Ahead of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, Canada Post has unveiled its fifth annual stamp issue dedicated to Indigenous leaders.
The organization is honoring the achievements of three prominent sports figures, including Edward Lennie, dubbed the “father of the Northern Games,” who dedicated his life to promoting Arctic sports on the international stage.
The official unveiling took place Wednesday at the Calgary Central Library, attended by dignitaries and relatives of the recipients.
Initially launched in 2022, this stamp series aims to highlight the contributions of Inuit, Métis, and First Nations leaders who have transformed the country’s cultural and sporting landscape.
Edward Lennie: The Breath of the Arctic
According to a Canada Post press release, among the faces that will grace Canadians’ envelopes is Charles Edward Inglangasak Lennie (1934-2020), originally from Inuvik, Northwest Territories.
Known as the father of the Northern Games, Charles Edward Inglangasak Lennie dedicated his life to promoting and preserving Arctic sports, Canada Post explained in a statement. He helped found the Northern Games and successfully introduced Arctic sports to the inaugural Arctic Winter Games. Edward Lennie coached athletes in eight traditional events, including the knee jump, the one-foot high kick, and arm pull.
From the Prairies to the NHL
Two other individuals, including hockey player Bryan Trottier, who is of Cree and Métis descent, complete this selection, which was orchestrated in close collaboration with the Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council, and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
Bryan Trottier (born in 1956 in Val Marie, Saskatchewan), a six-time Stanley Cup® winner and member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, is considered one of the greatest in hockey history, the release added.
“Drafted by the New York Islanders® in 1974, Bryan Trottier won five major National Hockey League® (NHL) awards, including league MVP and playoff MVP, and still holds the Islanders’ franchise records for points and assists.”
Chief Wilton Littlechild, a leader from Maskwacis, Alberta, is also featured in the stamp collection.
A former Member of Parliament and Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Jacob Wilton “Willie” Littlechild, C.C. (born in 1944 in Hobbema [Maskwacis], Alberta) helped draft both the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He also worked to ensure the inclusion of ancestral and treaty rights in the Canadian Constitution.
The booklet of six stamps, as well as the Official First Day Covers, will be available at post offices and online starting Friday, June 19, 2026.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Taloyoak band, Nickelback producer set up recording hub in Arctic community, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Sami joik, symphonic music fusion from Finland makes int’l debut in Ottawa, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Indigenous and minority language names for Norway now have official status, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Can cross-border cooperation help decolonize Sami-language education, Eye on the Arctic
United States: Inuit leaders applaud UN move to designate International Decade of Indigenous Languages, Eye on the Arctic
