{{Short description|Canadian and Anishinaabe community worker and activist}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}} {{Infobox person | name = Jeannette Corbiere Lavell | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Jeannette Vivian Corbiere | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|06|21|mf=yes}} | birth_place = Wikwemikong, Ontario, Canada | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|death date†|birth date†}} --> | death_place = | occupation = Activist | years_active = | known_for = ''Canada (AG) v Lavell''<br/>President of Native Women's Association of Canada<br/>Founder of the Ontario Native Women's Association of Canada}}
'''Jeannette Corbiere Lavell''' {{post-nominals|CM}} (born June 21, 1942) is a Canadian and Anishinaabe community worker who focused on women's and children's rights. In 2018, she was honoured as a member of the Order of Canada.<ref name="Erskine2018">{{cite news |last1=Erskine |first1=Michael |title=Jeanette Corbiere Lavell named a Member of the Order of Canada |url=http://www.manitoulin.ca/2018/01/10/jeanette-corbiere-lavell-named-member-order-canada/ |accessdate=April 26, 2018 |work=The Manitoulin Expositer |date=January 10, 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426202555/http://www.manitoulin.ca/2018/01/10/jeanette-corbiere-lavell-named-member-order-canada/ |archivedate=April 26, 2018 |location=Little Current, Ontario, Canada}}</ref>
==Biography== She was born Jeannette Vivian Corbiere in Wikwemikong, Ontario to Adam and Rita Corbiere. Her mother, a school teacher, was a co-founder of the Wikwemikong "Wiky" Powwow. Corbiere Lavell learned English from her mother and Ojibwe from her father.
Corbiere attended business college in North Bay.
===Early activism=== After graduation, she worked for the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto as an executive secretary.<ref name=col>{{cite web|url=https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/women/030001-1108-e.html|title=Jeannette Vivian Corbiere Lavell|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|year=2000|accessdate=March 26, 2015}}</ref> She was associated with the Company of Young Canadians, which gave her an opportunity to travel around the country, and was named, in 1965, as "Indian Princess of Canada".<ref name=Erskine2014/>
She was a founding member of the Ontario Native Women's Association in 1971, of the Anduhyaun Inc. (a not-for-profit helping Toronto's Indigenous women fleeing violence) in 1973,<ref>{{cite book |title=Annual Report 2022-2023 |date=2023 |publisher=Anduhyaun Inc. |page=3 |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/576eb7b69f7456eedf837a39/t/64cd1959ae7f013dcc60f951/1691162974610/Anduhyaun+Annual+Report+2022-2023.pdf}}</ref> of the ''Toronto Native Times'' in 1978,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Freeman |first1=Victoria Jane |title="Toronto Has No History!" Indigeneity, Settler Colonialism, and Historical Memory in Canada's Largest City |date=23 February 2011 |page=248 |url=http://hdl.handle.net/1807/26356 |language=en-ca}}</ref> and a president of the Nishnawbe Institute (Institute for Indian Studies) in Toronto.<ref name=Smith2014/>
====Challenge to Section 12(1)(b) of the Indian Act==== When she married David Lavell in 1970, a non-Indigenous man, Corbiere Lavell subsequently was no longer deemed an Indian according to the ''Indian Act''.<ref name="Smith2014">{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Keith D.|title=Strange Visitors: Documents in Indigenous-Settler Relations in Canada from 1876|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NaRmBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA452|date=August 13, 2014|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=978-1-4426-0566-4|page=452}}</ref> With lawyer Clayton Ruby, she challenged the Act in 1971, first failing at the county level, then winning a unanimous verdict at the Ontario Court of Appeals in 1973, but when the federal government appealed to the Supreme Court, she (and her fellow appellate, Yvonne Bedard), a 5-4 decision sided against her case.<ref name=Erskine2014/>
Although her challenge failed, she inspired a later challenge, the success of which "permitted reinstatement of the First Nations women and children who had lost their status".<ref name=nupge.ca2006>{{cite web|first=Denise M. |last=Kurszewski |title=Herstory Month in Canada - celebrating women's achievements |url=http://nupge.ca/news_2006/n01oc06a.htm |publisher=National Union of Public and General Employees |accessdate=March 26, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125234/http://nupge.ca/news_2006/n01oc06a.htm |archivedate=April 2, 2015 }}</ref><ref name=col/>
===Later work=== In 2008, she was appointed by the Anishinabek Nation as its first Commissioner on Citizenship<ref name="debaj.ca">{{cite web|title=Jeannette Corbiere Lavell|url=http://www.debaj.ca/content/Board-Directors?q=content/Jeannette-Corbiere-Lavell|publisher=Debajehmujig Storytellers|accessdate=March 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402200741/http://www.debaj.ca/content/Board-Directors?q=content%2FJeannette-Corbiere-Lavell|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
She served as president of the Native Women's Association of Canada (2009–2012)<ref name=Smith2014/> and as a cabinet appointee for the Commission on the Native Justice System.<ref name=Smith2014/>
She co-edited the 2006 book, "Until Our Hearts Are On the Ground: Aboriginal Mothering, Oppression, Resistance and Rebirth".<ref name="debaj.ca"/>
==Personal life== After she earned a teaching degree from the University of Western Ontario, she worked as a teacher and school principal.<ref name=Erskine2014/>
Her daughter, Dawn Harvard, was the youngest ever president of the Ontario Native Women's Association.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.onwa.ca/board-of-directors|title=Ontario Native Womens Association - Board of Directors|website=www.onwa.ca|language=en|access-date=March 8, 2018}}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
Her son William Lavell was the first member of his community to directly work at the United Nations and carried on the legacy of commitment to humanitarian work through international relief support with the United Nations. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Expositor |date=2022-03-02 |title=Now and Then - Dr. Jeannette Corbiere Lavell - The Manitoulin Expositor Local |url=https://www.manitoulin.com/now-and-then-18/ |access-date=2026-04-09 |website=The Manitoulin Expositor |language=en-CA}}</ref>
==Honours== The Ontario Native Women's Association organization established an award in honour of Corbiere Lavell in 1987.<ref name=Erskine2014/>
In 1995, she was presented with the YWCA Women of Distinction Award.<ref name="debaj.ca"/>
In commemoration of the Persons Case, she was presented with the Governor General's Award in 2009 for making an outstanding contribution to the advancement of women's equality.<ref name="debaj.ca"/>
In 2016, Corbiere Lavell was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws at York University for her work as a Native women's rights activist and educator.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://advancement.yorku.ca/2016/06/13/thirteen-outstanding-individuals-will-be-recognized-with-honorary-degrees-at-spring-convocation/|title=Thirteen outstanding individuals will be recognized with honorary degrees at spring convocation {{!}} Alumni & Friends|website=advancement.yorku.ca|access-date=January 18, 2018}}</ref>
In April 2018 The Feminist Alliance for International Action recognized Jeannette as a member of the Indigenous Famous Six. Other members are Yvonne Bedard, Senator Sandra Lovelace Nicholas, Sharon McIvor, Lynn Gehl, and Senator Lillian Dyck.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://windspeaker.com/news/windspeaker-news/famous-six-to-be-celebrated-for-work-on-61a-all-the-way|title = 'Famous Six' to be celebrated for work on '6(1)a All the Way'}}</ref>
==Awards== * Persons Award (2009)<ref name=Erskine2014>{{cite news|last1=Erskine|first1=Michael|title=Jeanette Corbiere Lavell, a lifelong advocate for women|url=https://www.manitoulin.com/jeanette-corbiere-lavell-a-lifelong-advocate-for-women/|accessdate=March 26, 2015|publisher=Manitoulin Expositor|date=April 9, 2014}}</ref> * Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)<ref>[http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=205293&t=13&ln=Corbiere%20Lavell The Diamond Jubilee Medal]</ref> * Member of the Order of Canada (2017)<ref>[https://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=17061&lan=eng Appointments to the Order of Canada]</ref> *Indspire Award, Lifetime Achievement (2020)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indspire.ca/laureate/jeannette-corbiere-lavell/|title=Jeannette Corbiere Lavell|date=2020-01-29|website=Indspire|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-09}}</ref>
==See also== * ''Canada (AG) v Lavell''
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lavell, Jeannette Corbiere}} Category:1942 births Category:Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case winners Category:Canadian women's rights activists Category:People from Manitoulin Island Category:Living people Category:Canadian book editors Category:Heads of schools in Canada Category:20th-century First Nations women Category:20th-century First Nations people Category:First Nations activists Category:Canadian Ojibwe people Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:21st-century First Nations women Category:21st-century First Nations people Category:Canadian women civil rights activists