Walter Perry Dieter, was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 First Nations

First Nations

First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

 leader. He was the founding chief of the National Indian Brotherhood in 1968, which is today known as the Assembly of First Nations

Assembly of First Nations

The Assembly of First Nations , formerly known as the National Indian Brotherhood, is a body of First Nations leaders in Canada...

.

Dieter was a Cree

Cree

The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...

, born on the Peepeekisis Reserve near Balcarres, Saskatchewan

Balcarres, Saskatchewan

-Geography:* Lat 50°48′ N* Long 103°33′ W* Dominion Land Survey 13-21-12-W2* Time zone UTC−6- Notable residents :* James Garfield Gardiner was a premier of Saskatchewan and minister in the Canadian Cabinet...

. He enlisted with the Regina Rifle Regiment during the Second World War but was turned away due to his tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

.

He became the Regina Friendship Centre's first aboriginal president. In 1966, he became head of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations

Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations

The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations is a Saskatchewan-based First Nations organization.The federation grew out of a number of different organizations. Although the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians was organized in 1959 , it grew out of the Union of Saskatchewan Indians, founded...

 and served in that role until 1968.

In 1980 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada

Order of Canada

The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...

 for his work towards better education and social conditions for aboriginal Canadians.

He died of cancer in Regina

Regina, Saskatchewan

Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...

 and was buried on the Okanese

Okanese First Nation

The Okanese First Nation is a First Nations in Saskatchewan, Canada.The Okanese First Nation was a signatory to Treaty number four.It is named after a leader named Okanis, who signed the treaty on their behalf, on September 9, 1875....

Reserve.