Saskatoon student trailblazer to become first female Indigenous president in USSU history

In 111 years, the University of Saskatchewan Students Union (USSU) has never had an Indigenous female as president.

That’s all about to change in just over two weeks, thanks to Saskatoon-born Autumn LaRose-Smith. The fourth-year SUNTEP student was voted as president-elect on March 26, narrowly defeating student Akinwande Akingbehin by nine votes.

LaRose-Smith will become the newest president of the USSU on May 1, and she told 650 CKOM that the position is an honour.

“It is an honour to be the first (Indigenous female president), and definitely not going to be the last. (That) door has to be opened by someone, and I’m happy that I was able to open up that door.”

LaRose-Smith said she hopes to continue the fight for students moving forward, and that includes the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic.

“With 20,000 undergraduate students, we have a very strong, powerful voice,” she said Thursday.

“Every hour is a day, and every day is a week with new things that are coming out from the university, provincial and federal levels (with the coronavirus). Just making sure that we are up to date as possible with all the things that are changing, and then trying to create different channels of advocacy that are going to be the most effective with students.”

LaRose-Smith first began her journey in leadership and advocacy when she was 10. She said she began in the Leadership in Training program at the YWCA in Saskatoon.

She said she has been very involved in various levels since then, namely volunteering at her Metis local.

LaRose-Smith said her community-based background will give students a different voice to look up to, as she begins her one-year term as president.

“I’m not like any other past USSU president from before,” she said. “I’m hoping (students) will see change, and that it will be good for them and good for the community as well.”

LaRose-Smith was a french immersion student growing up in Saskatoon, graduating from Tommy Douglas High School before starting her post-secondary academic career.

She said moving forward with the USSU, she feels as though the union is in a good spot with two of four executives retained for the 2020-21 academic year.

Vice president of operations and finance Jamie Bell was also retained in the recent election.

“I think that gives the students a huge benefit. For us, there’s not really the huge learning curve that comes with being on the executive, and we will already know what has been happening up until that point, and be able to continue those advocacy efforts.”

In terms of the future for the Saskatoon-born trailblazer, she is expecting to take this year as president to advocate for the students. Following that, she wants to look to groom others in various leadership roles.

“Something that I find in my leadership efforts is to (continuously) build up other potentially younger leaders, or different leaders in the community,” she explained.

The education student does have an idea, already, of what she wants to see looking to the future with the USSU.

“I’m hoping that the next president is a woman as well. I don’t want to see another ten years between me and the next female president.”