Andrea Paul becomes first female regional chief for Nova Scotia

The first woman elected regional chief for Nova Scotia in the Assembly of First Nations says her win is significant for women and she intends to advocate for the region.

Andrea Paul, who previously served as chief of Pictou Landing First Nation for 12 years, will replace Paul Prosper, who was appointed to the Senate in July.

"I'm very excited to do that level of advocacy at that table because it's important that our region's concerns are heard," Paul said. "Women deserve a seat at that table."

The 13 First Nations chiefs in Nova Scotia issued a call for candidates for a new Assembly of First Nations regional chief in September.

The election process lasted two days and involved 20 rounds of voting and four candidates. Paul said the number of voting rounds spoke volumes about the chiefs' focus on getting the right person.

A seat at the national table

"I felt that being able to take my advocacy strengths to another level was really important," she said. " One of the things that I often think about is, where do I come from and what is it that I can bring to the table?"

Her new role will allow her to sit at the national table with other regional chiefs and the national chief to "bring the region's priorities to that table."

Chief Andrea Paul reflects on new role

11 months ago

Duration 5:41

The new regional chief of Nova Scotia is spending her first full week on the job. Andrea Paul has been chief of Pictou Landing First Nation in recent years. Paul is now the first female regional chief for Nova Scotia.

As chief of Pictou Landing, Paul played a prominent role in successfully advocating for the closure of the nearby Boat Harbour facility, which for decades was used to treat effluent from the Northern Pulp mill.

The mill shut down in 2020 after then-Premier Stephen McNeil refused to allow the treatment facility to continue to operate past a legislated deadline. A Crown corporation is working on a plan to clean up the site.

'We are a strong voice'

Paul said her political work and experience as a mother and grandmother is what drove her to run. She says it's important for people to realize how significant this is for women.

"We are a strong voice and we're a strong advocate and we are great representatives at all levels."

Paul said one of her major focuses is to develop a work plan after hearing from the chiefs, councilsand communities on what is important for the region.

"I think that there are priorities that are common across the nation or even across the Atlantic," she said.