J. Wilton (Willie) Littlechild
For years, the Indian Association of Alberta has given out awards to Native students, recognizing their outstanding contributions to their communities as well as athletic and academic excellence. These awards are named for J. Wilton (Willie) Littlechild, 1967 BPE, 1975 MSc, 1976 LLB, 2007 DDL (Honorary), the first Treaty Indian in Alberta to graduate with a law degree and the first Treaty Indian ever elected to the Canadian parliament.In all his endeavours, Littlechild has exhibited commitment to excellence. As an athlete, he won more than 45 provincial, regional, national, and international championships. For his efforts as a coach and organizer of sporting events, he won the 1988 Paul Harris Fellowship Award from the Rotary Clubs of Canada. As a parliamentarian, Littlechild served on several senior committees in the House of Commons and was a parliamentary delegate to the United Nations. At the international level, he organized a coalition of Indigenous nations that sought and gained consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN, and he is now working with the UN on the creation of a permanent United Nations Forum for Indigenous People.
In 1999, Littlechild's many accomplishments were recognized when he was awarded the Order of Canada.
Littlechild was a 1999 recipient of the University of Alberta Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award, and a 1986 inductee to the University's Sports Wall of Fame for his participation as a hockey Golden Bear. In 2007, the University conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Laws.