CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI—Rikki Schock has been a fixture on the Aboriginal scene for years on Prince Edward Island. A mother and grandmother, she is the Vice-President of the Native Council of PEI. A long-time resident of South Pinette and well-known Aboriginal advocate, Schock is Canada’s newest member of the Aboriginal Order of Canada.

On October 19, 2012, Schock learned she had been chosen for the special honor at the annual meeting of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples in Ottawa.

“I almost fainted when I heard my name,” Ms Schock said. “At first I just sat there in a daze. My daugh...