For his commitment to advancing the rights of Aboriginal and Métis peoples.
Yvon Dumont has long contributed to the advancement of Aboriginal rights and of the Métis in particular. The former head of both the Manitoba Metis Federation and the Métis National Council, he worked to have the Métis people recognized as a distinct Indigenous population, and won official recognition for Louis Riel as the founding father of Manitoba. As the first Métis person to be appointed lieutenant governor, he has encouraged closer ties between his people and non-Native communities.