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J. WILTON LITTLECHILD

Mr. Littlechild has been active in the international forum for over twenty years, representing Indigenous Peoples in organizations such as the United Nations and the International Labour Organization. He has been involved in international law both as a legal counsel and as a delegate to many International Conferences, including the World Council of Indigenous Peoples in 1977, the Rotterdam Tribunal (on Indigenous Land Rights) in 1980, and the United Nations meetings in Geneva of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, the Sub-Commission on Human Rights and Assembly sessions in New York.

He holds the position of Vice President of the Indigenous Parliament of the Americas and, in the role of Chairman, hosted its 5th Assembly.

He is the founder of an United Nations NGO, the International Organization of Indigenous Resource Development, which enjoys category 1 consultative status with the United Nations

Littlechild was instrumental in securing a voting seat for Canada's Indigenous Peoples in the amendments to the ILO Convention 169, and attended the General Assembly in 1988 after organizing the Indigenous Working Group.

He participated in events such as the Indigenous Summits 1 and 2 where, as a team member, he helped refine a UN General Assembly resolution to proclaim a United Nations Decade for Indigenous Peoples.

He is a founding member of the Indigenous Initiative for Peace, an international organization of Indigenous leaders, which includes Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ms. Rigoberta Menchu Tum.

Mr. Littlechild served as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Wetaskiwin until 1993. Elected in 1988, he served on several senior Committees in the House of Commons, including the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, the Special Joint Committee on Constitution, and on the Vice-Chairman of Justice and Solicitor General's Committee.

A practising lawyer and member of the Law Society of Alberta, Mr. Littlechild was called to the Bar in 1972 and was appointed to the Queen's Council in 1976. He was named Honourary Chief in the Cree Tribe for being the first Treaty Indian from Alberta to graduate from Law School. He is currently a member of the Indigenous Bar Association.

Before pursuing law, Littlechild completed a Master's Degree in Physical Education at the University of Alberta, competing in more than thirty-five provincial, regional, national and international Native Championships, and winning ten Athlete of the Year Awards before his retirement from active competition. As a senior athlete, Littlechild has competed in the North American Indigenous Games, and in World Oldtimers' Hockey Championships. Involved in a number of sports organizations, as a sport consultant Mr. Littlechild has organized and executed many programs for Indian Reserves both in Canada and the United States.

Mr. Littlechild's commitment to his community, as well as his drive for athletic and academic excellence, have been recognized in the form of an award which bears his name. For the last fifteen years, the Indian Association of Alberta has presented The Willie Littlechild Achievement Award to six native students who demonstrate these same qualities of commitment and excellence.

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  Last Updated: 2004-04-23 top of page Important Notices