Memorial University will welcome Dr. Shauneen Pete, a recognized authority on Indigenization, to the St. John’s and Grenfell campuses later this month.

Dr. Pete will present to the university community at Grenfell Campus on Jan. 16 at 3:30 p.m. in the Arts and Science Atrium, and to the university community on the St. John’s campus on Jan. 17 at 3:30 p.m. in Innovation Hall (IIC-2001).

The St. John’s event will be broadcast to the Aboriginal Resource Centre at the Labrador Institute in Happy-Valley Goose Bay. Faculty, students, staff and other members of the community are invited to attend the public events at all three locations.

Developing a strategy

Dr. Pete’s talk will focus on defining Indigenization and decolonization and is intended to help inform the development of a strategy for Indigenous education for Memorial University.

An educator with more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Pete is a highly sought after First Nations storyteller and presenter on women’s leadership. She is also co-producer of the television show The Four and a writer for RezX Magazine.

Educational consultant

Dr. Pete is from Little Pine First Nation in Saskatchewan. She has worked as a teacher and educational consultant for Indian and Metís education for an urban school division. She is currently an assistant professor and executive lead, Indigenization, at the University of Regina. In this role, she provides leadership to every academic and administrative unit in the university. She previously served in the roles of vice-president (academic) and interim president at First Nations University of Canada.

Dr. Pete is a multiple award winner and nominee; she has received the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, and she has been recognized with a Global Citizen Award from the Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation for her dedication and leadership in global and Indigenous education. She has also been a nominee for the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.

As an Indigenous scholar, Dr. Pete has presented at the local, provincial, national and international level. Dr. Pete’s expertise in Aboriginal education led to invitations to join the Paul Martin Expert Panel on Aboriginal Education and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council’s Aboriginal Advisory Circle.