Persona

Dion, Joseph F. (Joe)

1948-

Joe Dion was born in 1948 on the Kehewin Cree Nation in Northeastern Alberta. He was a reporter for the Edmonton Journal and the Alberta Native Communications Society. At the age of 23 he became the Tribal Administrator for Kehewin. Joe, a direct descendent of hereditary Chiefs of the Cree Nation, served as Chief of Kehewin between 1975-1977. During his tenure as Chief he served as Chairman of the Treaties Six and Seven Centennial Committee and led a delegation of Chiefs to England to meet with Queen Elizabeth II, seeking redress on Treaty issues.
He was president of the Indian Association of Alberta between 1977-1980. In the 1980's Joe headed the Constitutional Lobby for the National Indian Brotherhood. Between 1982-1987 he served as President of the Neegan Development Corporation and from 1983-1989 he served as Chairman of the Board of Blue Quills Native Education Centre (now University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills). He also founded his own company Dion Resources Inc. in 1981.
Joe was a founding member of the Board of the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business (now Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB)) , serving on the board between 1985-1995. He was also the founding chairman and president of the Indian Resources Council of Canada whose purpose is to restructure the roles of Federal and First Nations governments in resource management. He also served as the chairman of the Indian Oil and Gas Management Board.
Joe is currently the President of the Frog Lake Energy Resources Corporation, a company wholly owned by the Frog Lake First Nation.