The Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII) was created through a recommendation of
Queen’s 2017 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Task Force Final Report.
252 Richardson Hall
74 University Ave.
Queen’s University at Kingston
Kingston ON K7L 3N6
indigenous.initiatives@queensu.ca
613-533-6000 ext. 79168
Kanonhsyonne - Janice Hill
ON LEAVE / Associate Vice-Principal (Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation)
indigenous.initiatives@queensu.ca
Kanonhsyonne (Jan) leads the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, providing strategic support and leadership university-wide to oversee the implementation from the Queen's TRC Task Force Report recommendations. Jan is Turtle Clan, a Clan Mother of the Mohawk Nation from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. She began her academic career as an adjunct faculty member in the Faculty of Education and went on to help establish the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program, serving as Academic Co-Director for the program in 1997-98.
Jan is in the process of completing her Master of Arts in Gender Studies at Queen’s. Jan served as Director of the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre for 7 years prior to being appointed as the Director of Indigenous Initiatives and most recently the Associate Vice-Principal (Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation) .
Vacant
Associate Director
Mika Henry
Acting Associate Director
Mika hails from Kenhté:ke (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory), although she grew up in the London, Ontario area. For the last 2.5 years, Mika has been the Project and Communications Coordinator in the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Previously, Mika worked for her home community, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, in the role of Communications Officer. With a formal education in Public Relations and Corporate Communications as well as Broadcast Journalism, Mika has been the driving force behind many new initiatives at Queen’s that have advanced Indigenization and reconciliation and assisted in bringing visibility to important Indigenous issues. Mika has taken a leadership role in planning and executing many of these large initiatives, while working collaboratively with various departments in the university. A few examples include the Moose Hide Campaign, the REDress Project, the virtual Indigenous Knowledge Symposium as well as the first NDTR recognized on campus.
Amy Brant
Indigenous Training Lead
Amy Brant is from the Mohawk Nation at Kenhté:ke. She is a graduate of the Justice Studies (Paralegal) Program at Loyalist College and is currently completing her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Indigenous studies at Queens University. She has been passionate about the story of her community from a young age and has great concern for the rights and interests of Indigenous people. Most recently, Amy has been working on developing an Indigenous Awareness Certificate as well as delivering the land acknowledgment workshop.
She has been a lifelong leaner of the history of Kenhté:ke and has chosen to pursue this as a career. For 8 years, Amy worked in Research for the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. During this time, she gained valued experience in historical research and First Nations administration and policy.
Te ho wis kwûnt - Allen Doxtator
Cultural Advisor
Te ho wis kwûnt (Al) provides support to students, staff and faculty university-wide. Al is available for one on one meetings, workshop facilitation and presentations. Al is Oneida from Oneida First Nation of the Thames near London, Ontario. He is a member of the Bear Clan. Al brings more than 45 years of experience as a social worker to his role at Queen’s.
Kimberly Gall
Administrative Assistant
indigenous.initiatives@queensu.ca
Kim grew up in Burlington, Ontario and moved to Kingston in 2015. Kim is Mi’kmaq and her family is from the Membertou First Nation Reserve on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. With a Business Marketing Diploma, she also has 10+ years experience in Administration and Marketing. She has recently completed the Indigenous Canada Course through the University of Alberta and is looking forward to supporting and learning more about the Department of Indigenous Initiatives.
Cynthia Delahaye
On Leave - Administrative Assistant
indigenous.initiatives@queensu.ca
Cynthia is Ojibway whose family is from the Batchewana First Nation Reserve in Sault Ste. Marie. Cynthia oversees administrative duties within the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and provides support to Working Groups and Committees. She has worked previously with the Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre to provide administrative and cultural support to the Indigenous Staff and Students at Queen’s University. Additionally, Cynthia has held a variety of roles with the Provincial Government of Ontario after completing both an Office Administration and Police Foundations Diploma from St. Lawrence College.
Misty Underwood
Indigenous Pathways Coordinator
indigenous.initiatives@queensu.ca
Misty is from rural North Texas. Her first educational experiences were on the land learning both from her grandmother’s stories and Mother Nature herself. After completing her high school equivalency diploma, she was recruited to attend nearby Weatherford College and won a dance scholarship. Misty completed an associate degree there, followed by a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of North Texas. Inspired by her grandmothers’ legacies as teachers (formal and informal), Misty taught in the Lubbock Independent School District while completing a master's degree in Educational Psychology at Texas Tech University. After working at the University of Texas at Arlington, Misty moved to Canada to work and continue her studies at the University of Alberta. While completing graduate work in Educational Policy Studies, she was a program coordinator and continues to serve as an instructor in the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program.
With more than 15 years' experience as a student support specialist, administrator, and an educator in both K-12 and post-secondary settings, Misty specializes in academic success as well as inclusion, land-based pedagogies, and alternative assessment practices. At Queen’s University, she is the program coordinator for a deans’ established initiative with the goal of creating an access pathway for Indigenous learners.