Laurier expert alert: National Indigenous History Month

May 28, 2024
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO — June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, a time to celebrate and learn about First Nations, Inuit and Métis heritage. Experts at Wilfrid Laurier University are available to discuss related topics, including Indigenous knowledge, rights and well-being, goals related to Indigeneity, Indigenous-led stewardship, Indigenous-settler relations, and environmental strategies. 

The following list includes experts who are available to speak at this time but does not represent the full breadth of expertise that exists at Laurier.  

For a more comprehensive inventory of the university’s faculty researchers, consult the Experts at Laurier database.  

Alex Latta is an associate professor in the departments of Global Studies, and Geography and Environmental Studies, and an executive member and past director of Laurier’s Cold Regions Research Centre. He is an expert, from a settler Canadian perspective, on how reconciliation connects with Indigenous rights and leadership in relation to climate change, resource development and Indigenous-led environmental stewardship. Latta is involved in multiple research collaborations in the Northwest Territories, with a focus on climate change adaptation, food security and Indigenous-led conservation. Contact: alatta@wlu.ca 

Lianne Leddy, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Histories and Historical Practice in Canada and an associate professor in the Department of History, conducts research focused on Indigenous-settler relations, particularly those framed by gender and environmental issues. Leddy is a member of Serpent River First Nation and her recent book, Serpent River Resurgence: Confronting Uranium Mining at Elliot Lake, documents the impacts of uranium mining in her home territory. Contact: lleddy@wlu.ca 

Darren Thomas is Laurier’s associate vice-president: Indigenous Initiatives. The most senior Indigenous leader at Laurier, Thomas provides strategic advice, support and expertise to academic and administrative units across the institution to achieve goals related to Indigeneity. As a researcher, he focuses on Indigenous rights, resource governance and self-determination. Thomas has worked in the educational, health care and child welfare sectors to support efforts to improve services as the sectors work toward reconciliation and Indigenization. He is also the author of Laurier’s Indigenous Strategic Plan. Contact: dthomas@wlu.ca

Learn more about Laurier's involvement in National Indigenous History Month.