Seven Indigenous Alumni Who Are Making a Difference

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This year, we're taking a moment to celebrate a handful of our many incredible Indigenous…

Image for Post

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This year, we're taking a moment to celebrate a handful of our many incredible Indigenous alumni at the U of A. As students, each had a positive impact on our university community. Today, they extend that impact well beyond the borders of campus - they challenge us to think and act differently, and inspire meaningful change in communities across the country.

Here are seven Indigenous alumni who are making a difference:

Image for Post

Chelsea Benally was the first Indigenous woman to graduate with a PhD in the Faculty of Engineering. After feeling detached from her first engineering job, she came to the U of A to research methods for treating oil sands tailings ponds - research she now continues as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Chelsea aims to help others follow in her footsteps by creating pathways for Indigenous youth to pursue environmental studies.

Image for Post

Duane Linklater is a performer, filmmaker, and installation artist whose award-winning work has been exhibited across Canada. His art focuses on the meaning and repercussion of cultural loss, recovery, and authenticity. You can find one of his recent works - the sculpture, mikikwanmikikwan - featured in Edmonton's Indigenous Art Park.

Image for Post

Jenna Joyce Broomfield is a lawyer, throatsinger, and member of Inuit Edmontonmiut - a society dedicated to fostering and promoting Inuit culture in Edmonton. Since being called to the bar in 2018, she has focused on practicing civil litigation, criminal, and family law. She also works to promote cultural dialogue between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples through her performance and educational workshops.

Image for Post

Glen Coulthard is a professor at the University of British Columbia and author of the award-winning book, Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition. He co-founded and continues to oversee the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, which delivers Indigenous-centred and land-based arts, culture, language and educational programming.

Image for Post

Pearl Calahasen was the first Métis woman elected to public office in Alberta, and served as an MLA from 1989-2015. She dedicated her career to advocating for Indigenous families and education. She continues this work as the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Pedagogical Supervisor for the Northland School division, developing Indigenous language and community programs.

Image for Post

Kenneth Williams is a playwright and professor in the U of A's drama department. He was the first Indigenous person to graduate with an MFA in playwriting from the U of A, and is best known for his plays Café Daughter and Bannock Republic. His works have been performed across the country, and are known for tackling the historical and contemporary issues that Indigenous peoples face in Canada.

Image for Post

Tracy Bear is a professor of Natives Studies and Women's & Gender Studies at the U of A. She also serves as Director of the Indigenous Women's Resilience Project, which combines Indigenous scholarly and community methodologies to explore community resiliency, and to mobilize findings into long-term initiatives that benefit communities. You might also recognize her from Indigenous Canada and Tipi Confessions.

This list represents only a handful of our many incredible Indigenous alumni at the U of A. Do you have more names to add? Let us know in the comments below!