Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: December 21, 1987
• Invested on: May 06, 1988

The first Indian to graduate from the Anglican Theological College of the University of British Columbia, he was also the first Native Indian to be elected to any Canadian parliament. He founded the Nisga'a Tribal Council, was instrumental in starting land settlement negotiations, and has been a strong advocate of aboriginal rights, setting an example for others that one route to redress is through the political system.