Dr. Abel Bosum is a Cree leader and negotiator who is currently serving as Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees in northern Quebec (Eeyou Istchee).

In the 1980’s and 1990’s, he was the leader of the Crees of Oujé-Bougoumou, who had been left out of the historic James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement and pushed aside by the forestry and mining operations in their traditional territory. His efforts resulted in his community going from marginalization to a vibrant community renowned for its innovative approach to community development and shaped by the melding of traditional Cree values and modern technology. The new Ouje-Bougoumou village has received both national and international notoriety. The community received an award for its community development achievements--“We the Peoples”: 50 Communities” in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, and in addition, the community received a Best Designation citation from Habitat II, a UN conference on urban dwelling. In 2000, the community was asked to participate in Expo2000 held in Hannover, Germany. Dr. Abel Bosum’s list of achievements include his time as the head negotiator of the Grand Council of the Crees and President of the Aanischaaukamikw Foundation and the Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute. Elected Grand Chief in 2017, Dr. Bosum was awarded the Order of Canada earlier this year.

As Grand Chief, his priorities are the promotion of Cree culture, and the preservation of the Cree language and traditions. He has also placed a major priority on capacity-building among the Cree youth.