MKO election: Sheila North Wilson elected as first female grand chief

Sheila North Wilson is thenewgrand chief ofManitobaKeewatinowiOkimakanak(MKO) after being elected at the annual general assembly being held inthe Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation.

North Wilson is the first woman to be elected to the position.

Four people put their name forward as candidates in the election:North Wilson fromBunibonibeeCree Nation, Tyler Duncanfrom Norway House Cree Nation, William Elvis Thomas fromNisichawayasihkCree Nation, and the incumbentDavid Harper from Garden Hill First Nation.

The first ballot numbers were: 44 votes cast forNorth Wilson; 35 votes forThomas; 24 for Duncan; and 23 forHarper, who was theneliminated for the second round.

In the second ballot, North Wilson walked away with 74 votes over Thomas who had 58.

• Sheila North Wilson officially launches bid for MKO grand chief
• David Harper seeks re-election as MKO grand chief
• Tyler Duncan, 19, launches bid to become MKO grand chief

Before the ballots were cast, candidate North Wilson told CBC News she has been humbled by the support she's received during the campaign.

"I've listened and I've learned a lot in the last decade working in the media and being a journalist and I've come to know the issues intimately and I've lived them before and now it's time for me to give back to my northern community in a more direct way," she said.

Duncan, 19, said Tuesday that despite his age he is no newcomer to the political stage.

"I believe that MKO needs to address issues that matter the most, bread and butter issues in our communities:housing, health care, education.MKO was put in place to advocate and address theses issues, as of right now I don't feel that it is going that way," he said.