Page 66 - 04_May-2025

Lost Ones
THE GOOD
FIGHT
Chester Cunningham,
July 4, 1933 – December 20, 2024
by EMILY RIDDLE
CHESTER CUNNINGHAM WANTED OUR PEOPLE
to “look in the mirror and like themselves.” He believed
in the inherent good of everyone, including those cast
aside by the criminal justice system, and dedicated his
career to reducing the high rates of Indigenous incarcer-
ation. He was beloved for his ethical values and sense
of humour — someone who’d help you get your charges
dropped and affectionately tease you on the same day.
Over a lifetime of advocacy, his brightness never
wavered. He taught his grandchildren to live a joyful life
as a form of resistance. Even after a rough day, he’d pull
on his orange hunting jacket and walk the land with his
family. In our belief systems, we never left our Garden
of Eden; we were never kicked out of our paradise. And
that’s something worth fighting for.
Born in 1933 to a fourth generation Métis family,
Cunningham left high school early to play semi-profes-
sional baseball, before working in construction and
mining. It wasn’t until the 1960s that he found his calling.
At the time, Indigenous people in Alberta were finally
founding their own institutions, making the province a
hotbed of First Nations and Métis political organizing. The
movement needed leaders to contend with the aftermath
66 EDify. MAY.25
of colonial dispossession, residential
schools, the sixties scoop, and suppression
of Indigenous economies. Our commu-
nities were fractured. Alienation to the
land, and to each other, led to criminalized
coping mechanisms and, coupled with
systemic discrimination, overincarceration.
Recognizing that Indigenous people
needed advocates, Cunningham became
a courtworker at Edmonton’s Native
Friendship Centre. It opened his eyes
to blatant miscarriages of justice —
Indigenous people who did not speak
English, or did not understand proce-
dures, were unknowingly pleading guilty.
This exposed a need for something greater
— an organization dedicated to reducing
Indigenous incarceration — and the
Native Counselling Services of Alberta
was born. Under his leadership, the
organization grew to a robust network of
Alberta-wide programs and services.
For his commitment to a just world,
he was made an honorary chief by the
Piikani Nation in 1973 and later received
the Order of Canada. But what Cunning-
ham was most proud of was his invest-
ment in people. He trained over 25,000
people through Native Counselling
Services. Today, the organization has
expanded to include BearPaw Media
and Education, an equitable housing
program, the Stan Daniels Healing
Centre, and many community programs.
Cunningham retired in 1997, but his
deep belief in justice meant he never
really stopped working — typical for
Indigenous Elders who never put down
their sense of responsibility. Even after
moving into a retirement home near
Westlock, he would still accompany
friends to court 100 kilometres away —
just to help them fight a traffic ticket. ED.
This is the first in a new series honouring local legends
and unsung heroes who’ve recently passed. To recom-
mend someone whose story deserves memorializing,
email [email protected].