Cree artist receives honourary degree

Cree artist George Littlechild, originally from Alberta but now living in British Columbia, received an honourary Doctor of Literature degree from the University of the Fraser Valley. Littlechild built both a strong reputation and a huge catalogue of work over the 25 years he has been creating since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia School of Art and Design. Littlechild  was part of a large-scale scoop of Aboriginal children from their home communities into white adoptive or foster families in the 1950s and ’60s. While not aware of his culture or heritage, when he started to create art, it reflected the bright vibrant colours of the Cree people. It wasn’t until Littlechild was in his twenties that he reconnected with the Hobbema community that his birth family came from, and met aunts and uncles, and siblings he never knew he had. Unfortunately, his birth parents had died before he could meet them. Littlechild has exhibited around the world, and had numerous solo and group exhibitions as he generated hundreds of works of art, many of which have been snapped up by public and private collections. His books and art have won numerous awards and scholarships.