Blog

Sep 23, 2023

Canada Post to honour Indigenous trailblazers with stamps

Canada Post will unveil a trio of stamps designed to honour Indigenous

Canada Post will unveil a trio of stamps designed to honour Indigenous trailblazers as part of Indigenous History Month, which is marked in Canada throughout the month of June.

Indigenous activists Nellie Cournoyea, George Manuel and Thelma Chalifoux will each be featured on a stamp recognizing their dedication to advocate for the rights of the Inuit, First Nations and Métis communities they served.

This stamp issue is the second in Canada Post's multi-year Indigenous Leaders stamp series, launched last year, Canada Post said.

The first unveiling will take place Sunday, in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, where Nellie Cournoyea's stamp will be unveiled. In 1991, Cournoyea was elected premier of Northwest Territories, making her the first Indigenous woman to head a provincial or territorial government in Canada.

‘She played a key role in the discussions leading to the creation of Nunavut, and after leaving office in 1995, she served for 20 years as chair and chief executive officer of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation,’ Canada Post said.

She is currently chair of the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board and vice-chair of the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation.

The next unveiling will be held Monday in Vancouver, where George Manuel will be honoured.

Manuel, who died in 1989, was a First Nations political leader, author and champion of Indigenous people.

Canada Post said over the course of a four-decade career in public service, ‘Manuel held many influential roles and worked to improve the social, economic and political conditions of First Nations people in Canada. His efforts contributed to the inclusion of Indigenous and treaty rights in the Canadian Constitution. Co-founder of the Center for World Indigenous Studies, Manuel was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize,’ Canada Post said.

He was also named an officer in the Order of Canada.

The third and final unveiling will be held Tuesday in St. Albert, Alberta, where Metis activist and leader Thelma Chalifoux will be honoured posthumously. Chalifoux, who died in 2017, was the first Indigenous woman appointed to the Senate, in 1997.

‘She devoted her life to improving the welfare of her people, particularly Métis women. She was instrumental in helping create provincial programs for Indigenous Peoples in the areas of housing, education and social assistance,’ Canada Post said.

Chalifoux also served as Métis Elder in Resid

Marc Lalonde, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase