Senator Georgette Habib (L) with honorary degree recipient Dr. Nellie Cournoyea (R)
This morning we held the convocation for the 2015 University of Calgary graduates in Education. During this ceremony, we also conferred an honorary degree on Nellie Cournoyea, the first female aboriginal government leader (premier of the Northwest Territories) and the longest serving public figure in the North.
I noted that it was Senator Georgette Habib who wrote the honorary degree nomination for Nellie Cournoyea. Georgette first met Nellie several years ago when she served as a board member of the National Energy Board. Her encounters with Nellie made a lasting impression.
I asked Georgette if she would share her thoughts about why she nominated Nellie Cournoyea for an honorary degree as well as some of the highlights of Nellie’s convocation address to the graduands. This is what Georgette had to say about this remarkable woman from the North:
What a great fortune to have had a small role in connecting our beloved university with Dr. Nellie Cournoyea; a recipient of our highest honor. I first met Nellie at a community celebration in Inuvik and of course I did the drum dance. That was on the eve of what became a week long consultation organized by the National Energy Board for reviewing all aspects of drilling in the Canadian Beaufort Sea.
I heard of Nellie long before I met her. The truth is the North was as Elvis would sing “always on my mind”! I was involved in a proceeding to examine approaches to well control for drilling in the Arctic offshore. In the midst of this work the unthinkable happened – the worst oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. The incident highlighted the harm that can result from a loss of well control during deep water drilling. Understandably there was deep public concern about the harm from these kinds of incidents, especially for Canadians in the North where the Arctic Ocean is their livelihood. As one participant in Inuvik said, “The Ocean is our garden”.
Nellie is always the sound of reason. She is the proponent of responsible development. At the same time, however, she is also the protector of the rights of the region and her people. She is the visionary, charismatic leader that we as a nation at this time, and all times, need to move forward.
I was struck by the words in letters of support that were submitted as part of my nomination package for Nellie. K. C. Williams who served as President and CEO of Imperial Oil Resources wrote, ” … after working with government officials, Presidents and Prime Ministers on 5 Continents, I had never met a leader quite like Nellie Cournoyea. Her courageous vision, kindness, and tireless pursuit of a better world for those around her was immediately apparent”. Through her perseverance the Aboriginal Working Group successfully negotiated an equity agreement with the proponents of the Mackenzie Valley Gas Pipeline. In her capacity as Chair and President of Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nellie continues to work with and for the people.
In today’s convocation address to our new graduates, Nellie spoke of her encouragement of the young people to seek higher education. As a youngster herself, she studied through correspondence courses while living along the trap lines, a lifestyle sustained by land and one that instills discipline and appreciation of the fragile environment.
Nellie Cournoyea the bridge builder would like to see a more permanent relationship between Calgary and the North. Not a relationship that appears only during good times in the hope of exploiting the vast resources. But rather a continuous relationship that builds regional capacity. Nellie’s North is a place that offers great opportunities for the benefit of all Canadians. Nellie represents the voice and image of the North. No wonder she is often called the ‘Northern Light’.
