About Me
Credentials
Assistant Professor in Indigenous Studies,
Métis Scholar, Community-Based
Researcher, PhD.
My Focus
My research program examines historical, contemporary, and future issues related to urban Indigenous and Métis identities through a community-based, decolonial approach. My historical work explores the impact of colonial policies on Métis familial identities, while my contemporary and future-focused research is community-led, addressing priorities at the intersection of holistic wellbeing, belonging, and Indigenous identity. I actively support youth-led research, connecting urban Indigenous youth with Elders and community programs.
As Director of the Indigenous Health Research Unit at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and lead of the Urban Indigenous Wellbeing Collective, I work collaboratively to advance Indigenous self-determination in health research. As an Assistant Professor in Indigenous Studies at University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus), I engage Métis and urban Indigenous communities in British Columbia to tackle complex challenges. I believe research about Indigenous Peoples must include them at every stage and prioritize building community capacity.
Where it started
Here is where you would usually find a list of my qualifications, my degrees: a BA from University of Saskatchewan, an MA and PhD in Interdisciplinary studies from University of British Columbia (Okanagan).
But for those from Métis and other Indigenous communities you may be looking for more pertinent information, like where am I from and who are my relations.
My Story
I was born and raised in Saskatchewan, first in Ponteix, near the historic Métis settlement of Lac Pelletier. My great-grandmother Julia Fayant played an instrumental role in my own Mom’s life. She was raised by her grandmother, a Métis woman who came to the road allowance by way of Willow Bunch, Fort Qu’Appelle, and the Red River area in Manitoba. I’ve written about her in this book on Métis Matriarchs. Our family connects to other branches of Métis relations across the Métis Nation Homeland including the Fagnants, Desjarlais, Whitfords, Pelletiers, Cardinals, LaPlantes, and Gagnons. I am also a member of the Kelowna Métis Association and a citizen of Métis Nation British Columbia.
I am committed to the continuation and resilience of Métis culture so am active in learning and practicing the michif language, sash looming, tufting, and beadwork so that I can pass these practices down to my own daughters.
Notable Research
Read my latest publication:
Indigenizing or Appropriating? Navigating the Boundaries of Institutional Decolonization
Check out the article that was runner up for the BC Studies Best Paper Prize:
Making Métis Places in British Columbia: The Edge of the Métis National Homeland
Learn from Our Conversations about Relational Approaches:
Decolonizing Methodologies Through Dialogue: A Relational Literature Review on Urban Indigenous Health
Teaching & Mentorship
I strive for a transformative learning experience in both my graduate student mentorship and undergraduate classes. I am excited to be supervising Indigenous graduate students working on research that is important for their own communities including: Nanâtawihowin (Healing & Finding Place) Through Indigenized Economic Development, bringing traditional practices into urban spaces for Indigenous youth, and developing land-based healing programs for Indigenous Peoples post-incarceration.
