Michel Noël considers himself to be a Québécois of Aboriginal origin. His main culture is Aboriginal since he spent the first fourteen years of his life among the Algonquin in Verendrye Wildlife Reserve and the Abitibi region. In addition to being an academic, Noël is also a man of the land: he spends the majority of his time on the reserve or on ancestral territories.
His literary output is prodigious and varied: more than fifty books including children’s comic books, books about art and crafts, plays, poetry, adult novels and children’s books. Over the years he has been awarded several prizes, including, in 1997, the Governor General’s Award for the excellence of his work and his contribution to harmonious relations between peoples. Noël was named a Global Citizen by the Canadian Association of the United Nations for his involvement in improving understanding between individuals and peoples. In 2002 he received the Medal of Recognition from the French Senate for his contribution to promoting French language and culture. In 2008 he was awarded the Saint-Exupéry Prize in the “French-speaking world” category.
