Receives Meritorious Service Decoration
OTTAWA—On Tuesday March 27, Dawn Madahbee Leach of Aundeck Omni Kaning was presented with the Meritorious Service Decoration (civil division) by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada as one of 40 Canadians being recognized for their “excellence, courage or exceptional dedication to service.”
“I haven’t really had time to think about it,” laughed Ms. Madahbee Leach, who as manager of Waubetek Business Services is currently smack in the middle of one of the busiest times of a very busy work schedule. “There is so much going in here right now. It’s nice, I guess, but my mind is so focussed on work that I have not had a chance to really dwell on it.”
Ms. Madahbee Leach said that she accepted the award on “behalf of my Waubetek family as well as my past and present family, including those now in the Spirit World, my teachers, both in school and in the community, the business people and youth that inspire us every day.”
Growing up in Whitefish River First Nation, Ms. Madahbee Leach certainly had many mentors and examples to follow, including recent Ontario medal recipient Jim McGregor (“my mom’s first cousin”) who was recognized by the province for his work with the Little NHL and her Aunt Lillian McGregor, whose contributions to education are legendary, including being the first Elder-in-Residence at the University of Toronto First Nation House and the recipient of a Doctor of Laws degree.
“This award means a lot to Waubetek,” said Ms. Madahbee Leach, “this place is always busy. Waubetek has allowed me to be a voice at the provincial, national and international level for Indigenous economic development.” And quite a voice it has been. She sits on advisory boards tackling free trade agreements, the national housing strategy (“that is so important right now in our communities”), and a national fishing initiative that is looking at Indigenous opportunities in the inland fishery to mention just a few of the many hats she wears.
“There is so much work that Waubetek is a part of at the provincial, national and international level that most people don’t see but is so important to the development and advancement of our communities, not just at a regional level—and I have been so lucky to get to be a part of that,” she said.
Currently, she is providing input in an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report that is seeking ways to ensure that Indigenous people around the globe have a voice in their regional development.
“Dawn Madahbee Leach has overseen millions of dollars of investments in Indigenous businesses and has helped establish community development projects throughout Northern Ontario,” reads her citation. “A member of numerous boards and national think-tanks, she has had a positive impact on the quality of life and economic well-being of Indigenous peoples within her community and across the country.”
