John Kim Bell

Biography:

JOHN KIM BELL OC OOnt is one of Canada’s most decorated Indigenous leaders. Widely recognized for his work as an activist, philanthropist and entrepreneur, he established the Indspire charitable organization and the Indspire Awards in celebration of Indigenous achievement. His creative vision, cultural leadership, inexhaustible energy and passionate commitment have earned him many awards and honours.
Bell was born on the Kahnawake Mohawk Reserve, near Montréal, to a Mohawk father and an American mother. He grew up Columbus, Ohio. There he attended Ohio State University and received a Bachelor of Music in 1976. He went on to attend the Academia Musica Chigiana in Sienna, Italy, and later apprenticed with Zubin Mehta at the New York Philharmonic. After studying in Italy, Bell went to New York and conducted for the Harlem Dance Theatre, Eglevsky Ballet, and many Broadway shows and operatic productions.

Bell's first career was as a conductor of Broadway musicals in New York. In 1980, he was appointed apprentice conductor of the Toronto Symphony, becoming the first person of Indigenous heritage to conduct a major orchestra. In 1988, he produced, directed, co-composed and conducted In the Land of Spirits, the first full-scale Indigenous ballet. It premiered at the National Arts Centre and enjoyed a highly successful national tour. He designed, executive produced and directed 11 editions of the national CBC telecast of the awards, and amazed and delighted audiences with his spectacular stage sets.
 Bell begin his philanthropic career not long after he began to conduct music. In 1984, he established the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (now Indspire) and built it into the largest charity serving Indigenous people. Under his leadership, it raised some $80 million and sent tens of thousands of Indigenous students to colleges and universities across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. In 1993, he created the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (now the Indspire Awards), Canada’s largest Indigenous cultural project.

More recently, Bell has added a third career: entrepreneurship. He currently serves as business advisor to and lead negotiator for Michipicoten First Nation (Wawa, Ontario) on its mining and energy activity.
John Kim Bell is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Member of the Order of Ontario. His other honours include the Royal Bank Award for Canadian Achievement, Queen Elizabeth II Silver, Gold and Diamond Jubilee medals, Royal Conservatory of Music Lifetime Achievement Award, Indigenous Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, three Eagle Feathers presented by the Indigenous community for his contribution to the advancement of Indigenous peoples, and honorary doctorates from six Canadian universities. His extensive and diverse accomplishments are the subject of four documentaries on his life.

Sources: https://ggpaa.ca/award-recipients/2023/bell,-john-kim.aspx| https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/john-kim-bell-emc 

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