McNab, Hilliard (1916-90)

Born on March 5, 1916, a respected chief of the Gordon Reserve, Hilliard McNab helped advance the cause of First Nations across the province. After an attempt at farming on the Reserve, McNab began a long political career on the Gordon Council in the 1950s, eventually becoming chief in 1968 until his voluntary resignation in 1982. He was a founding member of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians and the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies. McNab served on the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission from its inception to 1982 and was subsequently involved in the initial development of Wanuskewin Heritage Park. In recognition of his invaluable counsel both on and off the Gordon Reserve, Chief Hilliard McNab was invested with the Order of Canada in 1984. He died on August 28, 1990.

Holden Stoffel