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Margaret Commodore, first First Nations woman in Yukon cabinet, dies at 93

Former Yukon cabinet minister Margaret Commodore, whose leadership opened political doors for Indigenous women across Canada, died June 1 at 93, prompting tributes from political leaders.
First elected in 1982, Commodore served as a Yukon New Democratic Party member until 1996. In 1985, she became one of the first two First Nations people appointed to cabinet, later serving as Canada's first Indigenous woman justice minister.
Yukon NDP leader Kate White described Commodore as a mentor who remained deeply engaged in politics long after leaving office. A residential school survivor, Commodore testified before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2013, bringing her lived reality to conversations on justice and healing.
Premier Currie Dixon stated that Commodore's public service helped define the territory and created space for generations of Indigenous women in public life. Flags at the Jim Smith Building and Taylor House were lowered to half-mast to honour her life and service.
White noted Commodore held the record for the longest-serving woman in Yukon political history until this February, a testament to her deep care for those she represented. Her legacy of representation and visibility continues to resonate, inspiring young Indigenous people to participate in political spaces.

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