chief of the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation in northwestern Ontario. Copenace brings a deeply personal and politically seasoned perspective to the challenges facing First Nations communities in Canada today. Copenace’s path to leadership was not linear. At just 13 years old, he served as one of the first First Nations Legislative Pages in Ontario, working under Premier Bob Rae. Though initially disillusioned by the adversarial nature of politics, the experience exposed him to the inner workings of government and introduced him to key Indigenous leaders, including Elijah Harper during the era of the Meech Lake Accord debates.