Norman Sylliboy

Norman Sylliboy is the 11th Grand Chief or Kji-Saqmaw of the Mi'kmaq Nation. The Mi’kmaw traditional government is known as Sante' Mawio’mi or Grand Council.

Sylliboy was elected in 2019, two years after the death of his predecessor, Ben Sylliboy. Norman Sylliboy's grandfather Gabriel Sylliboy was elected in 1918 to the position of Grand Chief.

Early life Sylliboy was born at a Eskasoni First Nation reserve in Unamaꞌki (Cape Breton Island) to a Mi'kmaq family filled with culture and traditions. His family owned the first store in over forty years on the island Mniku in Potlotek. The selection for Grand Chief took place in St. Anne's Mission at Potlotek First Nation, Chapel Island, Nova Scotia. The selection process included several rounds of selection until the council unanimously elected Sylliboy. Then-Minister of L’nu Affairs Karla MacFarlane first announced the government's plan to enact this legislation in October 2021. They have plans to take more steps in the promotion of the language because of the decreasing number of Mi'kmaq speakers. Sylliboy stated:

The landless band had accepted 25,000 people to be members of the community. The community had received over 100,000 applications, and it was authorized for the new applicants to be reviewed.

The Grand Council and other Mi'kmaq organizations initially argued against the legitimacy of these new members.

Personal life Sylliboy married Arlene Sylliboy on 22 May 1982, having seven children together. They also have ten grandchildren together.