Effective teaching is about creating a supportive learning community, transforming our understanding and planting the seeds that will continue to grow and flourish.

Expertise

Indigenous Peoples Health & Wellness
Indigenous Maternal-Child & Reproductive Health
Population & Public Health: Epidemiology
Social Determinants of Health & Wellness
Maternal-Child & Reproductive Health
Indigenous Maternity Experiences
Medical Anthropology & Ethno-obstetrics/ Ethno-Medicine

Socio-Cultural Anthropology: Ethnographic Research
Health & Gender: Gender Based Analysis (GBA+)
Indigenous Feminist Perspectives
Community Based Participatory Action Research & Appreciative Inquiry
Interdisciplinary Research Methods & Theoretical Constructs
Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Systems

Saulteaux-Anishinaabemowiin Language, Epistemologies, Oral Literature
Decolonizing institutions & Research
Storytelling as research method
Knowledge Translation (KT) in health research
Land-based cultural practices
Indigenous Land Based Arts

Teaching Philosophy

Community

As an instructor, my role is to facilitate learning through leadership and providing context and content. We are a community of learners and it is important that the classroom is an ethical and safe space to ask questions and express ourselves.

Growth

Not everything will be understood today or tomorrow and it's okay to make mistakes. Learning is a life long journey and lessons continue to grow long after the course is complete.

Transformation

Transformative praxis and change: "There is a need to move beyond mere description of problems and issues to makeing sure that change does in fact occur," (Smith 2005: 41).

Support

The greatest satisfaction as an instructor is watching students success. However, we are also here to support you and provide guidance.

Balance: Gwayooshgawin

"Knowledge is inherent in all things. The world was a library and its books were the stones, leaves, grass, brooks and the birds and animals that shared, alike with us, the storms and blessings of the earth. We learn to do what only the students of nature ever learn, that is to feel its beauty," (Chief Luther Standing Bear 1868-1939).

Relationship & Reconciliation

As Canadians, we all have a role and responsiblity to reconcile our history and create, "a vibrant inclusive Canada where all peoples achieve their full potential and shared prosperity" (Reconciliation Canada).

How I Teach

In Classrooms

In Community

On the Land

In Organizations

Working With Students

Graduate Students Supervised

I mentor graduate students in their course work, through projects in community, and in their applications for grants and awards. I teach graduate students Indigenous and decolonized methodologies in community-based research.

Graduate Student Committees

I was part of a committee responsible for supporting these students as they conducted their research and prepared to defend it.

External Examiner

I sat as an expert as these students defended their research.

Summer students

These students were employed to conduct research.

Education for Reconciliation

I have created experiential learning curriculum to put reconciliation into practice for universities; health networks; advisory committees; workplace teams; First Nation community schools; as well as seminars and conferences for health professionals and administrators.

In my Reconcili-Action Planning workshop I walk participants through an experiential learning exercise aimed at enhancing intercultural capacity, understanding, empathy and respect for the immediate and inter-/trans-generational impacts on Indigenous peoples’ health.

I also deliver workshops for Councils, Communities and Schools to help build capacity for community-based delivery of health services. Some of these have included:

What is Injury Prevention and Surveillance?
Injury Surveillance and Population/Public Health training.
Meenunyaaka: Anishinaabek Spirit Paint.
Supporting Two-Spirited Transgender Children, Youth and Families
Data analysis for monitoring health-related statistical trends

Effective teaching is about creating a supportive learning community, transforming our understanding and planting the seeds that will continue to grow and flourish.

Expertise

Indigenous Peoples Health & Wellness

Indigenous Maternal-Child & Reproductive Health

Population & Public Health: Epidemiology

Social Determinants of Health & Wellness

Maternal-Child & Reproductive Health

Indigenous Maternity Experiences

Medical Anthropology & Ethno-obstetrics/ Ethno-Medicine

Socio-Cultural Anthropology: Ethnographic Research

Health & Gender: Gender Based Analysis (GBA+)

Indigenous Feminist Perspectives

Community Based Participatory Action Research & Appreciative Inquiry

Interdisciplinary Research Methods & Theoretical Constructs

Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Systems

Saulteaux-Anishinaabemowiin Language, Epistemologies, Oral Literature

Decolonizing institutions & Research

Storytelling as research method

Knowledge Translation (KT) in health research

Land-based cultural practices

Indigenous Land Based Arts