[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions] [click on the name in the sub-headline to go to that person’s press release]
Canada Post to Pay Tribute to Indigenous Leaders with Second Stamp Set in Multi-Year Series
New stamps will honour lives and legacies of Nellie Cournoyea, George Manuel and Thelma Chalifoux
Issue date: 21 June
OTTAWA – Canada Post will once again mark National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 by issuing a set of stamps honouring three Indigenous leaders.
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 proudly served.
This stamp issue is the second in Canada Post’s multi-year Indigenous Leaders stamp series, launched last year. Each stamp will be unveiled at local events in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, North Vancouver, British Columbia and St. Albert, Alberta.
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New stamp honours Nellie Cournoyea, the first Indigenous woman to lead a provincial or territorial government in Canada
Cournoyea fought for Indigenous self-determination while leading numerous organizations, including the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the Committee for Original Peoples’ Entitlement.
ULUKHAKTOK, Northwest Territories –Canada Post has unveiled a stamp honouring the life and work of Nellie Cournoyea, at a community event in Ulukhaktok.
Champion of her people – the Inuvialuit of Canada’s western Arctic – Nellie Cournoyea is known for the unwavering vision, work ethic and heart that have guided her fight for Indigenous self-determination and Inuit empowerment. She became the first Indigenous woman, and second woman, to head a provincial or territorial government in Canada, as Premier of the Northwest Territories (1991-95).
This stamp is one of three Indigenous Leaders stamps that will be released on June 21. The set is the second in Canada Post’s multi-year Indigenous Leaders series.
The life and legacy of Nellie Cournoyea
Nellie Cournoyea was born in Aklavik, Northwest Territories. Her father was a trapper and immigrant from Norway; her mother, an Inuvialuit (or Inupiaq) woman from Herschel Island, Yukon.
Cournoyea grew up living a traditional lifestyle, completing most of her education by correspondence courses sent to her family’s bush camp. She embarked on a career in radio and, later, as a land claims fieldworker.
As co-founder of the Committee for Original Peoples’ Entitlement, she helped negotiate the ground-breaking Inuvialuit Final Agreement, which included a land settlement of more than 90,000 square kilometres.
Cournoyea was elected to the legislature in 1979 and held many ministerial portfolios prior to her selection as Premier. She played a significant role in the discussions leading to the creation of Nunavut and, after leaving office, headed the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation for 20 years.
An Officer of the Order of Canada, Cournoyea is now in her 80s and remains active as chair of the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board and vice-chair of the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation.
About the stamp
Cancelled in Aklavik, Northwest Territories (Cournoyea’s birthplace), the stamp features a photo of Cournoyea taken in 2022 by Peggy Jay. The Official First Day Cover and the inside of the booklet feature a photograph of Cournoyea taken in 1993 by Tessa Macintosh. That image is superimposed over a photograph taken at Trout Lake, Northwest Territories, by Robert Postma.
The cancellation mark, illustrated by Tania Willard, is a white (or Arctic) fox, one of the symbols on the Northwest Territories coat of arms.
About the Indigenous Leaders stamp series
Launched in 2022, the multi-year Indigenous Leaders stamp series highlights the contributions of modern-day First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders. These extraordinary people dedicated their lives to preserving their cultures and improving the quality of life of the Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
The new stamps and collectibles will be available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada beginning June 21.
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New stamp pays tribute to First Nations political leader, author and champion of his people, George Manuel
Strong-willed and tireless in his dedication, Manuel lobbied for the inclusion of Indigenous and treaty rights in the Canadian Constitution.
NORTH VANCOUVER, British Columbia – In North Vancouver, Canada Post has unveiled a commemorative stamp honouring the life and legacy of George Manuel.
A member of the Neskonlith Indian Band of the Secwepemc Nation in British Columbia, Manuel (1921 89), was an author, astute political strategist and champion of Indigenous Peoples whom many credit with inspiring the modern Indigenous movement in Canada. During a political career that spanned four decades, Manuel dedicated himself to uniting Indigenous Peoples around the world at the local, regional, national and international levels.
This stamp is one of three Indigenous Leaders stamps that will be released on June 21. The set is the second in Canada Post’s multi-year Indigenous Leaders series.
George Manuel’s work and legacy
George Manuel served as National Chief of what is now the Assembly of First Nations from 1970 to 1976, and as the first president of both the World Council of Indigenous Peoples and the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs.
Manuel believed that Indigenous Peoples, at home and around the world, could achieve their goals if they united. He fought the Canadian government’s policies of assimilation and organized the Constitution Express, a movement that brought supporters from the west to Ottawa, and to the United Nations headquarters in New York, by train in 1980 – and to Europe in 1981 – to lobby for the inclusion of Indigenous rights in the patriated Canadian Constitution.
His efforts contributed to the recognition and affirmation of existing Indigenous and treaty rights in the Constitution Act, 1982.
Co-founder of the Center for World Indigenous Studies, Manuel was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. He died on November 15, 1989, in Kamloops, British Columbia.
About the stamp
Cancelled in Chase, B.C. (George Manuel’s birthplace), this stamp features a bold reinterpretation of a black and white image taken of Manuel in the 1970s. The multi-coloured designs, illustrated by Secwepemc artist Tania Willard, represent the “shining light” of Manuel’s message for international Indigenous rights, while the deep red ochre evokes the pictographs and other markings found on Secwepemc lands.
About the Indigenous Leaders stamp series
Launched in 2022, the multi-year Indigenous Leaders stamp series highlights the contributions of modern-day First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders. These extraordinary people dedicated their lives to preserving their cultures and improving the quality of life of the Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
This year, on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Canada Post will issue stamps honouring Indigenous leaders Nellie Cournoyea, George Manuel and Thelma Chalifoux.
The new stamps and collectibles will be available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada beginning June 21.
[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
New stamp honours Métis leader Thelma Chalifoux, the first Indigenous woman appointed to the Senate of Canada
Chalifoux dedicated her life to advocating for social justice and women’s and Indigenous rights.
ST. ALBERT, Alberta – Canada Post has unveiled a new commemorative stamp honouring Métis activist and trailblazer, Thelma Chalifoux.
The first Indigenous woman appointed to the Senate of Canada, Chalifoux was a powerful force for social justice and women’s and Indigenous rights.
This stamp is one of three Indigenous Leaders stamps that will be released on June 21. The set is the second in Canada Post’s multi-year Indigenous Leaders series.
The life and legacy of Thelma Chalifoux
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Chalifoux (1929-2017) was known for her kind heart and boundless energy. She channelled the strength she gained from her own personal challenges to help others and speak up against discrimination.
After leaving an abusive husband and fighting to regain custody of her children – who, like many other Indigenous children, were forced into the child welfare system – she went back to school and became a fieldworker with Métis Association of Alberta, what is now the Métis Nation of Alberta.
Later working for the Association in Slave Lake, Alberta, Chalifoux co-founded the Slave Lake Native Friendship Centre, which provides a range of programs and services to urban Indigenous people. She also ran the community’s first safe house for women fleeing from domestic violence. A land claims negotiator from 1979 to 1982 (and again from 1996 to 1998), she was involved in constitutional talks in the early 1980s as part of a Métis delegation to Ottawa that helped to get First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples recognized 
as separate and distinct nations.
In 1997, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien appointed her to the Senate, making her the first Indigenous woman to become a senator. She fought tirelessly to improve the welfare of her people, particularly Métis women, and helped create provincial programs for Indigenous Peoples in the areas of housing, education and social assistance.
After retiring in 2004, Chalifoux went on to help found the Michif Cultural Institute (now Michif Cultural Connections) and the St. Albert’s Meadowview Centre for Women’s Health and Wellness, both in St. Albert. She also served as an Elder at the Nechi Institute: Centre of Indigenous Learning and was Métis Elder in Residence at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. She died on September 22, 2017, at age 88.
About the stamp
Cancelled in Calgary, Alberta (Thelma Chalifoux’s birthplace), the stamp features a photo of Chalifoux from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. The background shows detail from The Celebration, a painting by Métis visual artist Christi Belcourt, and pays homage to Chalifoux’s love of flowers.
About the Indigenous Leaders stamp series
Launched in 2022, the multi-year Indigenous Leaders series highlights the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders. These extraordinary people dedicated their lives to preserving their cultures and improving the quality of life of the Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
This year, on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Canada Post will issue stamps in honour of Indigenous leaders Nellie Cournoyea, George Manuel and Thelma Chalifoux.
The new stamps and collectibles will be available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada beginning June 21.
[en Francais pour les médias d’information]
Postes Canada rendra hommage à des dirigeants autochtones avec l’émission d’un deuxième jeu de timbres d’une série pluriannuelle
De nouveaux timbres souligneront la vie et l’héritage de Nellie Cournoyea, de George Manuel et de Thelma Chalifoux.
OTTAWA – Postes Canada soulignera une nouvelle fois la Journée nationale des peuples autochtones le 21 juin en émettant un jeu de timbres rendant hommage à deux dirigeantes et un dirigeant autochtones.
Nellie Cournoyea, George Manuel et Thelma Chalifoux seront en vedette sur des timbres individuels émis en reconnaissance de leur dévouement à la défense des droits des communautés inuit, métisses et des Premières Nations qu’ils ont fièrement servies.
Cette émission de timbres est la deuxième de la série pluriannuelle consacrée aux dirigeants autochtones, lancée l’an dernier par Postes Canada. Les vignettes seront dévoilées lors d’événements qui se tiendront à Ulukhaktok, dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest, à North Vancouver, en Colombie-Britannique et à St. Albert, en Alberta.
Dévoilement du timbre consacré à Nellie Cournoyea : le 11 juin à 13 h 30 he (heure des Rocheuses), à Ulukhaktok (T.N.-O)
Née en 1940, Nellie Cournoyea consacre sa vie à la lutte pour l’autodétermination des Autochtones et l’émancipation des Inuit. Élue première ministre des Territoires du Nord-Ouest en 1991, elle devient la première femme autochtone à diriger un gouvernement provincial ou territorial au Canada. Elle joue un rôle clé dans les discussions menant à la création du Nunavut, puis prend la tête de l’Inuvialuit Regional Corporation pendant 20 ans après sa retraite de la politique. Officier de l’Ordre du Canada, elle est actuellement présidente du Conseil consultatif de Nutrition Nord Canada et vice-présidente de la Société communautaire de Tuktoyaktuk.
Dévoilement du timbre consacré à George Manuel : le 12 juin à 13 h (heure du Pacifique), à North Vancouver (C.-B.)
Leader politique des Premières Nations, George Manuel (1921-1989) est aussi défenseur des peuples autochtones et auteur. Au cours d’une carrière politique qui s’étend sur quatre décennies, il occupe de nombreux postes influents et travaille à améliorer les conditions sociales, économiques et politiques des Premières Nations au Canada. Ses efforts contribuent à l’inclusion des droits ancestraux et issus de traités des peuples autochtones dans la Constitution du Canada. Cofondateur du Center for World Indigenous Studies, George Manuel est proposé à trois reprises pour le prix Nobel de la paix et reçoit de nombreuses marques de reconnaissance pour son travail, y compris le titre d’Officier de l’Ordre du Canada.
Dévoilement du timbre consacré à Thelma Chalifoux : le 13 juin à 13 h (heure des Rocheuses), à St. Albert (Alb.)
Activiste métisse, Thelma Chalifoux (1929-2017) tire sa force de ses difficultés personnelles pour aider les autres et lutter contre la discrimination. Première femme autochtone nommée au Sénat du Canada en 1997, elle consacre sa vie à l’amélioration du bien-être de son peuple, en particulier des femmes métisses. Elle joue un rôle déterminant dans la création de nombreux programmes provinciaux pour le logement, l’éducation et l’aide sociale venant en aide aux peuples autochtones. Thelma Chalifoux travaille comme aînée en résidence au Northern Alberta Institute of Technology et participe également à la fondation du Michif Cultural Connections, un musée et un centre de ressources, à St. Albert.
Les timbres et les articles de collection seront en vente sur postescanada.ca et dans les comptoirs postaux partout au pays, dès le 21 juin
anyone in its history.
I had the privilege of knowing Janet personally, since I served on the APS board with her for eight years, from her first election to it in 1997 as Secretary. We were two of the five first-time Directors elected then. The others were Wayne Youngblood, Ann Triggle and Jeanette Adams. We were amazed by some of what we saw and exchanged emails frequently, calling ourselves “The Gang of Five.”
noted, “Janet would often lead APS members in song at APS events around the country.”“Collecting stamps and letters from bygone days is a way for me to connect on a very personal level with people and events from those times. History is not just about famous people and events. It also encompasses ordinary people doing ordinary things, overcoming the challenges that happen in their lives, surviving, and thriving.”
I interviewed Janet in 2010 shortly after she was appointed to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee and I asked her about joining CSAC. The complete interview runs just under three minutes and you can hear it (unedited) here.
