Chief Ted Moses' commitment to Aboriginal human rights has been lifelong. He is presently serving as Ambassador to the United Nations for the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Astchee), which is an NGO in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Active at the international level in the protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples, Chief Moses was recently elected Rapporteur for the United Nations seminar on the Effects of Racism and the Racial Discrimination on the Social and Economic Relations between Indigenous Peoples and the States. He is the first Indigenous person, and first Indigenous Canadian citizen, to be so honoured.

In January of 1990, Moses was invited by the Australian Museum to be the keynote speaker and to participate in the conference on The Future of Australia's Dreaming - The Rights and Reality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Dr. Moses also represented the Grand Council of the Crees at the World Conference on the Environment in Rio and at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna. He is a founding member with Rigoberta Menchu of the Indigenous Initiative for Peace, an international organization of Indigenous leaders. In 1995, the Grand Council of the Crees appointed Ted Moses as its negotiator with the federal government on outstanding obligations.

Chief Moses was born at Eastmain, James Bay, and was educated at Ryerson College and McGill University. He was elected Chief and Mayor of the village of Eastmain from 1987 to 1990.

Prior to his election as Grand Chief in 1984, Moses was the Chief Negotiator for implementation of the Cree School Board and the Cree Hunters and Trappers Income Security Board. He also played a prominent role in the negotiation of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

Chief Moses was instrumental in obtaining formal recognition for the James Bay Crees as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in consultative status to the United Nations.

In 1996, Chief Moses was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa, by the University of Saskatchewan in honour of his work in the area of human rights.

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