MEET THE TEAM
The Urban Indigenous Wellbeing Collective is an interdisciplinary research collective of Elders, community members, partner organizations, and Indigenous and settler researchers and trainees. Guided by principles of an Indigenous relational approach, this team is committed to respectfully working with, and responding to, Urban Indigenous Community identified research priorities. Team members have experience and expertise in community-led Indigenous research methodologies, Indigenous health, health promotion, identity and belonging, cultural safety, land-based healing, population health, geography, creative practices, occupational therapy, and mental wellness.
Gabrielle Legault (Lead)
Gabrielle Legault is Métis from Saskatchewan and an Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies at UBC Okanagan. Her research focuses on Indigenous identities, belonging, and wholistic wellbeing with an interest in supporting urban Indigenous youth.
Shawn Wilson
Shawn Wilson is an Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies at UBC Okanagan. Through working with Indigenous Peoples internationally, Shawn has applied Indigenist philosophy within the contexts of Indigenous education, health and counsellor education and his research focuses on the inter-relatedness of identity, health, healing, culture and wellbeing.
Alanaise Ferguson
Alanaise Ferguson is an Indigenous scientist-practitioner and educator in Counselling Psychology. She aims to decolonize mental health practices by addressing serious manifestations of colonial violence such as gangs and gender based violence. As one of very few Indigenous Registered Psychologists in British Columbia, she maintain active service within several Indigenous communities.
Skye Barbic
Skye Barbic is an Assistant Professor in Occupational Therapy in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC Vancouver and Head Scientist for Foundry. Skye’s areas of expertise include youth mental health, substance use, and youth housing/community dwelling.
Sarah de Leeuw
Sarah de Leeuw is a Professor in the Northern Medical Program at the University of Northern British Columbia and Department of Geography and Community Health Science. Her areas of expertise include social-cultural geography, health-humanities, social determinants of health using anti-colonial methodologies.
Tania Willard
Tania Willard is a mixed Secwépemc and settler artist whose research intersects with land-based art practices. Her practice activates connection to land, culture, and family, centring art as an Indigenous resurgent act though collaborative projects like language revitalization in Secwépemc communities.
Peter Hutchinson
Peter Hutchinson is an Assistant Professor in Indigenous Studies at UBC Okanagan. Peter’s research focuses on Indigenous public and population health, cultural safety in health services, anti-indigenous racism in health services, chronic disease, and tobacco cessation.
Elder Bill McKenna
Bill is Secwepemc and a member of the Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation. After 39 years working for the BC provincial government Bill retired and began working in a new direction. For 3 years Bill participated with a group of Elders supporting Indigenous families who were involved with the Ministry of Child and Family Development. For a time Bill was also the Vancouver Urban Outreach Liaison for the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw. The Tribal Council representing the 4 northern Secwepemc Nations. Since relocating to Kelowna Bill has become a Board Member for the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society and has recently been named as a KFS delegate to the School District 23 Indigenous Education Council.
Karlyn Olsen
Karlyn Olsen is a settler born on the unceded territory of the Syilx, Sinixt and Ktunaxa Peoples. Karlyn is honoured to work with and learn from communities. She is Research Manager at UBC Okanagan for Indigenous Health Promotion and Cultural Safety Projects.
Mimi Mutahi
Mimi Mutahi is a Kenyan living and working on the traditional, unceded, ancestral territory of the Syilx Peoples. She is a Conference Coordinator for Indigenous Health and approaches her work in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences from both her Economic and Equity and Inclusion lens.
Keyara Brody
Keyara Brody is Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw from the Sea Wolf clan on her mother side and has French and Mohawk ancestry on her fathers. She has been on Syilx territory for 6 years now pursuing her education. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Rehabilitation Science. Her project looks at bringing Traditional practices and land-based wellness into urban spaces for Indigenous youth as a means of increasing cultural connectedness. She hopes to pursue a career in Indigenous health and wellness.
Denica Bleau
Denica Bleau is a Métis counsellor, advocate, artist, and PhD student, originally from Treaty 4. Denica has worked/volunteered within the communities of Treaty 4, Secwepemc and Syilx Territories, Pictish and Gaelic Celt (Celtic) Territories (Scotland), and Incan Territory (Peru), in the realms of counselling and social work within prison and following release. Denica's research is focused on Indigenous Land-based healing from the effects of criminalized and institutionalized trauma.
Dante Carter
Dante Carter is a nêhiyaw-iskwêw (Cree woman) from Onion Lake Cree Nation. She is in her first year of her Masters program in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Indigenous Knowledges Theme. Her community-based research, focused on Nanâtawihowin (Healing & Finding Place), delves into economic development that enhances community supports for Indigenous women and two-spirited folx to fortify matriarchal systems that safeguard youths’ cultural identity. Her research will be conducted in partnership with her home community.
Geraldine Manossa
Geraldine Manossa is a member of the Bigstone Cree Nation in Treaty 8. She is a 1st year, PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies: Indigenous Knowledge stream. Her research focuses on how land-inclusive reconciliation efforts can be implemented with Indigenous communities. She has worked with both the First Nations Health Authority and En’owkin Centre in developing Indigenous transformative, community-based and Nation-led initiatives, services and programs.
Noah Chenoweth
Noah Chenoweth is Syilx from the Upper Nicola Indian Band part of the Okanagan Nation. Noah also has ancestry within other Interior Salish Nations including NłeɁkepmx and St’at’Inc. He also has mixed ancestry with Norwegian and German lineage. Noah is currently pursing a Ph.D. in the Indigenous Knowledge stream focusing on experiential education for Indigenous students within higher education. Specifically analyzing how land-based pedagogies and global exchanges can enhance educational experiences for Indigenous students. He hopes to join UBCO as faculty.
Lindsay DuPré
Lindsay DuPré is a Métis scholar, community collaborator, mom and auntie. Her teaching and research interests include: Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies, community health and wellbeing, and digital pedagogy. Lindsay is a Vanier scholar and her doctoral project titled Indigenous Knowledge and changing environments: epistemic nurturance and protection through home examines the inseparable links between kinship, epistemic justice and community resilience within a Cree and Métis cultural context on the prairies. Lindsay is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan.
FOUNDING MEMBERS
The Urban Indigenous Wellbeing Collective was founded in 2021, thanks to the dedication and vision of our founding members. While they are no longer active members of the Collective, their contributions were integral in shaping the foundation and mission of our collective. We honour their legacy and the solid groundwork they established for our ongoing work in prioritizing Indigenous health and wellbeing.
Elder Diana Moar
Elder Diana Moar and her family are Anishinaabe and members of the Berens River First Nation in Manitoba. She lives and works within the Unceded, Traditional, Ancestral Territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation. Elder Diana is an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Faculty of Health and Social Development and School of Nursing teaching cultural safety. She is the Elder Advisor for several urban Indigenous-led Traditional and Western approaches to health and wellness research projects. Elder Diana has been in the role of Indigenous Patient Navigator since 2008 teaching nurses, physicians, social workers, and other health care professionals and students.
Building trusting relationships that are respectful, honouring, loving, and kind are gifts that are part of our Healing and Wellness Journey.
Donna Kurtz
Donna Kurtz is a Registered Nurse and Associate Professor Emerita in the UBC Okanagan Faculty of Health and Social Development and the former Indigenous Health Liaison. Over the last twenty years Donna has worked with and learned from several urban Indigenous Peoples and communities, including Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Healers, youth and leaders, who led the way for meaningful relationships with health authorities and multidisciplinary teams. This resulted in community led co-development, implementation and evaluation of culturally safe and distinctive Indigenous health research projects that honoured Traditional and Westernapproaches to wellness.