The images of Native people are not overlooked on Canadian stamps; indeed their relatively frequent appearance can be considered one of the special privileges of Canadian philately. Representations of the labour of Native people appear less often. In 1972 there was a scene depicting the Plains buffalo hunt (#562). Hunters, sealers, fishermen, and archers appear among depictions of the Inuit in 1977 (#748-751). Paul Kane's painting, "Indian Encampment on Lake Huron," reproduced on a stamp in 1971 (#553), implies the significance of Native labour in 19th-century transportation and also shows a woman preparing food for the day's meal. In 1976 another woman is tending the fire at an Iroquois encampment (#579).

Canada Scott 553 Stamp reproduced courtesy of Canada Post Corporation

The representation of women workers on Canadian stamps has been limited. Probably the earliest is the nurse (#380), who appeared in connection with a 1958 public health issue; again this is a generic image taking precedence over the particular. The following year there was also a tribute to the Associated Country Women of the World (#385), again a symbolic figure rather than a specific scene. Marguerite Bourgeoys, founder of the teaching order the Congrégation de Notre-Dame, was depicted on a 1975 stamp (#660) for her role as an educational pioneer in 17th-century New France. There is also the fine Robert Harris painting, "Meeting of the School Trustees" (#849); this stamp was intended to celebrate the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts but serves as well as a tribute to the generations of women teachers in rural Canada. Henrietta Edwards, an advocate of the rights of working women and founder of the Working Girls' Association in 1875, was included among a group of early feminists commemorated on stamps in 1981 (#882). Women are also visible among the unpaid volunteer workers represented on a 1987 stamp (#1132). Mary Travers, also known as "La Bolduc", a singer popular in the 1930s for her satirical songs of working-class life in Québec, is shown on a 1994 stamp (#1526).

Canada Scott 849 Stamp reproduced courtesy of Canada Post Corporation

Canada Scott 882 Stamp reproduced courtesy of Canada Post Corporation

Women appear prominently on several stamps issued in connection with the 50th anniversary commemorations of the six years of World War II. Several of these paid tribute to wartime occupations, including work on the home front (#1298-1301), which feature the contributions of women to the war effort. This series also includes depictions of war industry (#1346), war reporting (#1448), and the return of the veterans (#1541).