An in-depth conversation with esteemed Mi’kmaw educator, scholar and friend, Dr. Marie Battiste
We welcome back our friend of the TRC#57 Speaker Series, esteemed Mi’kmaw educator and scholar Marie Battiste who will discuss the updated (2025) edition of Protecting Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage: A Canadian Obligation. This pivotal work examines the global and Canadian efforts to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), focusing on the preservation of Indigenous knowledge systems, cultural heritage, and languages.
Drawing from decades of negotiations and advocacy, Marie will share the challenges and opportunities in weaving Indigenous and Eurocentric knowledge systems, reforming intellectual property laws, and decolonizing educational curricula. This topic offers valuable insights for scholars, educators, policymakers, and advocates dedicated to advancing UPDRIP and Indigenous rights.
About Marie Battiste
Marie Battiste is a Mi’kmaw educator and scholar from Potlotek First Nation in Nova Scotia. She holds a Master of Education in Administration and Social Policy from Harvard University (1974), and a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Teacher Education from Stanford University (1984). As a professor in the Department of Educational Foundations at the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Battiste has dedicated her career to advancing Indigenous knowledge and decolonizing education. She has authored and edited several influential works, including Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit and Reclaiming Indigenous Voice and Vision. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, such as being named an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Dr. Battiste’s work emphasizes the importance of Indigenous languages, decolonization, and education. She has contributed to the creation of numerous Indigenous educational organizations, including the Mi’kmaw educational authority Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey. In 2021, Dr. Battiste joined Cape Breton University as Special Advisor to the Vice President Academic and to Unama’ki College on decolonizing the academy.
Throughout her career, Dr. Battiste has been a leading advocate for the protection of Indigenous knowledge and the decolonization of education systems, working tirelessly to promote social justice and cognitive justice through the integration of diverse knowledge systems and languages. She and her husband, James Youngblood Henderson (Sa’ke’j), have three children and a grandson.
