Pay tribute to Harry Daniels – politician, activist, writer and actor – with this Official First Day Cover (OFDC).

The front of the OFDC shows a photograph of the Supreme Court in Ottawa. On the back is a photograph of the black hat Daniels wore in honour of his Métis forefathers, photographed by Danielle Tocker.

This stamp, part of the inaugural three-stamp Indigenous Leaders issue, pays tribute to Daniels, who dedicated his life to the rights and well-being of Métis and non-status Indians in Canada.

The cancellation site is Regina Beach, Saskatchewan, where Daniels was born. The cancellation date – June 21 – is National Indigenous Peoples Day. The cancel mark features the infinity symbol, from the Métis flag, which signifies the union of two cultures and the immortality of the Métis Nation.

Designed by Lime Design, the stamp features a Canadian Press photo of Harry Daniels taken at a press conference in Ottawa in January 1998, along with a Métis sash (photographed by Danielle Tocker).

Known for his sharp wit, zest for life and the broad-brimmed black hat that he sported in honour of his bison-hunting forefathers, Harry Daniels (1940-2004) wore his Métis heritage with pride. The charismatic and outspoken politician, activist and actor was born in Regina Beach, Saskatchewan, and served in the Royal Canadian Navy before entering university, where he developed a lifelong interest in Indigenous affairs. He founded or served as a member of a number of Métis organizations and was elected president of the Native Council of Canada and its successor, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. Daniels was a force to be reckoned with and successfully led an effort to have the Métis included as one of the Indigenous peoples recognized in the Constitution Act, 1982. In 1999, he and several other plaintiffs launched a Federal Court case that – a dozen years after his death – resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that Métis and non-status Indians are Indians under the British North America Act, 1867, and, therefore, under federal jurisdiction. For his many contributions, he was awarded the Order of the Métis Nation.

Product # 414188131

Indigenous Leaders – Harry Daniels: Official First Day Cover