Our Team
Kim MathesonKim Matheson is the Joint Research Chair in Culture and Gender Mental Health at the Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research and the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University. Her research focuses on the core value of cultural identity and collective empowerment, particularly as they relate to the intergenerational impacts of Indian Residential Schools.
Katherine GrahamKatherine Graham is a Professor Emerita in the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University. She has a long history of working with Indigenous communities, with expertise spanning governance, leadership, program implementation, and evaluation.
Hymie AnismanHymie Anisman is the Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Neuroscience and a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University. He brings expertise regarding the impact of stressful experiences (early life experiences, social rejection, transgenerational effects, neurobiological changes introduced by stressful events) on mental health and quality of life.
Robert ShepherdRobert Shepherd is Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University. He is a former public servant, having worked for several years with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. He brings expertise in monitoring and evaluating Indigenous programs and services.
FRances D. AbeleFrances Abele is Professor of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University. She has worked with Indigenous communities across Canada for over thirty years on matters related to economy, education and politics. She is also an analyst of federal northern development policy
Patti HarperPatti Harper is the Head of Archives & Research Collections at Carleton University. Her expertise will be vital in the creation of a data repository for this project.
Rodney NelsonRodney Nelson is a faculty member at Carleton University and the Coordinator of the Aboriginal Enriched Support Program. He has extensive experience working with Indigenous communities and specializes in governance, economic development and is a traditional knowledge keeper. Rodney is Anishinabe and lives in Ottawa with his wife Dacia and two children Cory and Robyn.
Christine MayChristine Shay is the administrator of the Indigenous Youth Futures Partnership. She is also the administrator of the CHAIM Centre at Carleton University.
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Amy BombayAmy Bombay is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University. Amy is Anishinaabe kwe (Rainy River First Nation) and much of her work has focused on exploring the intergenerational transmission of trauma and resilience in First Nations communities. Some of her recent research concerns factors that influence cultural identity safety for First Nations youth in the transition and adaptation to high school.
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Janet GordonJanet Gordon is originally from Kasabonika Lake First Nation but recently became a member of Lac Seul First Nation. She has worked in the health care system for many years in the Sioux Lookout area. Her past roles include Community Health Nurse, Zone Nursing Officer and Zone Director. She is currently Chief Operating Officer with the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA), an organization that serves 33 First Nations communities. Through her work at SLFNHA, she provides management, advocacy and advisory support to health services and programs while striving for improved health care and positive change for First Nations in the Sioux Lookout area.
Andrew RossAndrew Ross is the Manager of the Anishnaabe Bimaadiziwin Research Program, a collaboration of the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre and Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority. Andrew has experience with the design and implementation of educational and healthcare programming and research in the Sioux Lookout region.
Allan TurtleAllan Turtle is originally from Fort Severn First Nation. He has been working in the social services, education, and health fields especially with children, and youth for 7 years. His past roles include Community Mentor, Special Education Assistant, Substitute Teacher, Outreach Worker, and Youth Facilitator. He currently works for the Sioux Lookout First Nation Health Authority as the Youth Resiliency Project Manager.
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Christopher mushquashChristopher Mushquash is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, Clinical Psychologist, and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He is an Indigenous scholar with expertise in rural/northern clinical practice and the development of culturally and contextually appropriate methods to assess and treat risky behaviours among First Nations peoples.
Kristin BurnettKristin Burnett is an Associate Professor in the Department of Indigenous Learning and the Graduate Coordinator of the new Social Justice Studies program at Lakehead University. She is a historian who has worked extensively with communities in North Western Ontario regarding Indigenous sovereignty.
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Ian ManionIan Manion is the Director of Youth Mental Health Research at the IMHR, Co-Scientific Director of Frayme, Inaugural Chair of the National Infant, Child and Youth Mental Health Consortium, Co-Chair of the Canadian Child and Youth Health Coalition (CCYHC), the Principal Lead for the National School-Based Mental Health and Substance Use Consortium, and co-founder of Youth Net/ Réseau Ado. As a clinical psychologist and scientist-practitioner he has extensive experience working with children, youth, and families, including the promotion of wellness in Indigenous communities.
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Moffat MakutoMoffat Makuto is the Executive Director of the Multicultural Association of Northwestern Ontario. He created the Regional Multicultural Youth Council, a group that actively supports First Nations students attending high school in urban centres to launch peer support and advocacy programs. Moffat’s work with First Nations children and youth is acknowledged in the region, and has been endorsed by Nishnawbe Aski Nation leaders and school officials, along with the youth who appreciate his services and have come to trust and rely on his wisdom.
Michael BoosMichael Boos works for the Keewatin Patricia District School Board in North Western Ontario. He has experience establishing school programs to promote cultural identity, and to provide children with the skills to navigate the transition to high school.
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Thelma morrisThelma Morris is the Executive Director at Tikinagan Child and Family Services, which is responsible for the protection of children in the region. She is well informed of existing programs, and is committed to building healthy identities, families, and communities.
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Stephen AugustineStephen Augustine is the Dean of the Unama’ki College and Aboriginal Leaning at Cape Breton University. He contributes his long-standing research integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge, his wisdom of traditional practices and ways of knowing, and his connections to the Anishinaabe Nation.
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Benjamin BradsHawBen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Guelph University. Over the past decade he has primarily focussed his research on the use of Impact and Benefit Agreements in Canada’s mining sector. This has led him to work with the Eabametoong, Webequie, and Marten Falls First Nations on whose traditional territories a number of mineral deposits have been discovered, giving rise to the region’s now infamous Ring of Fire branding.
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Jacob A. (Jake) BurackJacob A. (Jake) Burack is Professor of School/Applied Child Psychology and Human Development in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University. He, his students, and colleagues work in academic settings with Indigenous youth around the theme of identification with ancestral culture as essential to emotional well-being, social adaptation, and academic success.
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Heather CastledenHeather Castleden is the Canada Research Chair in reconciling Relations for Health, Environments, and Communities and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning and the Department of Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University. She engages in community-based participatory research in partnership with Indigenous peoples on environment and health issues that are important to them, using digital storytelling, photovoice, and other decolonizing methods.
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Allison CrawfordAllison Crawford is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and the Medical Director of the Northern Psychiatric Outreach and Telepsychiatry Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. She uses narrative as a clinical and research tool within healthcare. Crawford also has a long-standing relationship with SLFNHA.
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Jeffrey DenisJeffrey Denis is an Associate Professor of Sociology at McMaster University. His research focuses on boundaries and bridges in Indigenous/settler relations, the social psychology of racism, and social inequalities in health. He also has been involved in poverty reduction initiatives in First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario.
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MARK DOCKSTATORMark Dockstator is the President of First Nations University. His focus is on incorporating Indigenous knowledge into contemporary self-government, economic and the provision of services for community well-being.
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Sonia LupienSonia Lupien is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Montreal. Her work focuses on the effects of stress throughout the lifespan. She also created the DeStress for Success program to help youth cope with the stress associated with the transition to high school, including First Nations students.
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Arlene JungArlene Jung is the Economic Development Officer for the Shibogama First Nations Council. She has experience working with business programs to provide opportunities for First Nations youth and their communities.
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Inez shiwakInez Shiwak is the Project Assistant with the ‘My Word: Storytelling and Digital Media Lab’ in the Town of Rigolet. She will bring her expertise and experience working in the Digital Media Lab to give advice on establishing a sister Research Hub in Sioux Lookout.
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david newhouseDavid Newhouse is Professor in the School of Business and Chair of Indigenous Studies at Trent University. He is Onondaga from the Six Nations of the Grand River community. His research interests focus on the emergence of modern Aboriginal societies.
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Dan PellerinDan Pellerin is a technology consultant at IC Technologies. He oversaw the implementation of K-Net, a First Nations owned and operated ICT service provider in the NAN region.
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Carla TauntonCarla Taunton is an Associate Professor in the Division of Art History and Critical Studies at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University. Her scholarship explores Indigenous arts-based approaches to unpacking youths’ understanding of decolonization, indigenization, and social justice.
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