Member of the Order of Canada
- Awarded on: November 9, 2022
- Invested on: June 21, 2023
Bill Howard Namagoose, C.M.
Ottawa, Ontario
Bill Namagoose is a champion of Indigenous rights and nation-building. A member of the Waskaganish Cree Nation, he is the esteemed and long-serving executive director of the Cree Nation Government and the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Itschee). As chief negotiator, he has been a stalwart defender of the integrity of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement in the face of multiple challenges. He also chairs both the First Nations Bank Board of Directors and the renowned James Bay Cree-Naskapi Pension Plan.