John Peter Bell
John Peter Bell is a former Canadian ambassador. He was concurrently appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Mali and Niger then to Upper Volta and to the Ivory Coast. He later became Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Brazil then the High Commissioner to Malaysia.
Early life
John worked at a fish cannery at Namu, British Columbia when he was 14–15 years old. The fishing port is close to Bella [Bella, British Columbia|Bella Bella], home to Heiltsuk Nation. These early formative interactions with the Indigenous communities inspired his later work on Indigenous rights as a career diplomat.Philanthropy
In 2018, Bell provided for a gift to support the at University of British Columbia. The aim is to increase Indigenous graduates in the university and enhance Indigenous history to aid a 'full and accurate understanding of Canadian history.' In addition, Bell's endowment supports the annual John P. Bell Lecture in Global Indigenous Rights in the university. The First Nations House of Learning is housed in the First Nations Longhouse to which his father Jack Bell was previously a lead donor.John P. Bell Lecture in Global Indigenous Rights
The lecture is hosted by the at the First Nations Longhouse on UBC Campus.| Year | Speaker |
| 2016 | J. Wilton Littlechild |
| 2017 | Victoria Tauli-Corpuz |
| 2018 | Sheila Nicholas |
| 2019 | Dalee Sambo Dorough |
| 2020 | Mariam Wallet Mohamed Aboubakrine |
| 2021 | K’odi Nelson |
| 2024 | Kyle Powys Whyte |
| 2025 | Dolly Kikon |