Two Ontario Natives win national achievement award

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Two Ontarians have been named among 14 who will receive a National Aboriginal Achievement Award at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on March 28.

Rock legend Robbie Robertson won the lifetime achievement award, and novelist Thomas King won in the arts and culture category

Robertson, a Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River, will receive the lifetime achievement award for being one of the most influential musicians of his era..

Robertson toured the world in 1965-66 with Bob Dylan and recorded the legendary Basement Tapes with the folk-rock icon.

Roberton's group The Band released the seminal album, Music From Big Pink. Robertson also was the driving force behind the film The Last Waltz, The Band's 1976 farewell concert that was turned into one of the greatest rock movies and was directed by Martin Scorcese.

As a solo artist, Robertson began to explore his Aboriginal roots.

"My education is my upbringing," he said. "But basically I'm still just that kid from Six Nations who had a lot of big dreams."

"Robbie Robertson . . . is an internationally renowned rock star, he's sold millions of records for hundreds of millions of dollars. He's been a movie producer, an actor, he's a composer, he's written music for movies, he's a record executive in DreamWorks in Hollywood. His popularity and career has spanned 40 years, so he meets all the criteria of a lifetime achievement award," said the awards' executive producer, John Kim Bell.

King, wrote four best-selling novels and numerous television scripts.

"There are many many authors, and many are very good, but very few if any have their books made into a movie. . . . He is very big success story," said Bell.

With humor as his vehicle, King has brought First Nations issues to the forefront of Canadian society. He is a professor at the University of Guelph and was a member of the jury that selected the recent Giller book prize winner.

About his own award, King said, "My partner is quite pleased, we're both going to be there. We are bringing the kids too. My 17-year-old (son) thought it was cool, I guess my daughter did too.

"I like this award in particular because it's the Aboriginal community itself that's giving it . . . . This is more or less the special one. And I get to hang out with all my buds."

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the awards, and 12 residents of Ontario have been recognized among 126 winners to date.

"It's about having some definable and measurable success in a career," explained Bell, founder and president of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation.

"I think that achievement awards hopefully are the beginning of a trend where instead of criticizing people who do well, they are applauded and embraced, and supported and recognized," he said.

The foundation provides financial assistance to Aboriginal students. It has awarded $2 million in individual scholarships this year and $14 million since its start.

The NAAF also organizes two career fairs annually to introduce students in grades 10 to 12 to potential careers.

Other National Aboriginal Achievement Award recipients in 2003 include Manitoba's Circle of Life Thunderbird House CEO Mary Richard, in the community development category; University of Manitoba researcher and Health Sciences Centre staff physician Dr. Judith G. Bartlett, in health services; Saskatchewan Metis fiddler John Arcand in arts and culture; Alberta oil and pipeline expert Mel E. Benson in business and commerce; University of Victoria legal scholar John Borrows in law and justice; Regina-based engineer and entrepreneur Gary Bosgoed in science and technology; Saskatoon engineering student, athlete, actor and community volunteer Matthew Dunn in the youth category; Inuit Edward Lennie, the creator of the Northern Games, in heritage and spirituality; University of Lethbridge and Harvard lecturer Leroy Little Bear in education; B.C. environmentalist and fish conservationist Chief Simon Lucas in environment; BC. Chief Sophie Pierre, builder of the St. Eugene Mission resort, in public service; and Vancouver-based physician and AIDS researcher and advocate, Dr. Jay Wortman, in medicine.