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The history of Indigenous art in Canada begins sometime during the last Ice Age between 80,000 and 12,000 years ago. To date, however, the oldest surviving artworks (excluding finely crafted, aesthetically significant stone tools) are datable to no earlier than 5,000 years ago.

Aritha van Herk, novelist, anthologist, essayist (b at Wetaskiwin, Alta 26 May 1954). Aritha van Herk, the daughter of Dutch immigrants, was raised on a farm in the Scandinavian community of Wetaskiwin.

In 1973 av Paul moved to Montréal, joining Les Grands Ballets Canadiens as principal dancer. Her beauty, artistic maturity and versatility won her a wide-ranging repertoire in both purely classical and neo-classical works and she created many roles in new ballets including several by Macdonald.

Robin Mathews, poet, playwright, nationalist (b at Smithers, BC 1931). Robin Mathews spent his early years in Powell River, BC and attended the University of British Columbia in the 1950s.

Kent Monkman, artist, filmmaker (born 13 November 1965 in St. Marys, ON). Kent Monkman is among the most skilled and successful artists of his generation. He works with traditional painting techniques, and with performance, film and installation methods. Monkman explores aspects of his Indigenous heritage and homosexuality, often addressing issues pertaining to both gay and Indigenous history. He assumes the traditional First Nations persona of the trickster through his alter ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, to subvert the viewer’s expectations. His visually lush, often mural-sized paintings present inverted narratives of Indigenous/settler interactions. His work offers provocative, scathing critiques of Canada’s history and the way it has been recorded. He has received many awards and honours, including an Indspire Award, an Ontario Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and an honorary doctorate from OCAD University.

Ernest Lepage, priest and botanist (b near Rimouski, Qué 1 June 1905; d there 4 Jan 1981). Lepage was an assistant parish priest until 1933 and then taught at the École moyenne d'agriculture in Rimouski 1936-61.

Léon Provancher, priest, naturalist (b in the parish of Bécancour, Qué 10 Mar 1820; d at Cap-Rouge, Qué 23 Mar 1892).

James Frederick McCurdy, "father of biblical studies in Canada" (b at Chatham, NB 18 Feb 1847; d at Toronto 30 Mar 1935). A graduate of the University of New Brunswick he taught grammar school, then entered Princeton Seminary in 1868 to study biblical languages.

 Traditional knowledge provides the best way of identifying Indigenous (Aboriginal) cultural landscapes. An on-going oral tradition and continuing traditional practices sustain interaction between people and the land.

Juliette Milette (Sister Henri-de-la-Croix, Congregation of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary; pseud. Rose de Montroy). Organist, teacher, composer (Montreal June 17, 1900 - October 10, 1992); prizewinner (AMQ) 1927, M.Mus. (Montreal) 1934, L.Mus. (ibid.) 1939, D.M.A. (ibid.) 1949.

Thomas Albert Moore, Methodist minister, moderator of United Church of Canada (b at Acton, Canada W 29 June 1860; d at Toronto 31 Mar 1940).

Father Adrien Gabriel Morice, Oblate missionary (b in Mayenne Départment, France 27 Aug 1859; d at St-Boniface, Man 21 Apr 1938). He joined the Oblate Order in 1879 before coming to Victoria, BC, in 1880.

The Republic of Estonia is a northern European country, located in the Baltic region. It is bordered by Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and the Russian Federation. The first Estonian settlement in Canada was established in 1899, near Sylvan Lake in central Alberta. The 2016 census reported 24, 530 people of Estonian origin in Canada (6155 single and 18, 375 multiple responses).

Matthew Coon Come, OC, Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees (1987–99, 2009–17), National Chief of AFN (2000–03); activist, environmentalist (born in 1956 near Mistissini, Quebec). Matthew Coon Come was Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees for 20 years and served one term as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. He achieved national and international fame through his successful opposition to the James Bay hydroelectric project in the 1990s, his assertion of Cree self-determination, and his advocacy for Indigenous self-determination across the world.

With roots in the Indigenous community, Idle No More began in November 2012 as a protest against the introduction of Bill C-45 by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government. Formally known as the Jobs and Growth Act, this omnibus legislation affected over 60 acts, including the Indian Act, Navigable Waters Protection Act and Environmental Assessment Act. Idle No More activists argued that the Act’s changes diminished the rights and authority of Indigenous communities while making it easier for governments and businesses to push through projects without strict environmental assessment. The movement quickly gained supporters from across Canada (and abroad), and grew to encompass environmental concerns and Indigenous rights more generally.

Roberta Lynn Bondar, CC, OOnt, FRSC, astronaut, neurologist, physician, educator, photographer (born 4 December 1945 in Sault Ste Marie, ON). Bondar became the first Canadian woman and second Canadian in space when she flew aboard the American space shuttle Discovery in 1992. A doctor specializing in the nervous system, she is a pioneer in space medicine research. Bondar is also an exhibited and published nature photographer. She established The Roberta Bondar Foundation to educate people about environmental protection through art, and she currently serves as one of the organization’s directors.

The Ktunaxa (Kootenay) are an Indigenous people who traditionally occupied territories in southeastern British Columbia, as well as in parts of Alberta, Idaho, Montana and Washington. The term “Kootenay” may be an anglicized form of an old Ktunaxa word. In the 2016 census, 935 people identified as having Ktunaxa ancestry.

John Inglis, Church of England bishop (b at New York 9 Dec 1777; d at London, Eng 27 Oct 1850). Son of Charles INGLIS, the Church of England's first bishop of Nova Scotia, he entered the ministry in 1802, after studying at King's