(Treaty 4, Regina)—The Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Danette Starblanket as a faculty lecturer at its University of Regina (U of R) campus effective July 1, 2021.
“Danette is a gifted instructor with a deep knowledge of Indigenous governance and communities,” said Jim Farney, JSGS director, U of R campus. “I’m very pleased to have her join the school and for our colleagues and students to benefit greatly from her scholarly expertise and practical experience.”
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.
“The JSGS is one of the finest policy school’s in the country and I am elated to have the opportunity to teach alongside such esteemed colleagues,” said Starblanket. “My focus is Indigenous governance and public policy and my goal is to help expand that area within the school.”
Starblanket has a Master of Arts in Indigenous Studies from the U of R, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Indigenous Studies and a Bachelor of Arts (Advanced) in English from the U of R and FNUniv. She is currently finalizing her PhD through the JSGS’s USask campus. Her dissertation, Government and Indigenous Protest: An Analysis of the Response to Idle No More, examines how Idle No More activated the global community to demand change to the way the government deals with First Nations in Canada. The movement, Starblanket believes, was the catalyst for First Nations people to stand up and voice their opposition to demand change and improve the lives of future generations.
In addition to publishing in academic journals, including the International Journal of Qualitative Methods and the Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering, Starblanket has recently published book chapters ranging in topics from restoring Indigenous sexuality, to dementia and ageing in Indigenous communities, to Indigenous Peoples’ intellectual property as a health determinant, to Indigenous women and water governance in Canada.