Background
He was born Edmonton House (later Edmonton, Alberta) in 1836 at the Red River Colony.
He was born Edmonton House (later Edmonton, Alberta) in 1836 at the Red River Colony.
He was elected on 2 March 1871 in a by-election. His term ended on 8 July 1872. He was the first aboriginal Canadian elected to the House of Commons.
His mother"s ancestors were Cree and French Canadian.
Although Métis, he was opposed to Louis Riel"s (the spiritual leader of the Métis people) methods for dealing with the Canadian government. He was arrested by Riel in March 1870 because of his political stance.
That same year he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the riding of Lake Manitoba, and was reelected in 1874. Later in 1876, Angus McKay was appointed Indian agent for the areas covered by Treaty Number.
4 including the Qu"Appelle Valley.
In 1879, he was posted to the areas covered by Treaty Number. 5 in northern Manitoba. The Department of Indian Affairs was charged with maintaining a positive public relations between Canada and the natives.
However, "his reports were often sharply critical of the government’s failure to live up to treaty promises and he passed on the complaints of the Indians." Despite his "stormy relationship" with the Department, he served until 1897.
Angus McKay married Virginia Rolette around 1870. He died in 1910 at Berens River, Manitoba.
He had been in declining health after suffering from apoplexy. He was buried at Saint Boniface, Manitoba.