Keynote Speaker: Kahontakwas Diane Longboat
Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives, Shkaabe Makwa Centre, CAMH
Topic: Building Indigenous Sovereignty; renewing peaceful relations and wampum traditions
Hosts: Chris Snyder & Steve Smith
Rotary Toronto Meeting Wednesday, June 5th, 2024
Dinner at The National Club, 303 Bay Street, Toronto
Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions are those expressed by the Speaker and do not necessarily reflect the official views or opinions, policy or position of The Rotary Club of Toronto or its Members.
Biography
Kahontakwas Diane Longboat, B.A, B.Ed, M.Ed is a member of the Turtle Clan, Mohawk Nation at Six Nations Grand River Territory, Canada and a citizen of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Diane’s work is situated at the intersection of health, education and systems transformation based on traditional Indigenous epistemology. She is the founder of Soul of the Mother, a healing and teaching lodge on the shores of the Grand River and First Nations House, the Office of Indigenous Student Services and Programs at the University of Toronto.
Since 2013, Diane has served as Elder for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada’s largest and leading institution for clinical services and research for mental well-being. Diane led the development of the Ceremony Grounds for CAMH to establish the Sweat Lodge, the medicine gardens and the Sacred Fire with 44 healing ceremonies, including the policy development required to support traditional Indigenous healing as a standard of practice.
Today, as Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives, in Shkaabe Makwa Centre at CAMH, her work involves organizational strategy for designing culturally grounded services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and advancing the CAMH Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan. Beyond CAMH, Diane has been instrumental in influencing the anti-racism and health justice strategy of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network through the creation of the Indigenous Health Action Network comprised of Indigenous health leaders providing strategic advice to the CEOs of the 17 member hospitals in the GTA. As consultant to the Ontario Hospital Association, Diane supports their leadership as they co-create their engagement strategy with First Nations, Inuit and Métis and the 140 member hospitals throughout Ontario to work towards better patient outcomes and well-being.