Ashley Johnson is Mohawk from Six Nations, ON.  She grew up mostly off-reserve with strong family and personal ties to Six Nations.  She is passionate about her community, Hamilton’s urban Indigenous community and her identity as a Mohawk woman.  She is currently completing her final year as a psychiatry resident in the Department of Psychiatry, McMaster University.  She completed medical school at Western University in London, ON in 2014. 

Prior to pursuing a career in medicine, Ashley completed a Master of Arts degree in Community Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON.  The Community Psychology program was pivotal in her professional development and aligned very well with her Indigenous values.  She has always been passionate about understanding and/or advocating for Indigenous social issues, Indigenous determinants of health, Indigenous ways of knowing and being and education of Indigenous students.  As such, her Master’s thesis entitled “Understanding Academic Success of Onkwehonwe (Indigenous) students through the use of an Onkwehonwe’neha (Indigenous methodology)” explored factors which led to academic success for post-graduate Indigenous students.  In the process of this (re)search, students inevitably shared the barriers and challenges, including systemic/institutional/academic racism and cultural dissonance they experienced in their academic journeys.   This (re)search strengthened Ashley’s passion in advocating for Indigenous students.

Ashley currently participates in the Indigenous Health Initiative (IHI) with the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Indigenous Mental Health Initiative with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University.

She provides psychiatric care in multiple settings, including work with De Dwa Da Dehs Nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre.  She is passionate about providing culturally safe, sensitive and appropriate care to Indigenous populations.  She also presents, educates and consults on topics related to Indigenous Mental Health Care. 

Danielle was the Ethical Guidelines and Knowledge Transfer Projects Coordinator for the McMaster/University of Toronto Indigenous Health Research Development Program, NEAHR (then ACADRE) Centre prior to her departure to Ottawa where she was the Senior Policy Analyst/Research Officer of the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) and Managing Editor of the Journal of Aboriginal Health. She returned to McMaster in 2010 as the Director and Program Coordinator for the ISHS office. In 2012, Danielle received the President’s Award for Outstanding Service.

Working to decrease barriers for Indigenous learners and to work with students to serve as mentor in their professional development, as a course supervisor, an instructor or strengthening their leadership skills are all components of her role as Director that she is most passionate and committed. Danielle continues to publish, conduct peer reviews and speak within the fields of equity, competency, power and privilege within health professions education, the broader social determinants of health, and the promotion and integration of Indigenous scholarship within health professions curriculum.  Danielle is a founding member of the National Indigenous Health Sciences Circle (NIHScC). She is a member of the Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education Network (LIME), Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC) and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) all of which assist in the ongoing learning, engagement, and knowledge sharing with leading Indigenous scholars and health professionals.

Danielle’s most recent conference presentations include “Where are you from? Reframing Facilitated Admissions Policies in the Faculty of Health Sciences.” Daniels: In and Beyond the Law. Rupertsland Centre for Métis Research, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB. 2017. “Responding to The Challenge: Innovation in Increasing Diversity of Canadian Medical Education through the Fusions of Indigenous and Western Knowledge at McMaster University's School of Medicine.”  Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) Barcelona, Spain. 2016 and “Yes, this Elective is Biased! Student Knowledge Translation in Education and Career Post Aboriginal Health Elective.” Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education Network (LIME). LIME Connection VI. Townsville, AU. 2015

Catherine Booker is very familiar with identity politics. She is a Munsee-Delaware woman with both Celtic and African-American heritage. Her primary joy in life is being mom to Carida (5) and Fionnagh (2). She was born and raised in Norfolk County, next to Six Nations Territory and has enduring ties to her Mohawk family there.

Catherine graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in Brantford with her Honors BA in Contemporary and Indigenous Studies. She was instrumental in creating an Indigenous Student’s group for the Brantford campus, which allowed people to connect, support one another, and celebrate their cultures. This group was a platform for Indigenous voices to be heard within the institution. She has carried these ideals forward into her work at McMaster, originally as an Indigenous Outreach Educator through Engineering, where she worked with Indigenous as well as at-risk youth, both in the Greater-Hamilton area as well as Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.

Catherine values diversity and inclusion, Indigenous learner’s education, and creating mindful space at ISHS, possibly over a cup of tea. She is excited for the unique opportunities and challenges of serving McMaster students and her community as part of the ISHS Team.

Jordan is a Nehiyaw (Cree) iskwew who was born and raised in Regina, SK. She relocated to Hamilton in 2002 to be closer to her mother and sister. She is a mother to twin 10 year old boys Mahingan and Nikik who inspire and teach her new things each and everyday.

In 2005, Jordan graduated with honours from the Native Community Care: Counseling and Development Program at Mohawk College and obtained her Bachelor of Education in Aboriginal Adult Education from Brock University in 2014. She has work experience in local Indigenous organizations, such as, De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre as a Health Promotion Officer and Project Coordinator for Aboriginal Children’s Healthy Community Project & Niwasa Aboriginal Education Programs as an Aboriginal Youth Advisor in an inner city high school.

Jake Cruickshank is a Chippewa of Nawash Turtle clan from Cape Croker, born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. Jake is a first-generation post-secondary student and a fourth-year sociology major who is also pursuing a minor in political sciences at McMaster University. He is also a member of the varsity men’s lacrosse team since 2016. Jake is a member of the McMaster youth council for the Mac Youth Movement which is a collaborative to help Indigenous youth access education through sports. He is also a member of the Co-operative of Indigenous Studies Students and Alumni (CISSA). Jake has an interest in politics, as well as improving settler-Indigenous relations. 

Tansi, Hello, All My Relations

My name is Elysha Bear-Morin, I am a prelaw student and currently in my third year of an Honours Indigenous Studies major and Anthropology minor. My family line and kinship ties are Cree from the treaty ten territory in northern Saskatchewan. I am a youth leader, advocate, Elder’s consultant, and knowlegde holder within my community and the community outreach coordinator for the Cooperative of Indigenous Studies Students and Alumni. My focus apart from school is not-for-profit leadership, and supporting Indigenous females. I facilitate Bannock Talks amongst my peers, these discussions focus on Indigenous women in academia. I am actively involved with the Indigenous Health Movement at McMaster which focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to health. My interest in law stems from my love for my community, because of lived experience and the impacts of environmental degradation on the health and well-being of community.