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A new Bank of Canada $10 commemorative note celebrating the 150th anniversary of Confederation was unveiled April 7.
It recognizes Senator James Gladstone (Akay-na-muka), the first status Indian to be appointed to the Senate of Canada.
“I lift up the Bank of Canada for honouring Senator Gladstone and highlighting the contributions of First Nations people as nation builders, “said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde.
“Efforts like this help to educate all Canadians about our shared history, and education is important to achieving our goal of reconciliation. This is a year to dedicate ourselves to understanding our history and our original relationship of partnership and sharing. We must all commit ourselves to restoring it, so we can move forward together.”
Gladstone, a member of the Blood Reserve, was appointed to the Senate of Canada in January 1958.
The commemorative bank note is unique in that for the first time ever it portrays four individuals on the front. Joining Gladstone are Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir George-Étienne Cartier and Agnes Macphail.
It is also unique because it marks the first time that a Canadian woman and an Indigenous person are depicted as portrait subjects on a Bank of Canada bank note.
This polymer $10 note will be in circulation by June 1, 2017, and 40 million will be issued, to be distributed through financial institutions and broadly available across Canada.
A comprehensive consultation process was undertaken by the Bank of Canada to ensure that the commemorative note reflects the input of Canadians.
The ideas and suggestions received through public opinion research, consultation and focus groups influenced the note’s content and were carefully incorporated into the design.