100 Alumni of Influence

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Ahab Spence, C.M., BA’52, LLD’64 (d. 2001)

Dr. Spence was an Anglican Priest, educator, oral historian, and preserver of the Cree language. Born in 1911 in Split Lake, Manitoba, and a product of the residential school system, he eventually obtained his Licentiate in Theology from Emmanuel College in Saskatoon and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1952. He would go on to teach Cree and Native Studies at Brandon University and work as a Cree Translator for Aboriginal communities and various levels of government. From 1968 to 1970, he worked for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs developing programs and projects related to Aboriginal cultural development and taught Cree and Aboriginal Studies at the University of Regina. He was the recipient of the Order of Canada in 1982.