Elder Vern Harper
Urban Leadership Award 2005
Canadian Urban Institute

Vern (Asin) Harper is a Cree spiritual elder and medicine man who lives in Toronto. The "Urban Elder" as he has been called, is a fifth generation grandson of Mistawasis, "Big Child" - a hereditary chief - and the sixth generation grandson of Big Bear, who fought the last battle between the Cree and the Canadian government in 1885. His Cree name, Asin, means stone.
Vern Harper affirms the positive value of maintaining one's culture and seeks to convey this to others, whatever their heritage. He reaches into the past for his people's traditions, blending those old ways into the present so that the future can be a time of personal growth and spiritual strength.

He is a teacher, a spiritual leader, an activist, a man who, although he lives in the city, remains deeply connected to the spiritual beliefs and traditions of Native culture and seeks ways to foster those connections in every aspect of his life. At the same time, he is aware of the impact of modern twentieth-century culture and looks for ways to integrate it with traditional Native ways.

Vern's life is an interesting blend of the traditional and the modern. He is a traditional oral storyteller travelling the "Red Road". Among his many diverse roles, Vern Harper is one of only a few Elders in Canada with chaplain status. He works with Correctional Service Canada, conducting Native spiritual services at federal prisons, helping inmates to rehabilitate themselves through teachings, counselling and traditional ceremonies. With a strong conviction that there is a role for Spirituality in the treatment of mental health and addictions problems Vern Harper works as an Elder with The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). As a Native Youth Courtworker, he has counselled Native young offenders and their families on behalf of Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto.

He sees children as our most precious gift who we protect by holding and guiding them in the centre of the circle.

Urban Leadership Award 2005

Vern Harper triumphed over adversity. In his younger days, he went through abuse and isolation, which ultimately led him into drugs and alcohol addiction. Since his recovery, he has become a highly recognized and respected Urban Elder to the Aboriginal people of Toronto, a spiritual mentor and counsellor. Vern has made it a habit to build bridges and foster understanding between his people and non-Aboriginal people.

An engaging storyteller, he continually brings to life the traditions and ways of the past for the next generation. As ambassador for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Vern recently traveled to Mexico City in a cultural exchange between Aboriginal medicine people and healers. In 2004, his travels took him to Korea as Elder from the Native Canadian Center to the world martial arts competition. While there, he also paid tribute to fellow veterans of the Korean War, in which he served as a combat paratrooper with the 82nd airborne division.

In his leadership role, Vern also acts as the Resident Elder to the independent Toronto Métis Council. He appears each year at Louis Riel Day at Toronto City Hall and makes numerous other public appearances. Vern now serves as Chairperson of Akwa Honsta Inc. that provides rent-assisted housing to the native community.

Aboriginal Affairs Award 2007

Born in Toronto, Vern Harper's name in Cree is Asini, meaning "stone." He is a Canadian First Nations Cree Elder, medicine man, a Sundancer, Aboriginal rights dissident, and Korean War veteran. This "Urban Elder" as he has been called, is a fifth generation grandson of Mistawasis, a hereditary Cree chief, and a sixth generation grandson of Big Bear.

After facing challenges early in his life, Vern became politically active as vice-president of the Ontario Métis and Non-Status Indian Association (1972-74). He is one of a few First Nations Elders with Chaplain Status recognized by the Correctional Service of Canada.

With his former wife Pauline Shirt Harper, Vern organized the cross Canada Native Peoples' Caravan ending in a lengthy encampment in Ottawa (1974-75). Built upon traditional and spiritual teachings, this demonstration was successful in bringing together native organizations to publicize native grievances. This demonstration opened the door to the first face-to-face meetings between Native leaders and political leaders. In 1979, he wrote about the trek in "Following the Red Path: The Native Peoples' Caravan, 1974." Continuing their commitment to traditional teaching, Pauline and Vern Harper went on to establish the Wandering Spirit Survival School of Toronto in 1976, now known as the First Nations School. Vern Harper was the subject of the 1979 documentary "Urban Elder," which chronicled his life and role as community leader and Traditional Elder in an urban setting. Presently, Vern Harper serves as Resident Elder at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, further promoting the role of First Nations spirituality in the treatment of mental health and addiction.