Canada has unveiled a postage stamp commemorating the life and work of Nellie Cournoyea, a leading activist figure who fought for self-determination for Indigenous peoples in the Far North. He has also chaired various organizations such as the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the Committee for the Rights of Native Peoples.

Nellie Cournoyea’s career has been marked by her fight to defend the rights of the Inuit, in particular the rights of her community, the Inuvialuit of the Canadian Western Arctic. She served as Premier of the Northwest Territories from 1991 to 1995, becoming the first Indigenous woman and the second to lead a provincial or territorial government.

Canada Post indicates that this stamp with its image is part of a series of three stamps dedicated to Aboriginal leaders. Nellie Cournoyea was born in Aklavik, Northwest Territories. His father is a trapper from Norway and his mother is Inuvialuit (or Inupiaq) from Herschel Island, Yukon.

She grew up in the traditional way of life and received most of her education by correspondence at the family camp before embarking on a career in radio and later as a land damage dispatcher.

a political life

Co-founder of the Committee for the Study of Aboriginal Rights, Nellie Cournoyea participates in the negotiations of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, which includes land use planning for more than 90,000 square kilometres.

She was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1979 and served in several cabinet positions before being named Premier. He played a key role in the discussions that led to the creation of Nunavut, then chaired the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation for 20 years after retiring from politics.

An Officer of the Order of Canada, Nellie Cournoyea, now 83, is Chair of the Northern Canadian Nutrition Advisory Council and Vice-Chair of the Tuktoyaktuk Community Society.

Note that the “cancelled in Aklavik” stamp, in the Northwest Territories, features a photograph of Nellie Cournoyea taken in 2022 by Peggy Jay. As for the photo, superimposed, a photo taken by Robert Postma at Trout Lake, still in the Northwest Territories.