Attacks on MLAs’ offices in Manitoba are raising deep concerns about safety, democracy, and the future of Indigenous women in politics.
In recent weeks, the constituency offices of two trailblazing First Nations women cabinet ministers in Manitoba have been hit by a disturbing wave of vandalism and arson. Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine’s office in West Kildonan was set on fire on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, just days after its windows were smashed. Housing Minister Bernadette Smith’s North End office has been targeted by fire four times since August.
Political scientists and Indigenous studies experts warn these incidents could have a chilling effect on democracy. Kelly Saunders, a professor at Brandon University, called the attacks “gender- and race-based violence” that risk discouraging Indigenous women from entering politics.
“When young Indigenous girls see their role models — women like Bernadette Smith and Nahanni Fontaine — being harassed and subjected to violence, it sends the opposite message,” she explained. “It tells them politics isn’t safe for them.”
Both Fontaine and Smith have vowed not to be silenced. Fontaine described the vandalism as an “attack on community,” while Smith called it “an attack on democracy” that undermines accessibility for constituents.
Other experts agree the attacks go beyond property damage. Dalhousie University professor Lori Turnbull noted that constituency offices are vital public spaces where elected representatives serve their communities. “It’s an act of violence not only against the individual but also against the public,” she said.
Sarah Nickel, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Politics and Gender at the University of Alberta, stressed that such intimidation carries symbolic weight. “Fire and vandalism are meant to instill fear and drive Indigenous women out of public roles,” she said, highlighting the long history of exclusion rooted in the Indian Act, which barred Indigenous women from holding office until 1951.
The incidents, experts warn, reflect a growing hostility in Canadian politics. If perpetrators are not caught, there’s a risk of copycat attacks. “We must be clear about drawing lines between free expression and targeted violence,” Saunders emphasized.
For Indigenous women, the message is personal yet political: representation matters, and intimidation cannot be allowed to erase their voices.
