Jose Kusugak stamp unveiled as part of Indigenous Leaders set

By David Hartwig

On June 14, Canada Post unveiled a stamp honoring Jose Kusugak on the Rankin Inlet in the Nunavut territory. The stamp will be issued June 21 in a new series that pays tribute to the lives and legacies of Indigenous leaders.

Canada Post revealed details about the new Indigenous Leaders series in a June 8 press release.

In addition to Kusugak, the first set in the series will feature Harry Daniels and Chief Marie-Anne Day Walker-Pelletier. All three will be issued June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada, but are being unveiled at separate events this week.

Canada Post unveiled the stamp commemorating Daniels June 13 at an event in Regina, Saskatchewan, and the stamp honoring Day Walker-Pelletier will be unveiled June 15 in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan.

Part of the first generation of Inuit children sent to residential schools, Kusugak (1950-2011) dedicated his life to raising awareness about Inuit identity as well as promoting and preserving Inuit language and culture, according to Canada Post.

An Inuit activist, linguist and broadcaster, Kusugak played a critical role in the efforts leading to the creation of Nunavut in 1999.

According to Canada Post, that role has led some to consider Kusugak a Father of Confederation, a designation similar to Founding Father in the United States.

The set of three Indigenous Leaders stamps will be available from Canada Post and in postal outlets across Canada on the June 21 issue date.

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