Indigenous advisor garners human rights honour

Okimaw Award recognizes dedicated advocacy work of AHS staffer

Story by Kim Bradley

Adam North Peigan’s dedication to raise awareness and acknowledge the past for Indigenous peoples of Alberta has won an Okimaw Award for Human Rights and Advocacy.

“I’m a very humble man, anything I do out there that I feel needs to be brought to the attention to mainstream Canadians, I don’t do it for the accolades,” says North Peigan, an Indigenous Engagement Advisor with the Indigenous Wellness Core for Alberta Health Services (AHS). “I feel it is something that needs to happen for our people.”

The Okimaw Awards, now in their second year, celebrate outstanding achievements by Indigenous men in Alberta. The awards ceremony, held recently at Edmonton City Hall, showcased North Peigan’s remarkable contribution to securing an apology from the government for Sixties Scoop survivors, through the Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta, in May 2018.

“It was a very emotional day to reflect on some of the accomplishments throughout my 30-year career of advocating and correcting historic wrongs for colonization on our people through government policies that were very harmful to us,” he adds. “This includes Residential Schools, the Sixties Scoop, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and the forced sterilization of our women in hospitals.”

Janice Randhile, founder of the Okimaw Awards, commends North Peigan, and adds that the selection process involves a blind nomination where a matriarch selection committee evaluates nominees based on the merits of their work. Randhile initiated the awards to fill a gap in recognizing Indigenous men's accomplishments — and says she hopes other provinces will follow Alberta's lead.

“That’s the dream, that’s the hope, that this will be expanded to other provinces across the country so we can lift our men up,” says Randhile.

North Peigan continues to advance his advocacy work through his role in the AHS Indigenous Wellness Core on behalf of Indigenous patients and families, and also through his work with the Wisdom Council. He also bravely shared his personal story of surviving the Sixties Scoop in a virtual session on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

“This honour is well-earned, well-deserved and we are so proud of our friend,” says Natalie McMurtry, AHS Interim Vice-President, Provincial Clinical Excellence.

“Adam’s knowledge and experience helps guide us on how best to provide culturally safe care for Indigenous patients and families and we are very honoured he’s chosen be a part of our amazing team.”