On final day as Chief, Cadmus Delorme reflects back on his time

On his final day as leader of Cowessess First Nation, Chief Cadmus Delorme reflected on his time in the role and shared his plans for the future.

Delorme was first elected in 2016. He then won re-election in 2019.

“I was 33 years old when I got elected as chief of Cowessess. I walked in there with inspiration from mentors … Today I walk out of there, even more inspired at how much we can be blessed,” he said.

In February, Delorme announced he would not be seeking a third re-election.

“It’s not an easy journey, but I’m feeling blessed today that I got to serve in such an important role,” he said.

Under Delorme, Cowessess has pursued a number of ventures, including a solar power project, an urban land purchase, as well as the Nation working towards controlling their own child welfare system.

During the summer of 2021, Cowessess First Nation made international headlines when it was announced over 750 unmarked graves were on discovered on the Nation. The graves were connected to the Marieval Indian Residential School.

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In February, Delorme was appointed Chairperson of the new Residential School Documents Advisory Committee.

“I’ll be going to Ottawa every three months for the next couple years, transitioning documents out of government to a third party, which is National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, so I look forward to it,” he said. “It’s my role to help this country in reconciliation.”

The next election for Chief of Cowessess First Nation will take place April 24, 2023.