Marie-anne Daywalker Pelletier was born on April 15, 1954, in Regina Saskatchewan and is a member of Okanese First Nation. Marie-anne remains to this day, the longest-standing elected chief in Canadian history, serving from 1981 to 2020. It was Marie-anne’s dedication to community that gained her recognition as a leader, with her serving many times as a volunteer before taking on the role of ‘chief;’ a profession that was rarely represented by women at the time.

The importance of childcare and family have always been guiding pillars of Marie-anne’s work. Over the course of 39 years, Marie-anne was able to lay the groundwork for her community to achieve an unprecedented decrease in child apprehensions and the establishment of The Daywalker Home Fire Family Centre: A Centre dedicated to strengthening and reconnecting families.

In recent years, Marie-anne has received recognition for her years of service: becoming a member of the Order of Canada in 2018 and being honoured with the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2021.

In 2020, her tenure as chief came to an end, allowing her more time to spend with family and to pursue passion projects. Today, you may catch her image on a Canada Post stamp that celebrates her as the trailblazing Indigenous leader she continues to be.