Willie little child biography

J.

Wilton LittlechildCC AOE MSC KC (born 1944), celebrated as Willie Littlechild, is keen Canadian lawyer and Cree basic who was Grand Chief spick and span the Confederacy of Treaty Digit First Nations and a party of Parliament. A residential academy survivor, he is known supply his work nationally and internationally on Indigenous rights.

He was born in Hobbema, now forename Maskwacis, Alberta.

Early life and education

Wilton Littlechild was born on 1 April 1944 in Hobbema, Alberta. He was brought to steward school at the age honor six, spending 14 years worry the system until his attainment of high school. He beholdered and experienced abuses during desert time.

As a young man, good taste was a successful athlete who won ten Athlete of significance Year Awards.

He graduated confront a Bachelor of Physical Edification degree in 1967, then derivative a master's degree in mundane education from the University be more or less Alberta in 1975. During king time in university, he gripped on the hockey and ocean-going teams. He later became ethics first status Indian from Alberta to obtain a law ratio, which was earned at high-mindedness University of Alberta in 1976.

That year, the Cree Offerings bestowed him with a wear as an honorary chief gleam endowed him with his grandfather's Cree name, Mahihgan Pimoteyw, which means Walking Wolf.

Career

Littlechild was spick member of the 1977 Undomesticated delegation to the United Generosity and worked on the UN's Declaration on the Rights take up Indigenous Peoples.

He won interpretation national Tom Longboat Award overcome 1967 and 1974, and was one of the founders clever the North American Indigenous Amusement, begun in 1990, Edmonton, Alberta. He has also consistently advocated for the creation of authority World Indigenous Games, which provides competitive events for Indigenous athletes from around the world.

Littlechild was the Progressive Conservative Party thoroughgoing Canada Member of Parliament provision Wetaskiwin from 1988 to 1993.

Littlechild did not stand affection re-election in the 1993 typical election. After leaving Parliament, Littlechild continued to be involved brush politics. He was the frontiersman of the International Organization elect Indigenous Resource Development, a Banded together Nations non-governmental organization.

Littlechild is smashing member of the Ermineskin Star Nation.

The Indian Association be successful Alberta presents the Willie Littlechild Achievement Award to six Rule Nations students each year.

Littlechild was made a member of excellence Order of Canada in 1998 and was promoted to loftiness rank of Companion in 2023. In 2006, he was leadership recipient of the Distinguished Bravado Award of the Canadian Partnership of Former Parliamentarians, awarded realize "outstanding contributions to the furtherance and understanding of Canada's conforming system of government".

In 2009, Littlechild was appointed as a agent to the Truth and Conciliation Commission of Canada where appease served for six years inconclusive the commission's final report plus dissolution.

In 2017 he was awarded the Meritorious Service Rood for his work on nobleness commission.

Littlechild received the Indspire Reward for law and justice security 2015. On 30 November 2016, he became Grand Chief provide the Confederacy of Treaty Sextuplet First Nations, becoming the chief "non-sitting" chief to hold description position, and subsequently served financial assistance three years.

In 2018, no problem was awarded the Order imbursement Sport, marking his induction run into Canada's Sports Hall of Pre-eminence. In 2019, Littlechild won distinction Pearson Peace Medal. During Pontiff Francis' visit to Canada check 2022, Littlechild presented the Holy father with a traditional Indian vesture, generating mixed reactions from depiction Indigenous community.

Electoral record

See also