UAlberta Faculty of Law is proud to announce that today our esteemed alumnus Chief Wilton (Willie) Littlechild ('76 LL.B.), is set to receive the Alberta Orders of Excellence for his contributions to society, the highest honour the province can bestow. Eight new inductees from across the province will join 140 Albertans honoured with the prestigious award since 1979, recognized for their qualities of leadership and citizenship, in a ceremony at Government House, in Edmonton, on Wednesday, October 15, 2014.
In 1976, Chief Littlechild had the distinction of being the first Treaty First Nations person to acquire a Law degree from the University of Alberta. In June 2007, the University of Alberta bestowed an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree to Chief Littlechild for his outstanding achievements. An avid sportsman and athlete, since childhood, he has won more than fifty provincial, regional, national and international championships. He served as a coach and organizer of sports events - being a founder of the North American Indigenous Games - and was inducted into seven Sports Walls of Fame.
Chief Littlechild is a member of the Ermineskin Cree Nation in Hobbema, Alberta, and operates the law firm of J. Wilton Littlechild, situated in the Ermineskin Reserve. A passionate advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples, he promotes the implementation of the treaties between the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Crown, now represented by the federal government. From 1988 to 1993, Chief Littlechild was the member-of-parliament for the riding of Wetaskiwin-Rimby, and served on senior committees in the House of Commons. As the Chairperson for the Commission on First Nations and Métis peoples and Justice Reform, he was mandated to review the justice system in the province of Saskatchewan. In 2006, Chief Littlechild was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians, awarded for outstanding contributions to the promotion and understanding of Canada's parliamentary system of government.
Chief Littlechild's influence is not limited solely to Canada. At the United Nations, he organized a coalition of indigenous nations that gained consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and was re-appointed by the E.C.O.S.O.C. President to represent North America. In addition, he founded the International Organization of Indigenous Resource Development, a United Nations non-governmental organization.
Between 2006 and 2009, he was elected by the Chiefs of Treaties 6, 7, 8 (Alberta) as the Regional Chief for the three Treaty territories. Chief Littlechild was honoured by being appointed the Honourary Chief for the Maskwacis Crees and also honoured by the Chiefs of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations as the International Chief for Treaty No. 6 Confederacy.
More recently he has served as one of three Commissioners on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, which was established to contribute to truth, healing and reconciliation. Chief Wilton has been involved in the task of gathering stories from survivors of the residential school system in Canada and working on the long and often difficult task of healing and reconciliation.
The University of Alberta Faculty of Law is extremely proud of our alumnus, Chief Wilton Littlechild, and send him our warmest congratulations on this much deserved recognition of his many contributions to society.