Guy Williams (politician)

The Hon. Guy R. Williams
Senator for Richmond, British Columbia
In office 1971–1982
Appointed by	Pierre Trudeau
Personal details
Born	(1907-10-07)October 7, 1907 Kitamaat Village, British Columbia
Died	December 31, 1992(1992-12-31) (aged 85)
Political party	Liberal

Guy R. Williams (October 7, 1907 – December 31, 1992) was a Canadian Senator and Haisla First Nations leader and was, for a number of years, the only Native Canadian in the Senate. He was appointed on December 9, 1971, following the March 31, 1971 retirement of James Gladstone who had been called the first status Indian appointed to the upper house. In fact Williams appears to be the very first First Nations Senator, because Senator Gladstone was only adopted onto the Blood reserve and he was ineligible to be on the Indian Register.

Williams was born on a Native reserve of Kitamaat Village, British Columbia, Canada. He worked for a time in a mill, before becoming a fisherman and then starting his own boat-building business.

Williams was a member of the Haisla Nation of British Columbia. He was president of the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia for twelve years until his appointment to the Senate.

External links

• Guy Williams – Parliament of Canada biography
• http://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.debates_SOC2804_01/57?r=0&s=1 maiden speech
• https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=6615
• Smith, Donald B. (1988). "The Gentle Persuader: A Biography of James Gladstone, Indian Senator by Hugh A. Dempsey (review)". The Canadian Historical Review. 69 (4): 577–578. Project MUSE 573325.