The late Leonard Henry George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) in North Vancouver, British Columbia was a man of many titles throughout his life: Elected chief of TWN, residential school survivor, spiritual leader, actor, director of economic development, chief negotiator, husband, father, and friend to many. Leonard illuminated the future for many Indigenous people not only in his community, but across the world.

TWN underwent drastic damaging changes after contact with colonial policies. In 1989, the unemployment rate on the TWN reserve hovered between 60% and 80%, and had pervasive substance abuse problems. Today, it is less than 3% – a change that can be traced to Leonard, through his instinctive business acumen, desire to create partnerships, and ability to see vast potential in his people. Adversity never stopped him, in any aspect of his life. He worked tirelessly and without complaint until the day he passed, constantly pushing the envelope to ensure the security of his people. 


TWN now owns and operates several businesses, and has many ongoing real estate development ventures with business partners. One of the last major contributions Leonard made in his career was to help bring together the three nations —TWN, Squamish, and Musqueam (MST)—as a bargaining unit to secure an unprecedented First Nation land acquisition.

Taught by and having worked closely with spiritual and traditional elders, he demonstrated that incorporating the spiritual teachings when doing business with First Nations leads to success. He always advocated for our youth to be educated and build leadership skills that would sustain the Nation for generations to come—“The most important thing in development is the development of people”.