Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: December 14, 1981
• Invested on: October 20, 1982

In his childhood in the Northwest Territories he taught himself to read and write. He became a deacon and translator in the Anglican Church and later a writer, narrator and illustrator, highly respected in the Arctic for his wisdom and humanity. As director of the Inuit Tradition project at the Inuit Cultural Institute at Eskimo Point since 1975, he continues to promote the language and culture of his people.