Senator James Gladstone

Senator James Gladstone was Canada’s first Indian senator. He was active for 13 years starting in 1958 till 1971. He was born in 1887 in Mountain Hill in the Northwest Territories. He then died 84 years later in 1971. His Indian name was Akay – Namuka, this meant “Many Guns”. James Gladstone was married and had six children when he passed. He had two sons and four daughters. James Gladstone got an apprentice job being a printer after he attended the Anglican Mission School up to 1903 and The Indian industrial school in Calgary. James Gladstone’s first real job was being a mail carrier for an agency named the Blood Indian agency. James introduced one of the first tractors to the agency he was a part of. He helped the Indians around him to accept his idea of new farming methods.

Prime Minister Diefenbaker made a campaign to find a senator for all of the Indian people in Canada; this was when Senator James Gladstone was voted to be the Senator. Senator Gladstone was the Indian people’s voice to speak in the government. He was the reason why Indian people got the right to vote. He helped them have a good life.