Mary Simon, advocate for Inuit rights, named Canada’s first Indigenous governor general

© Sean Kilpatrick/AP Mary Simon speaks during the announcement of her appointment as Canada’s next governor general Tuesday at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.

TORONTO — Diplomat Mary Simon, a longtime advocate for Inuit rights, will be Canada’s next governor general, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday. Simon, an Inuk leader and former Canadian ambassador, is the first Indigenous person appointed to serve as the representative of Queen Elizabeth II in Canada.

The announcement comes amid a broader reckoning over Canada’s mistreatment of Indigenous people, which has drawn new attention in recent weeks with the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves on or near the grounds of former residential schools for Indigenous children.

“Today, after 154 years, our country takes a historic step,” Trudeau said at a news conference at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec. “I cannot think of a better person to meet the moment.”

Simon replaces Julie Payette, a former chief astronaut of the Canadian Space Agency, who resigned in January amid allegations of workplace harassment and bullying. An external review found she had presided over a “toxic” workplace marked by “yelling, screaming, aggressive conduct, demeaning comments and public humiliations.”

Canada’s governor general is appointed by the queen on the recommendation of the prime minister.

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