Canada's longest-serving chief to be honoured with commemorative stamp

Canada Post has unveiled a stamp honouring the former chief of Okanese First Nation at a ceremony in Fort Qu’Appelle this afternoon.

Marie-Anne Day Walker-Pelletier’s stamp is the third and final commemorative stamp honouring Indigenous leaders as part of Canada Post’s new series.

“I’m honoured and hopefully the stamp will inspire young people, children or youth,” she said.

“Life goes on regardless of the obstacles they go through.”

She attended Lebret Residential School in the 1960s where she experienced both physical and mental abuse.

Day Walker-Pelletier was first elected as chief of Okanese First Nation in 1981 at the age of 26. She served her community as chief until the fall of 2020, making her one of the longest serving chiefs in Canada’s history.

“You are an amazing role model and brought a much needed balance of a women’s perspective to the leadership circle,” said Okanese First Nation Chief Richard Stoneshild during a speech at the event.

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Day Walker-Pelletier also successfully advocated for the treaty and inherent rights of Okanese First Nation.

She played a big role in the All Nations Healing Centre in Fort Qu’Appelle and the Day Walker Home Fire Family Centre, which is dedicated to keeping children out of the system.

“The whole epitome of what a kokum and grandmother and a pillar of our community, what it’s about, she’s the definition of it,” said Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron.

In 2019, she was awarded the Order of Canada in recognition of her lifelong commitment to leadership of her nation.

Ben McCutcheon, general manager of operations for the prairie region for Canada Post, said Day Walker-Pelletier’s accomplishments and contributions have been extremely important in helping shape Indigenous communities.

“She’s led numerous projects on education, wellness and social activism for the Indigenous people and she also went to the Vatican this past spring to meet with the pope to talk about residential schools of which she is a survivor,” said McCutcheon.

Day Walker-Pelletier, along with a number of residential school survivors, met with Pope Francis in March. She told the pope it was a spiritual journey carrying the pain and suffering of her ancestors. The former chief presented moccasins to the pope under the conditions that he keep them as a reminder of the Catholic church’s role in residential schools, and that he returns them with a “genuine apology” when he visits Canada in July.

Many called the former chief humble in her achievements, during the unveiling ceremony. However, Day Walker-Pelletier said her biggest accomplishment is her family.

“It’s not about material things, it’s about families moving forward and I like to say every child matters,” she said.

Stamps commemorating the late Metis leader Harry Daniels and late Inuit leader Jose Kusugak were unveiled at similar events earlier this week.

The stamp series will be released on National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.