Walter Leo Friday is the Grand Chief of Mushkegowuk Council, which is a tribal council representing seven First Nations located in northeastern Ontario up to the James Bay coast. Friday has been involved in First Nation government, on both a local community level and as a regional leader, for more than four decades. Friday served as Mushkegowuk Deputy-Grand Chief for three terms (2006-07, 2007-11 and 2011-15) and was elected for this current term as Grand Chief of Mushkegowuk Council in August 2023.