For more than 40 years, Judy Gingell has promoted and advanced Aboriginal rights and governance in Yukon. As chair of the Council of Yukon First Nations, she was instrumental in self-governance and land claims negotiations with the Government of Canada. She served as Yukon's first Aboriginal commissioner and was renowned for her ability to build bridges between peoples, notably by raising awareness of First Nations culture through the annual Commissioner's Potlatch. As a leader and Elder of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, she has ensured that First Nations communities are key players in the territorial economy.