Melanie Mark

Melanie Mark is a Canadian politician, the first First Nation woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia; she is a British Columbia New Democratic Party MLA representative for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant. She was elected on February 2, 2016 in a by-election, winning with 61% of the vote and defeating BC Liberal Party candidate Gavin Dew and Green Party of British Columbia candidate Pete Fry.^[1]

She campaigned on providing better assistance for low-income people, the lack of affordable housing, the precarious job market, and rising tuition, medical-services, and B.C. Hydro fees.^[2] She developed a grassroots campaign based on working on issues of social injustice.^[3]

Biography

Born of Nisga'a, Gitxsan, Cree, and Ojibway ancestry, Mark was raised in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood in difficult circumstances. She credits her grandparents with helping her get through the early death of her father from an overdose and dealing with her mother's addiction to drugs. She earned a degree in political science at Simon Fraser University (SFU) after attending several different schools, including Van Tech.^[4]

She worked with the Native Court Workers’ Association, Covenant House, the RCMP in Hazelton as a summer student, and as the national aboriginal project coordinator for Save the Children Canada’s Sacred Lives Project.^[4] She is the first fully indigenous woman elected to the legislature of British Columbia.^[3]

Mark attended local schools. She became active in First Nations issues, particularly for those living in cities. She served for six years as the president of the Urban Native Youth Association. Mark worked for eight years in the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth, and was promoted to deputy representative to Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond.^[2]

References