Kji-keptin Alexander Denny was a born leader; he was an inspiration, a role model and a prominent figure in the ongoing fight for Mi'kmaw Rights. Mr. Denny dedicated his life to bringing to light issues that the Mi'kmaw nation face, working towards finding and implementing solutions, and thus playing a key role in building the Mi'kmaw nation as we know it today. He was a man with great vision and an unfailing determination, who believed unwaveringly that the Mi'kmaw language was key to his nation’s prosperity.
Alex Denny was born on July 26, 1940 to a young Eskasoni woman, Susie Johnson. However, she would not be the woman Alexander grew to call his mother. Instead, Alexander was raised by an elderly couple in the community, Mrs. Mary Anne Denny and her husband Andrew who took him in as their own, an act that would ultimately set the foundation for the years of success and triumph that lay before
Alexander.Alexander Denny, in his role as Kji-keptin of the Sante'Mawiomi, focused on fighting for Mi'kmaw language and land rights. In the 1980’s, he took this fight all the way to the United Nations to ensure the Language and Treaty Rights of the Mi’kmaw people were recognized at an international level. As a result, the Mi'kmaq nation, under the leadership of the UNSI and the oratorical skills of Alex Denny, was the first Aboriginal nation to have its linguistic and political rights recognized by the United Nations.