Chief Wilton Littlechild (front; fourth from right) of Maskwacis, was invested as a Companion to The Order of Canada at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Oct. 3, 2024. (Office of the Governor General of Canada)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

a long time coming

Chief Wilton Littlechild formally becomes Companion of The Order of Canada

Oct 3, 2024 | 3:08 PM

Chief Wilton Littlechild of Maskwacis was one of 56 people to receive promotions within or be appointed to the Order of Canada on Thursday in Ottawa by Governor General Mary Simon.

Littlechild was originally appointed as a member of the Order in 1998.

Last December, it was announced he’d received a promotion to Companion of The Order of Canada, but his investiture didn’t take place until this week.

Speaking to rdnewsNOW in December 2023, Littlechild had this to say:

“My message about reconciliation with 2024 ahead of us remains the same. Going back 25 years to my first recognition with The Order of Canada, a lot of things have happened. For 6.5 years, there was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s work which led to the 94 Calls to Action. Reconciliation is a lifelong journey. We never stated it would be something that happens overnight, given that it takes all of us working together to achieve it.”

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He also said sport contributed to his survival.

“I hate to think about where I’d be — maybe I would’ve been found dead somewhere by now, but I don’t like to go there. I like to thank God, Creator, for helping me find sport as a way to run away from the abuse I was going through,” he says. “Sport has the power to not only bring people together, but to promote positive well-being. Nelson Mandela once said that sports speak a language children can truly understand, and it’s so true.”

Littlechild is highly revered as a leader on reconciliation, and also in his roles as a politician, lawyer and Hall of Fame athlete.

He was a commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and has worked with the United Nations for over 40 years in international law. He is also the esteemed founder of the World Indigenous Nations Games.

In October 2023, Littlechild formally gave his blessing to Red Deer Minor Hockey for use of their longtime Chiefs logo. The logo was tweaked to more resemble Littlechild’s own likeness while wearing a traditional headdress.

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READ MORE

• Red Deer Minor Hockey alters ‘Chiefs’ logo in, “great act of reconciliation,” Chief says
• Chief J. Wilton Littlechild of Maskwacis promoted to Companion of The Order of Canada

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The full list of 56 appointments to and within the Order this week is available at gg.ca.

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