We offer our warmest congratulations to Her Excellency, Dr. Lorna Williams, Wánosts’a7, who was invested in the Order of Canada on Tuesday in a virtual ceremony, after being named to the Order in December 2019. (Watch the ceremony from 12:50)

She was presented with the order by her daughter Megan Q’emayts’a7 Williams, representing the Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Julie Payette, the Governor General.

This is one of Canada’s highest honours, to recognize people exemplify the Order’s motto: DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM (“They desire a better country”).

I don’t know how to lift her up for her work and character, to the degree that is warranted. She gave a wonderful interview in January to the Pique – check it out: https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/sea-to-sky/lilwat-nation-member-awarded-order-of-canada-2509217#:~:text=Dr.,28%2C%202019.

I hope this award draws attention to Wánosts’a7’s work and her wisdom. She deserves to be widely known for her contributions to education and indigenous language revitalization, and to working to infuse beautiful values to education systems.

And feel that that best way I can honour her is to embrace the use, learning and reclamation of Ucwalmictws, and of indigenous languages around the world.