Persoon

Lafond, Harry James

Harry James Lafond was born on May 19, 1949 to August and Rose (nee Moreau) Lafond. He married Germaine Laplante on June 28, 1975; they have five children (Sarain Auguste 1975, Jolon Yves 1979, Mika Nicole 1981, Alanis Emma 1983 and Damian Amos Haley 1996). Harry became a student at St. Michael's Residential School in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan in September of 1956. In January of 1957 he contracted Tuberculosis and was sent to the sanatorium in Prince Albert for six months. He then returned to the residential school in Duck Lake for one year. After returning home to the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, Harry attended school in the nearby town of Marcelin, Saskatchewan until 1964. He later attended St. Thomas College in North Battleford for his final four years. After graduation, Harry was accepted to the Regular Officer Training Plan, and spent six months at Royal Roads Military College in Victoria, British Columbia. Harry then entered the oblate Fathers' Novitiate in Arnprior, Ontario to prepare for formal training in the priesthood. Harry discontinued his training and went to Carleton University where he completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree. Harry returned to Saskatchewan in 1973 and began working at the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College in Saskatoon as an assistant coordinator for the INDART program until 1975. He then began teaching at the Onion Lake First Nation. In 1977, Harry returned to the University of Saskatchewan to complete his Bachelor of Education Degree and Master of Education Degree. He was a teacher at Leask School, in Leask, Saskatchewan from 1978 until 1985. He then began working for the Mistawasis Cree Nation and Muskeg Lake Cree Nation as an Education Coordinator. In 1989, he worked as a Guidance Counselor and a Post Secondary Counselor until he was hired as a teacher at Marcelin School. Harry served as a councilor for the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation from 1988 to 1990. In February 1990, Harry was elected chief of Muskeg Lake Cree Nation. He agreed to run because he thought the community needed to "make changes to improve the quality of life on the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation". Natural gas was brought into each home on the reserve in July and August of 1996. In April 1997 there was the opening of a daycare centre on the reserve. On October 1, 1997 a motion was passed for the Sask Tel Access Program, this agreement has provided telephone access to all the homes on the reserve. One of the key contributions Harry made to the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation was the creation of community committees and boards that are intended to empower the members of the community to take an active role in the decision making on the Muskeg Cree Nation. Harry was the Chief of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation for ten years until 2000. Harry resides on Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and is now the Director of Education for the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and the principal of the kihiw waciston kisinamatokamihk/School.