Albertans honoured as Aboriginal achievers

Joe Dion walked on fire to get where he is today.
One of 14 Aboriginal Achievement Award winners recognized at a March 11 ceremony in Edmonton – three of whom are Albertans – the energetic Dion said his “firewalk” with motivational guru Tony Robbins was a life-changing event.

“It was 45-feet of glowing coals in Maui and I walked on them without burning. Tony showed me stuff that I know should be shared with First Nations. It would empower our people to know how powerful their minds are,” Dion said in a pre-awards gala interview.

“We are, each one of us, created for a purpose, and when you find that purpose, you become a fireball. You are inspired and you become an inspiration to others. Life can start at any time. Never give up on your dreams.”

The belief that “anything is possible” was instilled early in his career as a news reporter for the Edmonton Journal and the Native Communications Society publication now known as Windspeaker.

“The fight was on just to get recognition of First Nations rights in this country,” said Dion. “People like Eugene Steinhauer and Harold Cardinal were lobbying for political change and I documented it all. What once seemed impossible – as we went from needing permits to travel off-reserve and to sell our cattle – was changing as we began to take control of our resources and gain new freedoms.”

The great grandson of iconoclastic Cree leader Big Bear, Dion was elected Chief of Kehewin First Nation at age 25 in 1976, traveling to England to visit the queen and seek redress of Treaty issues. Two years later he was elected Grand Chief of Alberta and continued his fight for treaty rights.

In 1980 he was appointed Constitutional coordinator of what is now the Assembly of First Nations and witnessed the entrenchment of treaty rights in the Canadian Constitution.

President of the Frog Lake Energy Resource Corporation for the past five years, Dion developed it into Canada’s most successful First Nations-owned energy company.
On the international scene, the economic development leader made multiple trips to China this past year as he helps finalize arrangements for that country’s officials to invest in Windtalker Energy.

Dion, recipient of the business and commerce award, joined two other Albertans on the Achievement Awards stage: Audrey Poitras and Margo L. Greenwood.

“I remember playing along the river that my ancestors walked along, and listening to my grandfather’s stories, realizing how rich that time was. Early childhood was so important to me, and so early childhood education seemed a natural choice. I wanted to focus my research in that area because so much brain and identity development is going on in the early years,” said Greenwood, education award recipient.

Greenwood’s academic studies in education and health led to her serving as an expert advisor with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and writing journals, reports and books contributing to policy establishment.

Audrey Poitras, who received the politics award, was elected the first woman president of the Métis Nation of Alberta and has been re-elected to the position for the past 14 years. She has also served as interim president of the MÈtis National Council.

The Achievement Awards ceremony was hosted by Adam Beach and Evan Adams, who reprised their roles as Victor and Thomas from the movie Smoke Signals, to the delight of the audience.

 “These awards are the highest national honour Aboriginal people bestow on our own,” said Roberta Jamieson, President and CEO of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. “They are also a tremendous source of motivation and inspiration to our youth to reach their dreams … we know Canada will be enriched as a result.”
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