Nellie Cournoyea, the first Indigenous female premier in Canada, is the face of a new stamp issued by Canada Post.
Cournoyea, now 83, led the Northwest Territories from 1991 to 1995 and spent a total of 16 years as an MLA. She was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2008.
Canada Post said it had held a ceremony in Ulukhaktok to mark the stamp’s launch.
“Nellie Cournoyea is known for the unwavering vision, work ethic and heart that have guided her fight for Indigenous self-determination and Inuit empowerment,” Canada Post stated in a news release.
This stamp is one of three featuring Indigenous leaders that will be formally released on June 21.
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The others feature George Manuel, the first chief of what was then the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) who later founded the World Council of Indigenous Peoples, and Thelma Chalifoux, the first Indigenous woman to serve as a senator.
Cournoyea, born in Aklavik, is now chair of Nutrition North’s advisory board and vice-chair of the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation.
Her stamp features a photo taken in 2022 by Peggy Jay, Canada Post said, while a first day cover issued at the same time bears a photograph of Cournoyea taken in 1993 by Tessa Macintosh.
