Bell appointed to CBC board

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The harder John Kim Bell works, the luckier he gets. However, hard work may have more to do with his recent appointment to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation board of directors than luck.

On Sept. 23, he was appointed by Prime Minister Jean Chretien to serve a three-year term on the CBC board. His appointment as the first Aboriginal person to serve on the board is a breakthrough.

Bell, from the Kahnawake Mohawk First Nation, is the founder and the president of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation.

"Ninty per cent of the time you're not just going to win. You have to strive hard," said Bell. He remembers when he began working on establishing the Aboriginal Achievement Foundation more than 10 years ago, using a card table as a desk and old typewriter with no correction tape.

Since then Bell has successfully built the foundation into a multi-million dollar scholarship program which has benefited Aboriginal youth across Canada.

Another success for Bell is the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards show that honors Aboriginal people for their accomplishments. The awards show, going into its' sixth year, has given Bell the experience of working with the CBC while maintaining a connection to Aboriginal grassroots.

Bell said he will bring all of his knowledge into his role with the CBC board to bring more equity for Aboriginal people into play.

Bell may be best known for his work with the foundation and the awards show, but he is becoming known for raising the public profile of Aboriginal people in general.

Laurie Jones, communications officer at CBC, said Madame Saucier, the chair of the CBC board is very pleased with the appointment of Bell. The board looks at the overall strategies of CBC and usually meets every six weeks in locations across Canada. Bell will take his seat on the board after he is sworn in by the privy council's office.

In another honor this September, Bell was named the recipient of the Royal Banks' 1998 Canadian Achievement Award for his work with Aboriginal youth. The award consists of a gold medal and $250,000.

Half of the award money goes to a charity of Bell's choice. Bell will be using the remaining $125,000 from the award to establish a trust fund at the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation in memory of this mother, Beth Hamilton Bell.