Indspire announces 2017 Indspire Awards Recipients

Ceremony to be held in Ottawa on March 24, 2017

TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2016  – Indspire, the largest non-governmental funder of Indigenous education, announced today the names of 14 outstanding Indigenous Canadians who have been selected as recipients of the 2017 Indspire Awards: Celebrating Indigenous Achievement.

The 2017 Indspire Awards recipients are as follows:

Lifetime Achievement:	Senator Murray Sinclair – St. Peter’s Indian Reserve – Manitoba
Arts:	Tanya Tagaq – Inuit – Cambridge Bay, Nunavut
Business & Commerce:	Phillip “Jerry” Asp – Tahltan Nation – British Columbia
Culture, Heritage & Spirituality:	Doreen Spence – Saddle Lake – Alberta
Culture, Heritage & Spirituality:	Jan Longboat – Six Nations of the Grand River – Ontario
Education:	Nathan Matthew – Simpcw First Nation – British Columbia
Health:	Sherrill ‘Katsi’ Cook Barreiro – Akwesasne First Nation – Québec
Law & Justice:	Kimberly R. Murray – Kahnasatake – Québec
Politics:	Cece Hodgson-McCauley – Sahtu Dene – Northwest Territories
Public Service:	Duncan McCue – Chippewas of Georgina Island – Ontario
Sports:	Heather Kashman – Métis Red River Settlement – Manitoba
Youth – First Nation:	Thomas Dymond – Bear River First Nation – Nova Scotia
Youth – Inuit:	Maatalii Okalik – Inuit – Nunavut
Youth – Métis:	Josh Butcher – Métis Nation of Alberta

“The 2017 Indspire Awards recipients personify the successes Indigenous people have achieved and the significant impact we have made in all areas of life in Canada,” said Roberta L. Jamieson, President and CEO of Indspire and Executive Producer of the Indspire Awards. “We also salute the future, through our three youth recipients, each of whom serves as a role model, inspiring young Indigenous people across the country.”

The 2017 Indspire Awards ceremony will once again be held in Ontario, on:

March 24, 2017
8:30-10:30 p.m.
National Arts Centre
54 Elgin Street, Ottawa

The Awards Ceremony includes live performances from some of the most exciting Indigenous talent in Canada today. For tickets, please call 416.987.0250 or 1.855.INDSPIRE (463.7747) x228. Tickets can also be purchased online at indspire.ca/tickets or by emailing ticketsales@indspire.ca.

The ceremony will air at a later date on Global Television and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), the returning exclusive broadcast partners.

Indspire gratefully acknowledges the support of CIBC as Presenting Corporate Sponsor, the Government of Canada as Lead Partner and Shell Canada Ltd. as Indigenous Youth Sponsor of the 2017 Indspire Awards.

“CIBC has been proud to be the presenting corporate sponsor of the Indspire Awards since their inception to celebrate the significant contributions of Indigenous people,” says Victor Dodig, President and CEO, CIBC. “On behalf of our team at CIBC, congratulations to this year’s recipients, who are an inspiration to us all and incredible role models for Indigenous youth.”

The Indspire Awards, the highest honour bestowed by Indigenous people on their own achievers, have celebrated the significant contributions of Indigenous people in Canada for 24 years. The Indspire Awards recognize the success of individuals who have the discipline, drive, and determination to set high standards and accomplish their goals. They promote self-esteem and pride for the Indigenous community and provide outstanding role models for Indigenous youth.

The jury for the Indspire Awards is composed of previous Award recipients, representing a range of sectors and regions across the country. From hundreds of nominations, the jury selects ten career achievement award recipients, three youth award recipients (First Nation, Inuit and Métis), and one lifetime achievement recipient. The jury process is based on the highest standards of fairness, honesty, and respect to all of the highly deserving nominees.

2017 Indspire Awards supporters include:

Presenting Corporate Sponsor: CIBC
Lead Partner: Government of Canada
Indigenous Youth Sponsor: Shell Canada Limited
Major Sponsor: Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), Frog Lake Energy Resources Corp., Imperial, Shaw Media, Suncor Energy Inc., Syncrude Canada Ltd. and Tucarro Inc. Group of Companies
Founding Sponsor & Official Airline: Air Canada
Pre-Ceremony Reception Sponsor: Teck Resources Limited

About Indspire
Indspire is an Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire disburses financial awards, delivers programs, and shares resources with the goal of closing the gap in Indigenous education. Through the Indspire Institute, it provides resources to educators, communities, and other stakeholders who are committed to improving kindergarten to grade 12 success for Indigenous youth. In 2015-16, Indspire awarded over $12.2 million through 3,792 bursaries and scholarships, making it the largest funder of Indigenous education. Each year, the organization presents the Indspire Awards, a celebration of the successes achieved by Indigenous people that is broadcast nationally. Indspire was selected by the Financial Post as one of Canada’s Top 25 Charities worthy of a donation in 2014 and in 2015, and voted as a Four-Star Charity by Charity Intelligence Canada.

For further information: For media interviews and more information, please contact / veuillez communiquer avec: Anne Marie Gabriel, CAE, VP, Communications & Marketing, 416.987.0260 | agabriel@indspire.ca

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