Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: December 6, 2017
• Invested on: September 06, 2018

Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, C.M.
Wikwemikong First Nation, Ontario

Jeannette Corbiere Lavell has dedicated decades of her life to raising the status of Indigenous women in Canada. After losing her legal status following her marriage to a non-Indigenous man, she brought forward a court challenge to the Indian Act. Her touchstone case served as a catalyst for activism on the issue of gender discrimination against Indigenous women. She has helped build strong support systems for women as a founding member and president of many organizations, including the Ontario Native WomenÆs Association and the Native WomenÆs Association of Canada.