Living in the Tall Grass

Stacey Laforme was born on a cold December morning into a life of alcoholism and abuse. At fifteen, he left home and lived on the street, eventually finding a home with both of his grandmothers. He started his first job at twelve years old, eventually going into the family business and joining the iron workers union. He attended college late in life. He retired from iron work and, as he admits, “If I am honest, I was not the best at iron work.” After his mother passed away at the age of fifty, he was elected to council. He ran and was elected Chief of the Mississaugas of the Anishnaabe in December 2015, a few months after his father passed away. Chief Laforme says, “I am dedicated to my people, and to all the people who live within our treaty lands.”In 2017, Chief Laforme became only the third Honourary Senior Fellow of Massey College, Toronto, joining The Duke of Edinburgh and The Chancellor of Oxford University in the rarest honour the college bestows.

Stacey Laforme was born on a cold December morning into a life of alcoholism and abuse. At fifteen, he left home and lived on the street, eventually finding a home with both of his grandmothers. He started his first job at twelve years old, eventually going into the family business and joining the iron workers union. He attended college late in life. He retired from iron work and, as he admits, “If I am honest, I was not the best at iron work.” After his mother passed away at the age of fifty, he was elected to council. He ran and was elected Chief of the Mississaugas of the Anishnaabe in December 2015, a few months after his father passed away. Chief Laforme says, “I am dedicated to my people, and to all the people who live within our treaty lands.”In 2017, Chief Laforme became only the third Honourary Senior Fellow of Massey College, Toronto, joining The Duke of Edinburgh and The Chancellor of Oxford University in the rarest honour the college bestows.