Lindsay Happyjack Smoke inspects and protects her way to King’s Medal
By Kelly Anne Smith
ALDERVILLE FIRST NATION—A stand-out employee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has been recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal. Lindsay Happyjack Smoke received the King’s Coronation Medal on June 20 for Federal Public Administration.
Happyjack Smoke was positively surprised when she found out she would receive the medal. The vice-president of the branch she works with presented it to her. CFIA Executive Vice President Jean-Guy Forgeron penned the nomination letter as well.
“As a proud Anishinaabe-Cree employee, her dedication, professionalism, and commitment to supporting Indigenous employees and bridging connections between Indigenous communities and our Agency’s work has made a lasting impact that deserves this nomination.”
The people of Canada, the economy, and the environment are protected by the CFIA by keeping the food, plants, and animals safe. Happyjack Smoke called reading the nomination letter about her a beautiful opportunity.
“I’ve been part of a lot of wonderful things within the CFIA, but I also looked at it more as shocking to see everything spoken about me; I was shocked to say the least. It was really meaningful because it’s my colleagues and it’s my senior management and leadership that are speaking these wonderful things about me.”
Happyjack Smoke, an Anishinaabe-Cree from the Michi Saagiig Nation of Alderville First Nation and the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi, has had leadership roles within the CFIA Indigenous Circle and says receiving the medal is part of her journey with her Indigenous colleagues.
“I always kind of looked at myself as somebody that would kind of plant seeds and then all of us collectively work together to make things happen.”
The 6,000 employees of the CFIA got to know Lindsay through their national webcast.
“I’ve been part of the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR). I was not only a moderator but also a speaker as an Intergenerational Survivor of Residential Schools. And what happened is that we had the largest turnout to attend that first webcast for the first NDTR. And from that, all of the people throughout CFIA they then knew me. I spoke for about 15 minutes, and although I have the ability to share truths, I’ve had the ability to be very engaging…It’s one of those things where, although topics are difficult, I know that the truth must be shared. You don’t want those truths to get lost. Because for so long, our people were telling the truth of what was happening in Residential Schools and nobody would listen. And even if they were listening, they wouldn’t believe our people. So now, it’s a time when people are listening. You know, we have to understand, we are telling the story. We didn’t have to live that experience. As the listener, be kind to yourself because it is a lot to hear, but the reality is, it’s just a story being told to you. You didn’t have to be within those environments and those institutions.”
Lindsay says that as co-chair for the internal Indigenous Circle, she gained the trust of members to know they had a safe place with her.
“It’s not only the struggles that they were facing in light, but it was removing that stigma to know that we’re expected to come to work every day. And sometimes, that common logic [of] you leave your outside stuff at the door and just come and get your work done, some people struggle with that. Then it came down to advocating for the opportunity for there to be Indigenized spaces within the walls of our federal agency. So, part of that was to make sure that Indigenous people saw themselves in the spaces of government.”
Happyjack Smoke was part of leading some boardrooms to have Indigenous art and working with local Elders in Treaty 7 territory. A traditional smudging ceremony was carried out for a boardroom in Calgary.
The ability to smudge was previously an issue because of policy regarding fire alarms and sprinkler systems, etc., but the accommodations department responsible for building changes called Lindsay about the Edmonton office that was undergoing renovations.
“They reached out and said, ‘We’re in the process of doing this and we want to ensure we have Indigenized space.’ I had those initial conversations with our Indigenous Circle and to really hear their voices. So now, there is an office that has smudging capabilities. And that’s going to be the first of many. Change happens.”
Receiving the King Charles III Coronation Medal isn’t the first of accolades for Happyjack Smoke.
She was presented with the 2024 President’s Openness, Transparency, and Engagement Award for her work in the project Database Modernization – Import Applications.
Lindsay called being part of that team a wonderful honour.
“The President’s National Awards is the highest honour in our agency, so it’s a really big deal because it was on the import side, not just Canada/US, we are talking worldwide. It went off without a hitch after months and months of planning. I lived and breathed that for six months. I was really proud to be a part of that. I’ve always known what CFIA does on the international scale when it comes to import and export. I was amazed that I had the opportunity.”
With such important work to tend to during the day, Happyjack Smoke relaxes with essential cultural artwork.
“I’ve been following the pow wow trail since I’ve been a young teenager. It’s been a part of my life. From there, I’ve learned to make sure to carry on tradition with beading and sewing. It’s part of my life and I carry that on with my family as well now.”
Lindsay is often on the move but can also work remotely in her home community of Alderville First Nation.
“I was raised here, but I’m actually from the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi in James Bay, Quebec. That’s where my Happyjack side is from. My Smoke side is from here in Alderville. But I actually reside in Treaty 7 territory in Lethbridge, Alberta.”
“When I work remotely from here, it’s nice. That’s one positive that the pandemic did. It showed the capabilities of everything becoming digital. Whether I’m working in Lethbridge or if I’m working from here in Alderville, I’m still able to do my day-to-day work. In the evening times, I stay with my grandfather. He’s 99 years old and he’s my world. I try to spend as much time as I can with him. But in the evening times, it’s nice to just pick up one of my hobbies, whether it’s beading or whether it’s sewing to unwind. And also, be present to spend quality time with my grandfather and all my other relatives, my Smoke family who live on the reserve and nearby. My primary focus is to spend time with my Grandpa while he’s still with us. He’ll be 100 on February 24th, 2026. He still has his driver’s license. He’s still able to get out and do things.”