About Joanne

'Being OK with not being OK is one of the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves.'

Joanne's ancestry is proudly Cree, Omushkego from Attawapiskat and Mattice Ontario.

The following is a portion of the citation by Monica McKay, Director Aboriginal Initiatives Ryerson University given when Joanne was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Laws in the Community Service Faculty at Ryerson University June 2011.

Joanne has made extraordinary contributions in the areas counseling, advising and educating on Aboriginal concerns and empowering and capacity building within the Aboriginal community and non-Aboriginal community at large.

Her one to one counseling work with people is not limited to people who are of Aboriginal descent.  She brings her whole self to the table in her work - the physical, the mental, the emotional and the spiritual.

In providing the people with whom she works the skills, tools and abilities to create positive change in their lives, Joanne's counseling practices combine personal coaching and traditional teachings. At the same time, she is not ashamed or embarrassed to bring her own life experiences into her counseling work.

She is very open in her work, sharing her own experiences as a Foster child who was affected by the inter-generational impacts of the Residential School system.

As a survivor of physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse, and as a woman who has attempted suicide due to low self-esteem, her willingness to share her own story offers hope to the people she works with.

In doing her work in a good way, with her authentic self present, she firmly grounds herself as a person who has experienced the many painful impacts of colonization and has over come them.

Joanne is committed to working with others in every arena where Aboriginal concerns need to be engaged with.  This had led her to work with an incredible variety of organizations including Ministry of Health Canada, the Royal Ontario Conservatory of Music, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Ryerson University, York University, Seneca College, Diabetes Association of Ontario, Native Canadian Centre of Toronto to name a few and several First Nations and many social service agencies.

Her approaches to working with individuals as well as small and large groups are not only comprehensive but creative, effective and unique.  Her work has transformed lives and improved relations between the Aboriginal community and the non-Aboriginal community.

Joanne maintains her role as Elder for the Aboriginal Education Council at Ryerson University.  Her presence on this council is essential to its ability to work as  a cohesive, respectful body responsible for the infusion of Aboriginal curriculum, worldviews and overall presence in Ryerson University as a whole.

It is in no way an exaggeration to say the progress that is envisioned for Ryerson University in terms of the mandate of the Aboriginal Education Council would not be possible without the support, guidance and active engagement of Joanne.

Here are some very important people, my daughter Tammy, grandson Zacharie and a few special occasions and of course our four legged family member, Samson.

First day of J.K. Sept. 2011

My beautiful daughter.

Honorary Doctorate of Laws June, 2011

Celebrating with my Kookum.

July 2010         Christmas 2008

First Pow Wow   1st Birthday      Dalai Lama 10/30/07

Proud Mommy Tammy  The first day

Samson is the name, A.K.A. the 'Prince'.