Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: October 29, 2004
• Invested on: September 09, 2005

A renowned master carver, Walter Harris has been an inspiration to artists along British Columbia's Northwest Coast for over three decades. He has perpetuated the Gitksan Nation's rich cultural heritage through his unique and exquisitely detailed works, which include a limestone killer whale sculpture located above the entry to the House of Commons in Ottawa, a totem pole erected in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and a panel in the Canadian Embassy in Paris. Also a hereditary chief, he is widely respected for the wisdom and leadership he has provided to his people, and for having played a vital role in their cultural resurgence.