Community Service

I have been actively involved in the Mi’kmaq community since the late 1990s when my Indigenous ancestry became known after years of community and familial suppression stemming from histories of discrimination, exclusion, and erasure on the island of Newfoundland.

My personal and professional involvement within the urban Indigenous community of Tkaronto has been one of many gifts. To learn and grow with a group of people who have rich lived experiences within a space where you do not only listen but where you are also heard. From Indigenous Board of Directors to ceremonies, or community events, my continued involvement with the urban Indigenous community of Tkaronto has encompassed relations to reciprocity, inclusion, and respect.

My doctoral studies have allowed me to expand my web of relations to include the Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, and Tuscarora nations of Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte of Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Furthermore, the Michi Saagiig (Mississauga Anishinaabeg) of Curve Lake First Nation. The relations are not static but are continually expanding and developing, and nurtured.

Local and National Committees

Indigenous Friends Association
President, Board of Directors

Term: 2019-Present

The Board of Directors is accountable to members and their families, the community, funders, and other stakeholders. By connecting Indigenous students with peer support and offering internal and external resources available in the educational setting and surrounding areas, students can access information on resources for Indigenous Peoples on-campus, peer-support networks, and traditional counselling and Knowledge Keepers. Furthermore, the Board is responsible for the Association's performance in realizing its mission and achieving its goals and for effective stewardship of financial and human resources.

Native Men's Residence
Director, Board of Directions

Term: 2019-2023

The Circle of Directors is responsible for Na-Me-Res's strategic focus, policy direction, and financial health, ensuring that programs have adequate resources and are consistent with the mission and values. Moreover, the vision is that everyone deserves respect, consideration, and care, regardless of circumstances. That belief drives the compassion and dedication of the Na-Me-Res team. The Circle of Directors recognizes all staff and volunteers who help coordinate programs, manage residences, and devote long hours to end homelessness and meet the needs of the Toronto Indigenous community.

National Indigenous Accreditation Board (NIAB): Social Work Education Circle

Member Since 2023 - Present

The process of accrediting social work education programs is managed by the Social Work Education Circle (SWEC), a national body with representation from a variety of treaty territories, which is responsible for assessing, affirming and supporting social work education programs. The activities related to the assessment of social work education programs are grounded within NIAB’s commitment to the healthy growth of dynamic education programs that are responsive to community needs, locally controlled, and sourced within Indigenous knowledge systems.

Thunderbird Circle: Indigenous Social Work Educators’ Network

Member Since 2018 - Present

The Thunderbird Nesting Circle is a collective of Indigenous social work educators and students representing the interests of Indigenous families, communities, and nations across Canada. Moreover, dedicated to contributing and centring Indigenous voices in social work educational development and delivery in Canada.

Research

My primary research focuses are critical Indigenous studies, urban Indigenous identities, colonial and decolonization theories, Indigenous research and knowledge methodologies, and Indigeneity. My research program was initiated by my curiosity about identity formation and maintenance in relationships with those who are also influenced by tactics of settler-colonialism, where navigation and negotiation of spaces and places based on dominant measures are all too common. Moreover, most, if not all, of my research projects, are based on or influenced by community work or my previous master’s research, Are You Native Enough? An Analysis of White Passability Among Indigenous Peoples in an Urban Context, which focuses on the exploration of the colonial interference imposed onto Indigenous identities through forced removal and assimilation and unearthing ways in which healing can create personal and cultural sovereignty.

Doctoral Research

Supervisor: David Newhouse
Working Title: The Resurgence of Urban Indigenous Identities & Contemporary Understandings of Community in Digital Spaces

Working Abstract: In contemporary realities, digital spaces have undoubtedly influenced our ability to explore the world around us. Digital space is defined as the virtual environments and online platforms that exist within the digital realm, such as the internet, social media, and mobile applications. These spaces can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as communication, commerce, entertainment, and information sharing. They allow individuals and organizations to connect, collaborate, and share information and resources in ways that were previously not possible.

Through digital spaces, mainly social media, there has been an increase in the exploration of personhood and one’s pursuit to explore the complexities of their identities (including intersectionality and relation to place). These efforts have led to the resurgence of one’s Indigenous identity or identities, which is undoubtedly a political act of decolonization, concrete actions in which peoples (and communities) are exercising their self-determination by reclaiming their voice.

In this respect, this research will explore how digital spaces (social media) conceptualizes and impacts Indigenous identity formation, maintenance, and resurgence. Through a mixed-methods approach, different aspects will be analyzed to offer insights into how digital spaces can support communities to renew or reconstruct their Indigenous identities and understandings of community. Exploring and assessing the role of such digital spaces will offer an overview of the current practices in identity revitalization projects and new perspectives on how to best support Indigenous futures.