Writer and champion for the North Cece Hodgson McCauley died Sunday night. She was 95.
Sometimes controversial but never afraid to speak truth to power, Hodgson McCauley wrote an award-winning column in News/North for more than 40 years. Much ink was devoted to her passion, extending the Mackenzie Valley Highway from Wrigley to Inuvik, which she viewed as essential to alleviating the high cost of living and providing young people with opportunities to better their lives.
Her last column appeared in the March 5 News/North, where she announced she had been diagnosed with cancer of the liver.
In 2017 she was awarded the Indspire award for politics, which recognizes Indigenous people in Canada for outstanding achievements.
Hodgson McCauley is the former president of the Norman Wells Land Corporation and the founding and honorary chief for life of the Inuvik Dene band. She is recognized as the first woman chief in the Northwest Territories.
Please see Monday's News/North for a full obituary on Hodgson McCauley's life.