Danette Starblanket is an urban member of the Star Blanket Cree Nation in Treaty 4 Territory. Throughout her professional career, she has served as both an educator and First Nations civil servant, offering insight on treaties and Indigenous politics.

Over the years she has taught Indigenous Studies courses at First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv), Women and Gender Studies courses at the U of R, and Political Science courses at both the U of R and University of Saskatchewan (USask). From 2000 to 2016, she served intermittently in numerous capacities at the Federation of Saskatchewan Indigenous Nations (FSIN), including as executive director of the Justice Secretariat, Lands and Resources Secretariat, and Education and Training Secretariat, executive operating officer and chief of staff, and as a political and policy advisor. She has also consulted with several First Nations organizations including File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council, Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre, Okanese First Nation, and the Star Blanket Cree Nation, as well as many non-Indigenous organizations such as the Saskatoon Greater Catholic School Division and the Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada.

Designations

• Ph.D., Public Policy, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan
• Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (CERTESL), University of Saskatchewan
• M.A., Indian Studies, University of Regina
• B.A. (Honours), Indian Studies, University of Regina
• B.A. (Advanced), English, University of Regina/Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (now known as First Nations University of Canada)

Recent Awards/Scholarships

• CIHR/CCNA Science Days Travel Award (2019)
• CIHR/CCNA Conference Travel Award (2018)
• AGEWELL Conference Travel Subsidy (2018)
• Health Sciences North Research Institute (HSNRI) HQP ACCESS Award (2018)
• Health Sciences North Research Institute (HSNRI) HQP Award (2017)
• Indspire Award (2017)
• Queen Elizabeth II Centennial Aboriginal Scholarship (2015)
• University of Saskatchewan Indigenous Students’ Council, Aboriginal Achievement Award (2014)

Publications and Working Manuscripts

• Bourassa, C., McKenna, B., Keewatin, M., Anderson, S., Legare, M., Hagel, M., Starblanket, D., Billan, J., McIlduff, C. 2021. “Restoring Indigenous Sexuality” in Teaching about Sex and Sexualities in Higher Education. Susan Hillock ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Published Book Chapter.
• Bourassa, C., Jardine, M., Starblanket, D., Lefevbre, S., Legare, M., Hickey, D., Deiter, J., McKenna, B., Boehme, G., Akan, N. 2021. “Pursuing Pathways to Care: Dementia and Aging in Indigenous Communities”. Aging People, Aging Places: Experiences, Opportunities and Challenges of Growing Older in Canada. Maxwell Hartt, Samantha Biglieri, Mark W. Rosenberg and Sarah E. Nelson eds. Bristol: Bristol University Press. Published Book Chapter.
• Bourassa, C., Billan, J., Starblanket, D., Anderson, S., Legare, M., Hagel, M., Oakes, N., Jardine, M., Boehme, G., Dubois, E., Spencer, O., Hotomani, M., McKenna, B. 2020. “Ethical research engagement with Indigenous communities”. Published in Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering. Vol. 7. June 22, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2055668320922706
• Starblanket, D., O’Connell, M., Gould, B., Jardine, M., Ferguson, M., Bourassa, C. 2019. “Defining Technology User Needs of Indigenous Older Adults Requiring Dementia Care”. Published in Gerontechnology, 18(3), 122-135. http://journal.gerontechnology.org/
• Starblanket, D., Lefebvre, S., Legare, M., Billan, J., Akan, N., Goodpipe, E., Bourassa, C. 2019. “Natawihowin Acimowina Kika-Mosahkinkehj Papiskici-Itascikewin Astocikowina (Medicine/Healing Stories Picked, Sorted, Stored): Adapting the Collective Consensual Data Analytic Procedure (CCDAP) as an Indigenous Research Method”. Published in International Journal of Qualitative Methods. Vol. 18. pp.1-10. Sage Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1609406919896140 
• Starblanket, D., Legare, M. 2019. “Testing Locally Developed Language Apps to Reduce Caregiver Stress and Promote “Aging in Place” as it Relates to Dementia in Indigenous Populations”. Published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Vol 15(75). https://alzjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.4061
• Starblanket, D., Jardine, M., Hickey, D., Ferguson, M., Legare, M., Bourassa, C., O’Connell, M., & Gould, B. “Dementia and Aging in Indigenous Communities: Using Technologies for Aging in Place”. Submitted to International Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing.
• Bourassa, C., Starblanket D., Lefebvre, S., Legare, M., Akan, N., Anderson, S., Billan, J., Keewatin, M., Hagel, M., Hengstermann, M., & Oakes, N. 2019. “Indigenous Peoples’ Intellectual Property as a Health Determinant”. Canadian Scholars & Women’s Press Book Chapter. In review.
• Bourassa, C., Lefebvre, S., Oakes, N., Starblanket, D., Hagel, M., Legare, M., Keewatin, M., Kisikaw Piyesis, M., Boehme, G. “Reclaiming Indigenous Research and Knowledge as Self-Determination in Bridging the Gap in Social and Health Disparities”. Handbook of the History of Human Sciences Book Chapter. In edits. 
• Kisikaw Piyesis, M., Bourassa, C., Pelletier, C., Starblanket, D., Lefebvre, S., Jardine, M., & Billan, J. “Digging Deep: Examining the root causes of HIV and AIDS among Aboriginal women”. In edits. 
• Bourassa, C., Starblanket, D., Legare, M. 2018. “Indigenous women and water governance in Canada: Traditional roles and current policy”. International Journal of Water Governance. In edits.

 

_{Banner image: Tom Magliery on Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0}