Biography
For a long time, when I was asked to introduce myself, I would freeze. I was never sure if people wanted to know more about Julie the Academic or Julie the Poet/Artist.
I learned to embrace both parts of my “self” and incorporated all of my gifts, skills, annoyances (we all have some of those, right?), and nuisances into Julie the Human.
I describe myself in many ways:
A lifelong learner
An Inuk scholar
A grand optimist
A traveller
A nature lover
A creator and a maker
An entrepreneur
A poet
An educator and an ethicist
A philosopher
An orator
A curator
A trainer and facilitator
A winter enthusiast (we’re a rare breed)
An idea generator
A deep thinker and a deeper feeler
I’m an integrator, a change-maker, and a sh!t disturber. My PhD was in Indigenous ethics research, and I’m now known internationally for my scholarly work in those fields. My work is interdisciplinary, and I specialize in working with individuals, businesses, and organizations who wish for better relationships between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people. I align best with those who act from a place of service and community, and who know that change starts and ends with them as individuals within the collective. I’m learning to think with my heart and invite you to do the same.
I’m also an artist and a performer, and I use poetry and spoken word art to convey messages of resilience, struggle, truths, and empowerment. In 2020, I published my first book in the Spiritual Connection Collection, (h)in(d)sight 2020.
Whether I’m re-writing standard operating procedures for research ethics boards or writing collective poems on a zoom meeting, my motivation and vision remain the same: justice for Indigenous Peoples.
Mostly, I am a curious soul having a human experience.
