Amanda Lathlin 'led with heart and conviction,' says Manitoba premier after northern MLA's death

Amanda Lathlin, the first First Nations woman to be elected to the legislative assembly in Manitoba's history, has died, the provincial NDP said on Saturday.  

Premier Wab Kinew said that Lathlin, the MLA for The Pas-Kameesak, is being remembered as a strong advocate for the community she served for a decade.  

"Amanda brought strength, compassion, and determination to public life. She was proud of her roots and passionate about building a better future for the people she served. In the legislature and in her community, Amanda led with heart and conviction," Kinew said in a statement sent to party members and supporters on Saturday night. 

Lathlin was elected to represent The Pas in a 2015 byelection and then won again when the riding was changed to The Pas-Kameesak in 2019. She was re-elected in 2023.

Lathlin previously served as band councillor for Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

Last month, caucus chair Robert Loiselle said Lathlin would be taking time off due to health complications. Loiselle's Feb. 13 statement did not provide details on the health complications. 

"She was deeply committed to improving life for people in northern Manitoba and never stopped advocating for the communities she loved," Kinew said, calling Lathlin a "fighter for all Manitobans." 

Lathlin is the daughter of former NDP cabinet minister Oscar Lathlin, who also represented The Pas. He died in 2008. 

Kinew said Lathlin was a "devoted mother" who became a grandmother shortly before her passing. 

"Above all else, she loved her family deeply and devoted her life to her girls," Kinew said.

Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine, from Sagkeeng First Nation, told The Weekend Morning Show host Nadia Kidwai on Sunday that Lathlin opened a path for other First Nations women to be elected to the legislature.

"I remember going to her swearing-in ceremony.… That room was packed, just wall-to-wall people, to witness this historic moment," said Fontaine, who was a provincial adviser at the time.

"I just remember sitting in the back of the room crying, because … as an Indigenous woman, as a First Nations woman, it was such a special moment."

Fontaine was first elected as MLA in 2016, the same year as former MLA and interim Liberal leader Judy Klassen, from St. Theresa Point First Nation. A year later, Bernadette Smith was elected as MLA for Point Douglas.