IHHG Wordmark

JUNE 2-4, 2024

WESTIN OTTAWA

OTTAWA, ON

Attendee quick links

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) and the First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres (FNCCEC) are hosting the Indigenous History and Heritage Gathering (IHHG). This gathering, presented through the gracious support of Know History, is one of the many important events held during Indigenous History Month. It brings together diverse groups who are working to amplify the distinct stories of Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island.

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IHHG Arts and Culture Night Logo

JUNE 2, 2024 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm

OPEN TO ALL

Celebrate the rich tapestry of Indigenous cultures at the Indigenous History and Heritage Gathering’s Arts and Culture Night!

Admission is included with your Event Registration.
Non-participants are welcome to attend by purchasing a ticket for $50 + HST using the link below.

Details & Tickets »

2024 Keynote Speakers

To access a speaker's bio, simply click or tap their photo or name.

Dr. Wilton Littlechild

Dr. Wilton Littlechild

Maskwacîs, Alberta – Treaty No. 6
Grand Chief, Lawyer

For more than 40 years, Dr. Littlechild has worked to build bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples through athletics, and law.

Kimberly Murray

Kimberly Murray

BA, LL.B, IPC

Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools

Tanya Talaga

Tanya Talaga​

Author, Journalist, President of Makwa Creative​

For more than 20 years, Tanya was a journalist at the Toronto Star and was part of teams that won two National Newspaper Awards for Project of the Year. She is now a columnist at The Globe and Mail.

Connie Walker

Connie Walker

Journalist, Host of Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's

Connie Walker is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and host of the acclaimed podcasts “Stolen” and “Missing & Murdered”. 

Eugene Arcand

Eugene Arcand

NCTR Survivors Circle

Maata Evaluardjuk-Palmer

Maata Evaluardjuk-Palmer

NCTR Survivors Circle

Elder Florence Paynter

Elder Florence Paynter

NCTR Survivors Circle

2024 Speakers

To access a speaker's bio, simply click or tap their photo or name.

Taiaiake Alfred

Taiaiake Alfred

Kahnawà:ke Governance Project & Senior Advisor on Indigenous Initiatives, McGill University

Tim Bernard

Tim Bernard

Executive Director, Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre

Jason Brennan

Jason Brennan

President, Nish Media

Nicola Campbell

Nicola Campbell

Author

Professor Claudette Commanda

Claudette Commanda

CEO, First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres

Jennifer Swanson David

Jennifer Swanson David

Chapleau Cree First Nation

Louise Flaherty

Louise Flaherty

Co-Founder, Inhabit Media Inc

Norman Fleury

Norman Fleury

Teacher, University of Saskatchewan

Jimmy Fournier

Jimmy Fournier

General Director of Technologies, National Film Board of Canada

Raymond Frogner

Raymond Frogner

Senior Director of Research and Head of Archives, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

Danielle Heavy Head

Danielle Heavy Head

Liaison to the Blackfoot Digital Library

Sarah Hurford

Sarah Hurford

Archivist, Library and Archives Canada

Juanita Johnston

Juanita Johnston

Executive Director for U’mista Cultural Centre

Salina Kemp

Salina Kemp

Curator of Eastern Ethnology, Canadian Museum of History

Aluki Kotierk

Aluki Kotierk

Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated President

Michael Mitchell

Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell

Politician, Akwesasne Mohawk Nation

Hilda Nicholas

Hilda Nicholas

Partnership Representative, Mohawk Language Custodians Association

Diane Obed

Diane Obed

Researcher, Mount Saint Vincent University

Pam Palmater

Pam Palmater

Mi’kmaw lawyer and Chair in Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University

Ivy Peers

Ivy Peers

Traditional Knowledge Keeper, Matriarch, and Clean Water Activist/Water Walker

Stephanie Peltier

Stephanie Peltier

Traditional Knowledge Keeper, Matriarch, and Clean Water Activist/Water Walker

Sophie Pierre

Sophie Pierre

Former chief of ʔAq̓am, St. Mary’s Indian Band and former chief commissioner

Mark Rutledge

Mark Rutledge

Senior Designer, Know History

Jennica Robinson

Jennica Robinson

Design Lead, Design de Plume

Stephanie Scott​

Stephanie Scott

Executive Director, NCTR

Paul Seesequasis

Paul Seesequasis

Author, Journalist

Jean Teillet

Jean Teillet

Author and Retired Indigenous Rights Lawyer

Elaine Uppahuak

Elaine Uppahuak

Academic Scholar, Royal Roads University

Andrea Naomi Walsh

Andrea Naomi Walsh

Associate Professor of Anthropology

Jeff Ward

Jeff Ward

Founder & CEO Animikii

Library and Archives Canada Workshop Speakers

To access a speaker's bio, simply click or tap their photo or name.

Kirstei Abbott

Kirstei Abbott

Specialized Media Archival Assistant

Mark Boucher

Mark Boucher

Archival Assistant

Delia Chartrand

Delia Chartrand

Project Coordinator

Maryse Laflamme

Maryse Laflamme

Director General, Outreach and Engagement Branch

Kristina Lillico

Kristina Lillico

Director General, ATIP Branch

Andrew Ross

Andrew Ross

Director of Research Support and Regional Services

Jessica Squires

Jessica Squires

Acting Director of Indigenous Initiatives

National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada Workshop Speakers

To access a speaker's bio, simply click or tap their photo or name.

Wayne Garnons-Williams

Wayne Garnons-Williams

Acting Chief Executive Officer – NSSHFC

Mohammed Kamal Hossain

Kamal Hossain

Director of Programs – NSSHFC

We are honoured by the participation of these confirmed speakers.
Please check back with us regularly as more are being added.

View our photo gallery from the 2023 Indigenous History & Heritage Gathering.

Dr. Wilton Littlechild

Dr. Wilton Littlechild

Maskwacîs, Alberta – Treaty No. 6
Grand Chief, Lawyer

For more than 40 years, Dr. Littlechild has worked to build bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples through athletics, and law. An accomplished lawyer, he is the first Indigenous person appointed to Queen’s (now King’s) Counsel by the Alberta Law Society. He brought Indigenous issues to public attention while serving as the first Treaty Indian Member of Parliament. Dr. Littlechild has been active with a number of organizations both within Canada and internationally, including the Indigenous Parliament of the Americas, the United Nations, the National Indian Athletic Association, and the Canadian Council of International Law.  Dr. Littlechild served as a Commissioner on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, whose final report was released on December 15, 2015; Regional Chief to the Assembly of First Nations and Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations.  He served as the Commissioner of the Saskatchewan Justice System to report on over-representation of Indigenous Peoples and racism in the legal system.

In recognition for his service and dedication fighting for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples globally, the Treaty No. 6 Elders and Chiefs through a sacred traditional ceremony honoured Dr. Littlechild with the title of “International Chief”, a lifetime position supported by the Chiefs of Treaty No. 7 and Treaty No. 8 at a duly convened meeting. For his participation in Indigenous and athletic endeavours, Dr. Littlechild has been honoured with a number of awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award as an Aboriginal Role Model, the Order of Canada, the Queen’s Jubilee Award; he has been inducted into nine Sports Halls of Fame, including the Canada Sports Hall of Fame. A graduate of the University of Alberta with a Master’s Degree in Physical Education, a Bachelor of Law Degree, and five Honourary Doctorates at Law. A renowned expert on the Inherent and Treaty Rights, International laws and declarations pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Organization of America States Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Instrumental in securing not only the International Year of Indigenous Languages but also the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.

Kimberly Murray

Kimberly Murray

BA, LLB, LLM, IPC, LL.D. (honoris causa)

Meet the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools

Kimberly Murray is a member of the Kanehsatake Mohawk Nation. On June 8, 2022, Ms. Murray was appointed as Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools.

Prior to this new role, she was the Executive Lead for the Survivors’ Secretariat at the Six Nations of the Grand River, working to recover the missing children and unmarked burials at the Mohawk Institute. Ms. Murray was also the Province of Ontario’s first ever Assistant Deputy Attorney General for Indigenous Justice, from April 1, 2015, to August 2, 2021, where she was responsible for creating a unit to work with Indigenous communities on revitalizing their Indigenous laws and legal orders. In 2018-2019, Ms. Murray chaired the Expert Panel on Policing in Indigenous Communities, which produced the report Toward Peace Harmony, and Well-Being: Policing in Indigenous Communities.

From 2010 to 2015, Ms. Murray was the Executive Director of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada where she worked to ensure that Survivors of Canada’s Indian Residential School System were heard and remembered, and to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and nonIndigenous people.

From 1995 to 2010, Ms. Murray was staff lawyer and then Executive Director of Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto. She has appeared before all levels of courts on Indigenous legal issues. She has acted as counsel at several coroner inquests and public inquiries – including the Ipperwash Inquiry in Ontario and the Frank Paul Inquiry in British Columbia.

Ms. Murray is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2017 National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Law and Justice. In 2015, the Indigenous Bar Association granted Ms. Murray the Indigenous Peoples’ Counsel (IPC) designation.

Tanya Talaga

Tanya Talaga

Author, Journalist, President of Makwa Creative

Tanya Talaga is an Anishinaabe journalist and speaker. Talaga’s mother’s family is from Fort William First Nation and Treaty #9 territory. Her father was Polish-Canadian.

For more than 20 years, she was a journalist at the Toronto Star and was part of teams that won two National Newspaper Awards for Project of the Year. She is now a columnist at The Globe and Mail.

Her first book, Seven Fallen Feathers, is a national bestseller, winning the RBC Taylor Prize, the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, and the First Nation Communities Read Award: Young Adult/Adult. The book was also a finalist for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Nonfiction Prize and the BC National Award for Nonfiction.

Her second book, All Our Relations: Finding The Path Forward, is also a national bestseller, finalist for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Nonfiction Prize and a finalist for the British Academy’s Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize for Global Cultural Understanding.

Last year, HarperCollins Canada acquired world rights, all languages, to three works of non-fiction by Talaga, with the first book, set to publish in 2023. The book will focus on the legacy of residential schools in Canada.

Talaga is the founder of Makwa Creative., a production company in Tkaronto focused on amplifying Indigenous voices through documentary films, TV, and podcasts such as AuntieUp! Makwa’s first film, Mashkawi-Manidoo Bimaadiziwin (Spirit to Soar) explores what has changed in Thunder Bay since the deaths of the Seven Fallen Feathers. At the same time, Tanya founded the Spirit to Soar Fund, which supports local Indigenous youth living in and around Thunder Bay with resources, cultural programming, and community connection and support. Talaga holds five honorary doctorates.

Connie Walker

Connie Walker

Journalist, Host of Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's

Connie Walker is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and host of the acclaimed podcasts “Stolen” and “Missing & Murdered”. Her work has exposed the crisis of violence in Indigenous communities and the devastating impacts of intergenerational trauma stemming from Indian Residential Schools. Walker’s podcast “Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s” is one of the most comprehensive investigations into a single residential school in Canada. In 2023, “Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s” was awarded a Pulitzer Prize, a Peabody Award, an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award and an Edward R. Murrow Award. Prior to joining Gimlet Media, Walker spent nearly two decades as a reporter and host for the CBC. She co-created and led the public broadcaster’s Indigenous Unit in 2013 and was part of a team of reporters who built a database of unsolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women in 2016. Walker is a member of the Okanese First Nation in Saskatchewan.

Eugene Arcand

Eugene Arcand

NCTR Survivors Circle

A Cree from the Muskeg Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, Eugene Arcand spent nine years at the St. Michael Indian Residential School in Duck Lake and two years at the St. Paul’s Lebret Students Residence, both in Saskatchewan. First Nation Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Mr. Arcand has dedicated much of his time to organizing regional and national events – First Nations sports events, cultural events, tourism events, and events geared to the advancement of First Nations youth.

Over the past few years, through the Indian Residential Schools Survivor Committee at the TRC and the NCTR Governing Circle, Eugene has worked to ensure that both the public and Survivor communities are kept informed of the developments and processes associated with the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. Eugene was successful because of the support and love of his family and wife Lorna Arcand, who he has been married to for 48 years. Together, they raised three children, seven grandchildren and three chapan.

Maata Evaluardjuk-Palmer

Maata Evaluardjuk-Palmer

NCTR Survivors Circle

Maata Evaluardjuk-Palmer is one of the last generation of Elders born and raised out on the traditional lands of the Inuit. During her youth Maata survived in a natural environment with her family before they were relocated to Frobisher Bay, Nunavut by the Government of Canada. This resulted in a culture shock as many families were removed from their traditional lifestyles and placed into a settled Canadian styled community. As a child Maata attended the Apex Federal Day School from 1960 to 1967, then attended Churchill Vocational School from 1967 to 1968 and went on to Keewatin Community College for Office Management.

Maata has sat on many boards such as the YMCA, the Mid-Wifery Training Program, the Manitoba Inuit Association Band, Inuit Health Research Committee, and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s Survivors Circle. Maata is a grandmother and great-grandmother who enjoys being involved in community events and educational programming whenever she can.

Elder Florence Paynter

Elder Florence Paynter

NCTR Survivors Circle

Elder Florence Paynter, B.Ed., M. Ed. is an Anishinabe ikwe and Treaty 1 Elder originally from Sandy Bay First Nation. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. In her youth, Elder Paynter attended residential school and has worked tirelessly throughout her life to foster awareness and deepen our understanding of the intergenerational impacts of residential schools.

Elder Paynter holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Manitoba and teaches the cultural and spiritual knowledge of the Anishinabe people. In the 1970s and 80s, she was a trail-blazer in education. She was both bold and passionate and strived to ensure that all Manitobans, both First Nation and non-First Nation, developed an understanding of the culture and history of her people. As a professional and ground breaker in her field, she was a role model for the younger generations. In 2002, she began working for the Research Unit with the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre. In recognition of her many years of service and contributions in education, she was given the Aboriginal Circle of Teachers’ Award.

A fluent Anishinabe speaker, Elder Paynter has been involved in many language and cultural initiatives. She believes that we can be proud of who we are by learning about our own families, histories, and languages. After her retirement, she was able to focus on her first passion – the restoration of identity and spirit through ceremony. A 4th degree has been bestowed on Elder Paynter by the Midewiwin lodge and sacred teachings continue to guide her in all that she does.

Elder Paynter currently sits on the Elders’ Council for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Treaty Commission of Manitoba. In addition, she is a Speakers Bureau member for the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba and is often invited to speak on various issues including the Numbered Treaties, residential schools, and the impacts of colonization. For the past several years, Elder Paynter been invited as a guest lecturer at the University of Winnipeg. As a recognized Knowledge Keeper, she sits in an advisory capacity to the National Council of Elders at the world-renowned Turtle Lodge in Sagkeeng. She is also an Elder in Residence at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. She was recently recognized for her many years of cultural leadership at the 2021 Keeping the Fires Burning, where she was inducted into the Circle of Honour.

Taiaiake Alfred

Taiaiake Alfred

Director, Kahnawà:ke Governance Project & Senior Advisor on Indigenous Initiatives, McGill University

Advisor on Indigenous Initiatives at McGill University, and is a member of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada’s Circle of Experts. He served as a United States Marine infantryman and has been a supporter and participant in First Nations’ resistance and political movements since 1987. Taiaiake has a degree in history from Concordia University and a doctorate in political science from Cornell University. He founded the University of Victoria’s Indigenous Governance Program and Concordia University’s Native Student Centre, is the author four acclaimed books, has held a Canada Research Chair, and is a National Aboriginal Achievement/Indspire laureate. He currently divides his time between Kahnawà:ke and Wsanec Nation Territory.

Tim Bernard

Tim Bernard

Executive Director, Mi'kmawey Debert Cultural Centre

Tim Bernard is well known beyond his own community of Millbrook as the Manager/Editor of the Mi’kmaq Maliseet Nations News and Eastern Woodland Print Communications. Employed by The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM) as a Land Claims Researcher from 1988 to 1994, he gained extensive historical knowledge under the direction of Dr. Donald Julien.

Tim is the Mi’kmaw co-chair of the Culture and History working committee of the Tripartite Forum as well as a member of the History Month. Through these and other avenues, Tim’s direction affects communities across Nova Scotia. He has set forth and achieved realistic and meaningful outcomes through these avenues, advancing knowledge and appreciation for place names, language growth and retention, cultural resources for educators and the importance of the stories of Elders and others in the communities.

He has served on the task force of the Nova Scotia Heritage Strategy and is regularly involved with overall heritage and tourism sector development. Tim Bernard is a member of the Board of Directors for the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre.

Jason Brennan

Jason Brennan

President, Nish Media

Jason Brennan is a proud member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinaabeg First-Nation and the producer and president of the award-winning production company Nish Media. The company has created more than a hundred hours of television and multiple feature films. Most recently, Jason Brennan produced the mini-series “For You Flora”, the first entirely created Indigenous drama series to be produced in Canada. The show received critical acclaim in Canada and around the world and won the 2022 MIPCOM Diversify TV Award as well as the Best Miniseries Award at the “C21 Content London – 2021 Drama Awards”.

Nicola Campbell

Nicola Campbell

Author

Nicola Campbell is Nłe ʔ kepmx, Syílx and Métis from the Nicola Valley, British Columbia. She is the author of five children’s books including, Shi-shi-etko and Shin-chi’s Canoe (recipient of the 2009 TD Canadian Children’s literature award) and most recently, Stand Like a Cedar (2021). Her stories weave cultural and land-based teachings while also remembering sacred responsibilities and interconnectedness to the land. Her memoir titled Spíləx̣m: A Weaving of Recovery, Resilience and Resurgence, published by Highwater Press, is a deeply-moving story basket of memories that is rooted within the British Columbia landscape. With an almost tactile representation of being on the land and water, Spíləx̣m explores resilience, reconnection, and narrative memory through stories. Nicola graduated in June 2023 with a Doctor of Philosophy through UBC Okanagan. Her doctoral research draws upon Indigenous storytellers and scholarship with a focus on contemporary and traditional Indigenous literary and storytelling practices.

Professor Claudette Commanda

Claudette Commanda

CEO, FNCCEC

Professor Claudette Commanda is an Algonquin Anishinabe from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation located in the province of Quebec. An alumni of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Common Law and Faculty of Arts, Claudette has dedicated the last 35 years promoting First Nations people, history, culture and rights in various capacities as a University of Ottawa student, professor, member and chair of the Aboriginal education council; and via public speaking events.

She is a professor for the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Women’s Studies; Faculty of Education; Faculty of Law; and the Aboriginal Studies Program, teaching courses on First Nations Women; Native Education; First Nations People and History; Indigenous Traditions; and Decolonization. In addition, she is the Chief Executive Officer of the First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres, a national organization which protects and promotes First Nations culture, languages and traditional knowledge. She is inducted into the Common Law Honour Society; served two terms on the Board of Governors for the First Nations University of Canada; and three terms on the Kitigan Zibi band council. In 2017, Claudette is the first First Nation appointed Elder in Residence for the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa; and the first person of a First Nation heritage to be appointed to the Board of Governors for the University of Ottawa. She is the Special Advisor on Reconciliation, for the Dean, Faculty of Law. Claudette is a proud mother of four and a grandmother to ten beautiful grandchildren. In March 2020, Claudette received the 2020 INDSPIRE Award for Culture, Heritage and Spirituality. On November 9, 2022, she became the Chancellor for the University of Ottawa.

Jennifer Swanson David

Jennifer Swanson David

Chapleau Cree First Nation

A member of Chapleau Cree First Nation, Jennifer is of mixed ancestry and was born and raised in Omushkego/Treaty 9 territory (Northeastern Ontario). Jennifer has degrees in Journalism and English literature from Carleton University. She is a shareholder, a Senior Consultant and Lead, Truth & Reconciliation service basket at NVision Insight Group, a majority Indigenous-owned consulting company in Ottawa, where she develops, and delivers Indigenous cultural awareness and competency courses and presentations.

The Chapleau Cree First Nation Community Trust issued a Request for Proposals for a band member to write a book about the history of the First Nation. Jennifer is leading this effort. Her great-grandmother is on the original Treaty 9 paylist, and she’s very interested in history and storytelling. Jennifer is a published author and a voracious reader of Indigenous literature and co-hosts a podcast called Storykeepers: Let’s Talk Indigenous Books. She is married with two kids in university, and makes her home on unceded, unsurrendered Anishinaabe Algonquin territory, in Ottawa.

Louise Flaherty

Louise Flaherty

Co-Founder, Inhabit Media Inc

Louise Flaherty grew up in Clyde River, Northwest Territories now known as Nunavut.

Early on, Louise was fortunate to be surrounded by great storytellers. Her grandparents instilled in her a passion for Inuktitut, and an understanding that speaking Inuktitut is a fundamental part of Inuit identity. Seeing Inuit who were far more literate in English than in Inuktitut sparked Louise’s passion for the promotion and preservation of Inuktitut literacy.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Education in 1993, and since then has been working hard to promote Inuktitut literacy. She was a teacher for eight years before joining the Nunavut Teacher Education Program as program manager training future generations of Inuit teachers, and eventually served as director of Inuit Language and Culture for Nunavut Arctic College. Louise was Deputy Minister for Culture and Heritage, and the Deputy Minister for Education within the Government of Nunavut from 2018-2019.

In 2006, Louise founded Inhabit Media, an independent publishing house dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Inuit knowledge and values and the Inuktitut language. Inhabit Media was incorporated in 2006 and has since published dozens of books and Inuktitut resources that are used in classrooms throughout Nunavuy.

Norman Fleury

Norman Fleury

Teacher, University of Saskatchewan

Originally from St. Lazare, Manitoba, Norman Fleury is a gifted storyteller and teacher. Dedicated to the conservation and promotion of the Michif language, he has contributed to dozens of language resources. He currently teaches Michif in the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan.

Jimmy Fournier

Jimmy Fournier

General Director of Technologies, National Film Board of Canada

Most recently appointed as NFB’s Director General Technologies (CTO) Jimmy Fournier has been the R&D, Engineering and Digital Platforms Manager for eight years. He joined the NFB more than 18 years ago as an engineer. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and is a member of the OIQ (Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec), as well as the ad hoc director of the SMPTE’s Montreal chapter. Jimmy has extensive experience in the audiovisual field, and he played a leading role in conceptualizing and operationalizing the digitization, restoration, accessibility and preservation processes for the NFB’s works. More recently, Jimmy was a key player in choosing and implementing the technology for the NFB’s new headquarters in downtown Montreal and for its conservation and digitization room in Ville St-Laurent.

Raymond Frogner

Jason Bennet

Senior Director of Research and Head of Archives, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

Raymond Frogner graduated with an M.A. in history from the University of Victoria and an M.A.S. from the University of British Columbia. His mother had family relations with Duncans Reserve, a Cree community in Northern Alberta. She attended Shaftsbury Mission until she was expelled at the age of 16. Raymond was formerly an archivist for private records at the Royal BC Museum where his portfolio focused on Indigenous records. He is currently the Senior Director of Research and Head of Archives at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. He is also the co-chair of the International Council for Archives (ICA) Committee on Indigenous Matters. In 2019 he was the principal author of the ICAs Tandanya/Adelaide Declaration concerning the ICAs position on Indigenous self-determination and archives. Two of his articles in Archivaria on the topics of archives and Indigenous rights won the W. Kaye Lamb Award. He continues to publish and present on issues of Indigenous identity, rights, and social memory. In 2020 he was nominated a Fellow of the Association of Canadian Archivists.  In 2022 he was appointed to the National Administration Committee to support the investigation of unmarked burials sites of residential school children.

Danielle Heavy Head

Danielle Heavy Head

Liaison to the Blackfoot Digital Library

Danielle is a member of the Kainai tribe of Alberta. She has worked on repatriations for her tribe and for the Grande Ronde of Oregon. Danielle has been building the Blackfoot Digital Library since 1995. She is a Beaver woman and cares for a Beaver Bundle.

Sarah Hurford

Sarah Hurford

Archivist, Library and Archives Canada

Sarah Hurford is the Project Lead for the Day Schools Project at Library and Archives Canada.  The Day Schools Project seeks to digitize and provide better descriptions for six million pages of records relating to the Federal Day School system and its legacy by the end of March, 2025. Sarah is a graduate of the Master of Arts Canadian Studies program at Carleton University with a focus on Indigenous studies. She lives in Ottawa.

Sarah has been an Archivist at Library and Archives Canada since 2009, specializing in assisting people in accessing Indigenous-related records. She has worked in Genealogy, Reference Services and Research Support, the Indigenous portfolio in Private Archives and as an INAC portfolio archivist in Government Archives. She has also worked on the Project for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the We Are Here: Sharing Stories initiative.

Juanita Johnston

Juanita Johnston

Executive Director for U’mista Cultural Centre

Juanita Johnston is the Executive Director for U’mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, BC, where she grew up. She is of Weḵa’yi   (Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw) and Haida descent on her mother’s side and was adopted in the big house in 1994 by ’Nulis and Gwimolas (Edwin and Vera Newman) and given the name Tłaliłalas. Johnston has worked at U’mista in various capacities since 1989: she has supported membership; maintained and researched collections; contributed to exhibit development; managed the tourism portfolio; coordinated numerous projects and most recently increased both the operating budget, by 35% and doubled the permanent staff.

Salina Kemp

Salina Kemp

Curator of Eastern Ethnology, Canadian Museum of History

Curator of Eastern Ethnology at the Canadian Museum of History and a member of Millbrook First Nation, will speak about a recent collaboration between the Museum and the Metepenagiag Heritage Park in New Brunswick. Artists from the Heritage Park recreated a modern-day version of an outfit gifted by Mi’kmaw Chief Joseph Maly Itkobitch to a British Captain in 1841, demonstrating the continuation of the Mi’kmaq style of craft and shifting the focus of the narrative to the Mi’kmaq artists who are integral to the story of this outfit.

Aluki Kotierk

Aluki Kotierk

Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated President

Originally from Igloolik, now residing in Iqaluit with her family, Nunavut Tunngavik President Aluki Kotierk leads by example. Aluki is driven by her passion to empower and improve the lives of Inuit. After earning her master’s degree in Native and Canadian Studies at Trent University, Aluki worked for various Inuit organizations including Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (now known as Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami), and Nunavut Sivuniksavut. She has also held management and Deputy Minister roles within the Government of Nunavut, Office of the Languages Commissioner and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. In her current role as President, Aluki is keen in how Inuit language and culture can be better incorporated into the way in which programs and services are designed and delivered in Nunavut.

Michael Mitchell

Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell

Politician, Akwesasne Mohawk Nation

Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell is one of the most respected First Nations leaders in Canada. Born in Akwesasne and raised by a traditional family, Kanentakeron had the benefit of a strong cultural and spiritual upbringing. Fluent in the Mohawk language, Kanentakeron has successfully applied traditional diplomatic skills in solving today’s challenges to First Nations on local, regional and national levels in all areas of development and renewal.

For three decades, Kanentakeron served his people in a political capacity as Chief and Grant Chief in one of the most volatile, yet progressive First Nations communities in Canada. His vision to help restore the independence of the Mohawk people of Akwesasne is based on applying the best of both Hotinonshonni philosophy and modern democratic government systems.

Hilda Nicholas

Hilda Nicholas

Partnership Representative, Mohawk Language Custodians Association

A passion for Hilda Nicholas is the Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) language and her aim is to pass it on to her people, who have lost their language. Her mother tongue is Kanien’kéha, and she is fluent in the Kanehsatá:ke Kanien’kehá:ka dialect. She has over 40 years work experience in the Kanien’kéha language. She is a Bear Clan and lives in the Kanehsatá:ke Kanien’kehá:ka community.

Hilda Nicholas is the Director for the Cultural Center combing Language and Culture under one program. Her tenacity and spirit has allowed her to preserve these programs to operate in a climate of poor funding and lack of understanding. She is also the President of Kontinónhstats/Mohawk Language Custodian Association, not for profit, incorporated, for the preservation, promotion and teaching of the Kanien’keha language.

Under her guidance and tireless efforts organized the production of Language Day plays in Kanien’kéha for seven years in her community which included the participation of the Six Kanien’kehá:ka communities. Showcasing various talents in the Kanien’kéha language, which was very much enjoyed by all six Kanien’kehá:ka communities. Also, under her guidance she has put in place an immersion Kanien’kéha Adult Language program and is producing language speakers.

She has been a television host/narrator/consultant/translator for many documentaries aired on Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), as well as an interpreter at the House of Commons for the Minister Marc Miller.

Diane Obed

Diane Obed

Researcher, Mount Saint Vincent University

Diane Obed is an Inuk woman, mixed with white settler ancestry, and is originally from Hopedale, Nunatsiavut, Labrador. She currently lives in Waqmiaq – “where freshwater flows” in Mi’kma’ki, Nova Scotia.

Diane is currently studying in the Inter-University Educational Foundations PhD program at Mount Saint Vincent University. Her doctoral research project explores the intersection between Indigenous land education and contemplative studies to draw on ancient wisdom for modern day psycho-social issues such as cultivating courage to be able to face and engage in dialogue about the current climate crisis.

Pam Palmater

Pam Palmater

Mi’kmaw lawyer and Chair in Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University

Considered one of Canada’s Top 25 Movers and Shakers, Dr. Pam Palmater is an internationally renowned speaker, prolific author, award-winning Indigenous podcaster, Mi’kmaw lawyer, and activist driving reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, human rights, and social justice. With four degrees, including a doctorate in law focusing on Indigenous rights, Pam leads as Professor and Chair in Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University. A Mi’kmaw Nation citizen and member of Eel River Bar First Nation, and practicing lawyer for over two decades, she is considered an expert in Indigenous law, and testifies before United Nations treaty bodies, Parliamentary and Senate committees, and public inquiries like the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and the Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission. Pam’s 200+ publications for major outlets like Chatelaine, Maclean’s Magazine, The Lawyer’s Daily and a host of online news outlets like CTV, CBC, APTN, help inspire social change. Today, Pam continues to be a beacon of hope and catalyst for change, inspiring others to ignite their minds through education and drive positive social change for current and future generations. She envisions a future of empowered communities, leaving a lasting impact on Indigenous reconciliation and social progress.

Ivy Peers

Ivy Peers

U’mista, Project Manager

Ivy Peers (Gwixsis’sa̱las) is of ‘Na̱mǥis, Kwakiutl, Mamalilikulla (Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw) and Haíɫzaqv descent. Born in ‘Ya̱lis (Alert Bay), in the unceded territory of the ‘Na̱mǥis First Nation. Peers graduated from the University of the Fraser Valley with a BA in Criminal Justice in 2018. Her studies focused on harm reduction, restorative justice, the history of Indian Residential Schools (IRS), plus law and social policies. In 2021 she was elected as a ‘Na̱mǥis Council Member, during that time she was the Project Manager for Ne’nagwa̱’nakwa̱la (Going Home), the ‘Na̱mǥis Nation’s investigation for unmarked burials within the former grounds of St. Michael’s IRS. She started her role as Project Manager for the U’mista in 2022; working alongside the Executive Director to increase financial capacity to meet the growing needs of the U’mista’s mandates to: preserve, restore, and revitalize language, arts, and culture for the future generations of Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw peoples.

Stephanie Peltier

Stephanie Peltier

Traditional Knowledge Keeper, Matriarch, and Clean Water Activist/Water Walker

Stephanie Peltier is an Odawa Anishinaabe-kwe from the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Indian Reserve located on Manitoulin Island. She is a Traditional Knowledge Keeper, Matriarch, and Clean Water Activist/Water Walker for her people. Stephanie is the proud mother of three beautiful daughters: Naomi, Autumn, and Ciara, and one fur baby named Achilles. During her regular days, Stephanie works as a full-time Crisis and Trauma Counselor, specializing in Grief and Loss for the Indigenous population.

Stephanie grew up in her community and spent many years attending Midwein Ceremonies. She is also a second-degree Mideiwn. Stephanie helps young women who are pregnant teens, by serving as a birthing coach. She shares the Berry Fasting Ceremony, Full-Moon Ceremony, and mentors young girls with their roles and responsibilities. She also writes speeches for her daughter Autumn Peltier and takes on small contracts within the community that focus on cultural competency. Stephanie is skilled in sewing, beading, and making powwow, public speaking and ceremonial regalia.

Sophie Pierre

Sophie Pierre

Former chief of ʔAq̓am, St. Mary’s Indian Band and former chief commissioner

Sophie Mae Pierre, nee Eustace, granddaughter of Chief Eustace, was born in Cranbrook, BC and has lived all her life at ‘Aqam, the St. Mary’s Indian Reserve. She attended the Kootenay Indian Residential School from 1956 to 1963.

Sophie Pierre served her community of ‘Aqam (the St. Mary’s Indian Band) of the Ktunaxa Nation for 30 years, 26 as elected Chief, and for 25 years was the Administrator/Tribal Chair of the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council, now the Ktunaxa Nation Council.   During her tenure with the Nation Council, Sophie served a critical role in the transformation of the former Kootenay Indian Residential School into the present St. Eugene Resort which features a 125 room hotel, golf course, casino and RV park.  The Resort represents the courage and resilience of the Ktunaxa Nation and the Shuswap Indian Band.

Sophie was recognized with the Order of Canada in 2016; the Order of British Columbia in 2002 and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the business category in 2003.

Sophie Pierre was appointed Chief Commissioner of the BC Treaty Commission from April 2009 to 2015 by agreement of the governments of Canada and British Columbia and the First Nations Summit.

Sophie’s commitment to good governance, accountability and leadership has been recognized through honorary degrees presented to her from Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia and University of Canada West.

Sophie, a mother of three and grandmother of five, now spends much of her time as an elder advisor to her community of ‘Aqam and to the Ktunaxa Nation.  As a fluent speaker of the Ktunaxa language her commitment to the responsibility of passing on traditional knowledge remains her lifetime goal.

Mark Rutledge

Mark Rutledge, CDP RGD

Senior Designer, Know History

With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Mark is one of Canada’s design leaders with deep roots and experience designing for North America’s Indigenous communities and organizations. He has a portfolio of impressive print and web designs for numerous Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations helping First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.

Mark was the first Indigenous designer elected as National President of the Design Professionals of Canada who lead the organization from the Arctic, both firsts in the organizations 67-year history. He is also a Certified Design Professional (CDP™), and Registered Graphic Designer (RGD), International speaker/lecturer, futurist and a proud Ojibway from the Little Grand Rapids First Nation who lives and works in Whitehorse, Yukon on the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.

Jennica Robinson

Jennica Robinson

Design Lead, Design de Plume

Jennica Robinson is a proud member of Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation on Manitoulin Island and is the Design Lead at Design de Plume, an Indigenous and women-owned creative agency that designs inclusive and accessible solutions that resonate. Driven by a passionate commitment to amplifying unheard voices, Jennica’s designs celebrate cultural narratives, raising awareness and expressing stories of resilience and richness. Her design bridges tradition with modern creativity, weaving together threads of Indigenous culture, history, and contemporary perspectives. Through Design de Plume’s work in gender and 2SLGBTQIA+ diversity, Indigenous cultures, and diverse needs, Jennica’s design journey embodies cultural preservation and innovation, inviting understanding and recognition.

Stephanie Scott​

Stephanie Scott

Executive Director, NCTR

Stephanie Scott is the Executive Director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. She was born and raised in Winnipeg, MB and her mother is from Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation, Treaty 1 territory, she is also an intergenerational and sixties scoop survivor. Before accepting the role of Executive Director, she had spent 5 years with the NCTR as Director of Operations. She oversaw all budgeting and financial commitments of the NCTR, along with human resources activities and special project initiatives to educate all Canadians to advance reconciliation. Prior to joining the NCTR team, Stephanie worked with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as the Manager of Statement Gathering: she was responsible for the gathering and documenting of almost 7000 audio and video recorded statements from Survivors, their families and those affected by residential schools in Canada. In addition to this role while at the TRC, Stephanie served as Executive Assistant to the Chair of the TRC where she learned invaluable leadership skills. Over the last 25 years, Stephanie has enjoyed a long and successful career operating her own television production business, which she still oversees part-time sharing the lives and history of Indigenous peoples for Canadians and abroad. Through her past and current work with residential school Survivors, Stephanie experiences first hand their strength, courage and inner power as they overcome challenges and pass these teachings onto the next generation.

Paul Seesequasis

Paul Seesequasis

Author, Journalist

Paul Seesequasis is Willow Cree, band member of Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation, a curator, writer, editor, researcher and journalist residing in Saskatchewan. He is the author of the award-winning Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun (Knopf) in 2019. He has several books upcoming, including Gaze (Knopf) in 2025. He has curated numerous exhibitions including ‘People of the Watershed: The Photography of John Macfie,‘ opening at The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, from May thru November, 2024. He is the founder of the online Indigenous Archival Photo Project, an online exploration of the Indigenous archival image through history. His writing has been published in The Globe and Mail, Brick Magazine, Granta, The Wall Street Journal, among others. He has done interviews with CBC Radio, APTN Face to Face, CTV, Yale University among others. He is currently the Chair of The Access Copyright Foundation. He has received numerous awards and accreditations including One Book, One Province (Saskatchewan), The Writers’ Trust Writer Canadian Residence (Dawson City) 2023, Canadian Writer in Residence at Literarisches Colloquium Berlin (2022) and Saskatchewan Council of Archives Community Use Award (2023) among others.

Jean Teillet

Jean Teillet

Author and Retired Indigenous Rights Lawyer

Ms. Teillet is an author, and as of January 2024 is a retired Indigenous rights lawyer. Ms. Teillet is the author of a 2022 report on Indigenous Identity Fraud. She has appeared at the Supreme Court of Canada twelve times in Indigenous rights cases. Ms. Teillet’s popular history, The North-West is Our Mother: The Story of Louis Riel’s People, the Métis Nation was one of the Globe & Mail’s top 100 books of 2019 and won the Carol Shield’s and Manitoba Day awards. She is the author of Métis Law in Canada and has written for academic journals, the Globe & Mail and Macleans. A frequent public speaker throughout Canada and internationally, Jean has been awarded the highest honour of her people, the Order of the Métis Nation. The Indigenous Bar Association has awarded Jean it’s highest honour, Indigenous Peoples Counsel. She has three honorary doctorates (University of Guelph, Windsor University and Law Society of Ontario). In recognition of decades of work with midwives, Jean has been made an honorary lifetime member of the Association of Ontario Midwives. She is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation and is the great grandniece of Louis Riel.

Elaine Uppahuak

Elaine Uppahuak

Academic Scholar, Royal Roads University

Elaine Uppahuak is from Arviat, Nunavut currently resides in Iqaluit. Uppahuak’s career has been working as a public servant in senior management roles with the Government of Nunavut for the last twenty years. She is an active board member and secretary treasurer on the Nunavut Sivuniksavut Board of Directors. She has volunteered for five years as the Arctic Children & Youth Foundation’s Chairperson.

Uppahuak holds a Master of Arts in Leadership (2021) and is currently a Doctor of Social Sciences candidate from Royal Road University. The highlight of her educational accomplishment has been completing the Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program (1997) and Piqqusilirivvik Program (2022) – an all-Inuit cultural learning school offering knowledge of the richness of Inuit culture. She felt the importance of balancing her learning from Inuit Elders with Western institutional learning.

Beyond education, Elaine is a first-born daughter to her parents, a first-born granddaughter to both sides of her grandparents, and a proud mother of two and auntie to many. She is motivated to complete her doctorate degree in the next few years.

Andrea Naomi Walsh

Andrea Naomi Walsh, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Anthropology

Andrea Walsh is an Associate Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Anthropology and the Smyth Chair of Arts and Engagement at the University of Victoria. Trained as a visual artist and printmaker, her research is arts-methods based and focused on visual storytelling through exhibitions and through graphic narratives produced by drawing, printing, and digital imagery. Her work focuses on repatriation of children’s art to Survivors from Indian Residential and Day Schools and working with families and communities to co-create and curate exhibitions and education opportunities with the artworks. Alongside Alberni Indian Residential School Survivors, Walsh has worked in collaboration with Dr. Jamie Trepanier at the Canadian Museum of History to teach stories of repatriation as reconciliation through exhibitions and education platforms. She has collaborated with families from the Osoyoos Indian Band for over 24 years on the story of the Inkameep Day School.

Jeff Ward

Jeff Ward

Founder & CEO Animikii

Jeff founded Animikii in 2003 and has orchestrated and managed its growth ever since. Everything Jeff does in business is geared toward uplifting his family, communities and Indigenous Peoples. He is Ojibwe and Métis, originally from Manitoba, and now lives and works in Victoria, BC on Lekwungen territory. Jeff is a software developer, product designer, author, and speaker. He also serves as Vice Chair for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) board.

“It’s an exciting time for the Indigenous movement. We’ve begun a new era of Indigenous-settler relations and the long journey towards Reconciliation has just begun. Each and every one of us, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, has been called upon to honour the past, to do better, and to rise up. Warriors everywhere are rising up in the fight for equitable outcomes for Indigenous people. We at Animikii believe that our call-to-action is to support all of these warriors in their journey by using the tools available to us. Our answer to that call, our weapon and tool of choice, is technology.”

Photo credit: Nadya Kwandibens

Kirstei Abbott

Kirstei Abbott

Specialized Media Archival Assistant

Kirstei Abbott is an Algonquin-Anishinaabekwe mixed settler from Bonnechere Algonquin First Nations. She is the Specialized Media Archival Assistant for the We Are Here, Sharing Stories Indigenous Digital Access Project. She is a professor at Algonquin College with the General Arts and Science Indigenous Studies program teaching Introduction to Genealogy. Kirstei is also a graduate student in the Master of Arts Canadian Studies program at Carleton University focusing on Indigenous data sovereignty and decolonizing archival practices.

Mark Boucher

Mark Boucher

Archival Assistant

Mark Boucher is one of the newest members of the We Are Here, Sharing Stories team. Having just joined the team in February, as an Archival Assistant, he is eager to learn as much as possible before the project sunsets in March 2025. Mark has two degrees from Carleton University, one in Sociology, with a minor in sexuality studies, and one in Psychology. His knowledge and experience are an asset to the team as they allow him to bring a different perspective during team meetings and in the decision making process. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, writing stories, designing tattoos, and spending time with his friends and family.

Delia Chartrand

Delia Chartrand

Project Coordinator

Delia Chartrand is a member of the Metis Nation and the Project Coordinator for We Are Here, Sharing Stories. She is a mother of two, who was born and raised in northern Manitoba and currently lives in Winnipeg with her family. She has a Master’s in Archival Studies from the University of Manitoba. Prior to her current position with Library and Archives Canada she worked as a regional archivist on the Listen Hear Our Voices initiative, facilitating community based archival projects. She has a background in community based research, working collaboratively with Elders to decolonize the representation of Indigenous art, history and culture, and to develop culturally proficient frameworks for heritage institutions.

Maryse Laflamme

Maryse Laflamme

Director General, Outreach and Engagement Branch

Maryse Laflamme holds a master’s degree in library and information science from Université de Montréal. She has been serving as the Director General of the Outreach and Engagement branch since February 2024. Her team includes Indigenous Initiatives, Partnerships and Community Engagement and Programming. Maryse has over 20 years of experience in the library and archives sector, including a decade in managerial positions.

Kristina Lillico

Kristina Lillico

Director General, ATIP Branch

Director General, ATIP Branch, Library and Archives Canada Kristina Lillico holds an honours degree in History from Queen’s University and a Masters’ in Public Administration in Management from Dalhousie University. She has been with LAC since 2004, and has worked in many different areas at LAC, including Partnerships, Policy, Grants and Contributions, Private Archives, Government Archives, Information Management initiatives for the Government of Canada, and Regional Services. Since 2016 she has been working with the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) team LAC, first as the Director and now as the Director General.

Andrew Ross

Andrew Ross

Director of Research Support and Regional Services

Andrew Ross is the Director of Research Support and Regional Services at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). His team, which includes the Indigenous Reference Services team, handles reference queries and provides support to departmental researchers in the NCR, Winnipeg, and Vancouver.

Jessica Squires

Jessica Squires

Acting Director of Indigenous Initiatives

Jessica Squires is the acting Director of Indigenous Initiatives at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). LAC Indigenous Initiatives carries out the projects Listen, Hear Our Voices and We Are Here: Sharing Stories, and coordinated the LAC external Indigenous Advisory Circle.

Wayne Garnons-Williams

Wayne D. Garnons-Williams, B.A., J.D., MPA, LL.M.

Chair - IITIO
Principal Director - ISTC
Senior Lawyer and Principal Director Garwill Law

Wayne is from the Moosomin First Nation and got his bachelor’s degree in law from Queens University, a Master of Public Administration from Dalhousie University and his Master of Laws with a specialty of Indigenous International Law from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Wayne’s Master of Law Research thesis was an exploration of the legal history, law and policy of Indigenous trade between Canada and the United States.

Wayne is the Senior Lawyer and Principal Director of the law firm Garwill Law Professional Corporation.  Further, he leads an international business entitled Indigenous Sovereign Trade Consultancy Ltd. and the founding President of the International Inter-tribal Trade and Investment Organization.

He is past board secretary of the Council of the Great Lakes Region, past Chair of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Appeal Tribunal, past Chair of the National Council of Federal Aboriginal Employees and is currently on the board of directors of the International Law Association – Canada Chapter and is one of the founding members of the Government of Canada, Global Affairs Working Group on Indigenous International Trade. Wayne was instrumental in advising on the development of Canada’s Indigenous trade policy which led to progress for Indigenous trade in CUSMA/ USMCA as well as being appointed lead Indigenous Canadian negotiator for the Indigenous Peoples Economic Trade and Cooperation Arrangement (IPETCA).

He is also a Research Fellow specializing in International Comparative Indigenous law at the University of Oklahoma, College of Law as well as a Legal Fellow for the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law. He was appointed by Order in Council as a member to the NAFTA Chapter 19 Trade Remedies roster and then appointed in 2020 as a CUSMA Advisory Committee Member on Private Commercial Disputes, Article 31.22.

He is the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business 2019 award winner for Excellence in Aboriginal Relations, the 2020 Queen’s University Alumni Award winner, the recipient of the 2020 International Legal Specialist in Peace, Justice and Governance Award from the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, the 2024 Canada-United States Law Institute recipient of the Sidney J. Picker Award for contributing to the development of Canada-US relations and 2024 H.R.S. Ryan Law Alumni Award of Distinction in recognition for outstanding contributions to the faculty, university, and legal profession, Queen’s University, Faculty of Law.

Mohammed Kamal Hossain

Mohammed Kamal Hossain

Director of Programs

Mohammed Kamal Hossain (Kamal) is a nonprofit manager with more than 19 years of progressive experience in health, education, disability, Indigenous communities, housing, and homelessness.

He has diversified project management skills, including fund-raising, coordination, monitoring, stakeholder relations, logistics, and asset management.

He is also experienced in managing large humanitarian response programs. He has a Masters in Social Sciences along with numerous training and certificates, including Indigenous Canada, Clinical Supervision, Trauma Informed Practice, Managing High Performance, Health Program Management, Humanitarian Program Operation, etc.

Mohammed received a Civil Society Innovation Award from the Civil Society WASH Fund, AusAid in 2016 and the Zero Project Innovative Education Project Award, Austria in 2020. His research projects have been published in many international journals, including the European Journal of Education, The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and many more.

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