
People & Culture
Kahkiihtwaam ee-pee-kiiweehtataahk: Bringing it back home again
The story of how a critically endangered Indigenous language can be saved
- 6310 words
- 26 minutes
This article is over 5 years old and may contain outdated information.
People & Culture
One of Canada’s greatest writers and an acclaimed polar documentarian were among those recognized for their contributions to geography at The Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s annual College of Fellows Dinner on Nov. 18 at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. The 2015 award winners are listed below.
Gold Medal (achievements in geography)
Margaret Atwood, award-winning novelist and literary critic Graeme Gibson, novelist and conservationist Jacob Verhoef, continental shelf mapping, Natural Resources Canada
Massey Medal (outstanding career achievement in Canadian geography)
Brian Osborne, historical and cultural geographer, Queen’s University
Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration
Jean Lemire, biologist and documentarian
Martin Bergmann Medal (excellence in Arctic leadership and science)
John Smol, pioneering paleolimnologist and Arctic researcher, Queen’s University
3M Environmental Innovation Award
GreenBug Energy, innovative micro hydroelectric projects
Camsell Medal (outstanding volunteer service to the RCGS)
Louise Maffett, past Executive Director and Governor, RCGS
Bruce Amos, former Governor and Chair, RCGS
Lawrence J. Burpee Medal (outstanding achievement that enhances the Society’s ability to make Canada better known)
Louie Kamookak, historian
Wendy Cecil, philanthropist, business and community leader
Alex Trebek, Jeopardy! host and philanthropist
Capt. Joseph-Elzéar Bernier Medal (exemplary deed or activity that aids the Society in fulfilling its mandate)
Kathryn McCain, philanthropist and community leader
Milbry Polk, WINGS WorldQuest founder
Geographic Literacy Award
Zachary Vanthournout, teacher at Moncton High School, Moncton, N.B.
Innovation in Geography Teaching Award
Janet Ruest, teacher at Chemainus Secondary, Cobble Hill, B.C.
Watch for a story on the Society’s new award winners in the January/February 2016 issue of Canadian Geographic.
Are you passionate about Canadian geography?
You can support Canadian Geographic in 3 ways:
This story is from the December 2015 Issue
People & Culture
The story of how a critically endangered Indigenous language can be saved
People & Culture
For unhoused residents and those who help them, the pandemic was another wave in a rising tide of challenges
People & Culture
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s 2019 College of Fellows Annual Dinner was also a celebration of the organization’s achievements over the past nine decades — and of the best in geography and exploration
People & Culture
Indigenous knowledge allowed ecosystems to thrive for millennia — and now it’s finally being recognized as integral in solving the world’s biodiversity crisis. What part did it play in COP15?