Phil Fontaine – 2013 EIR Award

2013 Phil Fontaine Phil Fontaine is a dedicated and highly respected figure in Canada. He has been instrumental in facilitating change and advancement for First Nations people from the time he was first elected to public office as Chief, at the young age of 28. He is a proud member of the Sagkeeng First Nation [...] Read More

Mary Simon – 2014 EIR Award

2014 Mary Simon Mary Simon has led an extraordinary career which has had Northern interests at its heart. Her achievements have been both global in scope and local in impact. Mary was Canada’s first Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs, a lead negotiator for the creation of the Arctic Council and the former Canadian Ambassador to Denmark. She [...] Read More

Willa Black – 2015 EIR Award

2015 Willa Black Willa Black’s leadership on the Connected North Program has served to bridge the Aboriginal digital divide through the use of networking technology. Connected North has been instrumental in increasing healthcare and educational capacity in remote and underserved Aboriginal communities across northern Canada. The initiative was inspired by a meeting in 2011 between [...] Read More

The late Senator Murray Sinclair – 2016 EIR Award

2016 The late Senator Murray Sinclair Senator Sinclair is being honoured for his distinguished record of public service and work leading the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada. Before becoming Chair of the TRC, Murray Sinclair had a distinguished career as a lawyer and then Justice for the Queen’s Bench of Manitoba. He also was [...] Read More

Dr. Ken S. Coates – 2017 EIR Award

2017 Dr. Ken S. Coates Ken Coates is Canada Research Chair in Regional Innovation at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan campus.  Ken was raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, and has long-standing professional and personal interests in Aboriginal rights, northern development, northern Canadian history, science, technology and society, and Japan Studies. He received his BA (History) from [...] Read More

Carol Anne Hilton – 2018 EIR Award

2018 Carol Anne Hilton Carol Anne Hilton, MBA is the CEO and Founder of The Indigenomics Institute. Carol Anne is a recognized First Nation’s business leader with an international Masters Degree in Business Management (MBA) from the University of Hertfordshire, England. Carol Anne is of Nuu chah nulth descent from the Hesquiaht Nation on Vancouver [...] Read More

Wayne Garnons-Williams – 2019 EIR Award

2019 Wayne Garnons-Williams Wayne is Plains Cree from Treaty 6, Moosomin First Nation, the founding President of International Inter-tribal Trade Organization, an international NGO dedicated to educating on inherent indigenous economic rights as well as support and enhance the implementation of the global flow and exchange of Indigenous goods, services and investments through the coordinating [...] Read More

Keith McIntosh – 2020 EIR Award

2020 Keith McIntosh As founder of PLATO Testing, the world’s first Indigenous-led and staffed software testing company, Keith McIntosh has introduced more than 85 corporations, over the last four years, to the value and capabilities of Indigenous people as technology professionals, and has helped to advance cultural awareness and understanding in boardrooms from Vancouver to [...] Read More

Cory Stephens – 2021 EIR Award

2021 Cory Stephens Cory Stephens is a commerce graduate of Gustafson School of Business at the University of Victoria. From there, he has dedicated his knowledge and expertise to bridging the gap between Indigenous entrepreneurs and the national business landscape respecting tradition and culture while encouraging connection and understanding with non-indigenous society. Stephens’ mother is [...] Read More

Dr. Marie Delorme – 2022 EIR Award

2022 Dr. Marie Delorme She is committed to diversity and inclusion. As she rose to the top tiers of the telecommunications industry, she led early initiatives to support the advancement of women and Indigenous employees. As CEO of the Imagination Group of Companies, she remains committed to cross-cultural economic development and the participation of Indigenous [...] Read More