Elsie Marie Taylor

Elsie Marie Taylor: An Indigenous Leader's Journey

• Elsie Marie Taylor was born on September 20, 1922, in the Mud Lake Reserve community to Esther Mae and George Henry Taylor.
• Her early exposure to band politics and community issues was due to her father's role as the caretaker of the band office.
• The era of Elsie's youth was marked by government-imposed isolation and oppressive rules for Indigenous people in Canada.
• Indigenous people faced severe mobility restrictions and needed permission to leave the reserve, leading to minimal contact with non-Indigenous people.
• Elsie's formal education was heavily influenced by the government's assimilation policy, which aimed to erase Indian identity and culture.
• At 15, Elsie was married to Cecil Knott, a man 12 years her senior, and became a mother of three children within five years.
• Financial struggles led Elsie to seek various jobs, including berry picking, chambermaid work, and sewing, to support her family.
• Elsie founded Knott Bus Service after recognizing an opportunity to transport reserve students to school, starting her entrepreneurial journey.
• The bus service, initially operating with an old hearse, expanded to include two 78-passenger school buses and continued to operate for decades.
• Elsie's political career began when she ran for chief, driven by her desire to bring about changes in reserve life and ensure educational success for reserve children.
• Despite initial doubts, Elsie won the election for chief, sensing that people desired a change in leadership.
• Elsie drove a school bus for 31 years and received an award for 25 years of accident-free driving in 1978. She retired in 1993, two years before her passing.

Elsie Knott: The First Female First Nation Chief

• Elsie Knott believed in women's potential in politics, citing their demanding nature and strong support networks.
• At 31, she became the leader of a 500-member band, facing high expectations for delivering results despite band elections occurring every two years.
• Elsie struggled with public speaking due to her fear of addressing crowds and her first language being Ojibway, but she overcame this by starting speeches with jokes.
• Chief Knott aimed to address poverty and alcohol abuse on the reserve, organizing a referendum to prohibit alcohol sales and consumption.
• Elsie's husband struggled with her success, leading to changes in household roles, with her children taking on more housework responsibilities.
• Elsie faced numerous challenges during her tenure as chief, but she never considered her gender a disadvantage.
• Despite her belief in gender equality, those close to her believed that gender played a role in her political life.
• She built a strong relationship with influential Indian agent A.E. Adams, crucial in navigating power dynamics in her environment.
• Initially depicted as a kind and friendly individual, Elsie later became more outspoken and radical in her opinions.
• She publicly burned the 1969 White Paper on Indian Policy at a powwow, an act that was controversial and symbolic of her defiance against government policies.
• The 1969 White Paper aimed to integrate Indigenous people into mainstream society, leading to widespread protests and the creation of the "Citizens Plus" (or Red Paper) in 1970.
• Elsie Knott never remarried after her husband's death, dedicating herself to family, community issues, and political advocacy.

Elsie Knott: A Champion for Indigenous Rights and Community Development

• The Red Paper called for the government to honor treaty promises, maintain Indian status, and improve living conditions and economic development in Indigenous communities.
• The White Paper was withdrawn in 1971 due to intense opposition.
• Elsie Knott led a protest against provincial legislation that encroached on the hunting and fishing rights of Treaty Indians in 1975.
• The protest involved over 200 people from 10 First Nations in Ontario and the Union of Ontario Indians.
• The 200-year-old Indian Act and its revisions in 1923 granted native people rights to self-determination, including control over wildlife and its use by band members.
• Elsie, the first female Indian chief in Canada, had the opportunity to meet every Canadian prime minister from John Diefenbaker to Jean Chrétien.
• Elsie was invited to a luncheon with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in England in June 1973.
• Elsie actively promoted cultural awareness, reviving community powwows and using the proceeds to fund Christmas hampers for needy families.
• She organized activities such as Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, men's baseball tournaments, and Native hockey tournaments.
• Elsie transformed the Curve Lake Homemakers' Association into a platform for political activism among Indian women.
• Elsie offered Ojibway language instruction classes for children at the community school and evening classes for community members and interested individuals.
• Elsie secured government funding to build 45 new houses and improve infrastructure, including roads, streetlights, and new wells during her five-year tenure as chief.