YukonU welcomes Gä̀gala-ƛ̓iƛ̓ətko (Nadia Joe) as the new AVP Indigenous Engagement and Partnerships

Yukon University is pleased to announce that Gä̀gala-ƛ̓iƛ̓ətko Nadia Joe (u- /a- /Dä̀n) has become the new Associate Vice-President Indigenous Engagement and Partnerships (AVP-IE&P).

Gä̀gala is a member of the Crow Clan from the Champagne & Aishihik First Nations and the daughter of Dä Ké (Dave Joe) and Niketko (Mary Jane Joe).

She has spent the past 14+ years working as an environmental professional and supporting Indigenous communities across Canada advancing their rights and interests in water security through various water co-management initiatives.  A Gordon Foundation Jane Glassco Northern Fellow and Trudeau Foundation mentor, Gä̀gala has dedicated her professional career to applying respectful and practical ways to protect Indigenous knowledge and heritage.  As a child of the Yukon land claims movement, she was raised by a river and loved into leadership by the many elders, leaders, mentors of the nłe?kepmx and southern Tutchone-Tlingit peoples.

“Shäw niddän (thank you) and my heart swells at this opportunity to return home to the lands that raised me and to the people who know me simply as, ‘that Joe girl’,” said Gä̀gala-ƛ̓iƛ̓ətko Nadia Joe. “It’s an honour to be called to this work at such a pivotal moment of transformation and I’m so grateful for the path that others in this position, and those supporting this position, have already set out. Our Kwädą̄y Kwändür (long-ago stories) teach us about how to move through moments of significant change and I draw from the strengths of our histories, stories, and memories as we learn to write a shared story of transformation for Yukon research and education.”

The AVP-IE&P will provide transformative vision, strategy, leadership and direction to advancing Yukon University’s commitment to reconciliation. This position will lead the implementation of YukonU’s Indigenization strategy and provide guidance and oversight on Indigenous issues through the First Nations Initiatives unit. It also supports the promotion and development of Indigenization and Reconciliation scholarship and research at Yukon University.

“Nadia is an accomplished project manager and scientist who brings extensive knowledge in how to incorporate Traditional Knowledge into decision-making throughout Yukon and British Columbia”, said Dr. Lesley Brown, President and Vice-Chancellor, Yukon University. “I am so pleased to welcome Nadia Joe to Yukon University. We are thrilled that someone with Nadia’s track record as a leader has chosen to come home to the Yukon and join our team. Nadia will help continue Yukon University’s work advancing reconciliation and ensuring the University’s partnership and engagement with Indigenous people remains strong. This is a proud moment for us, as we strive to build Canada’s first university north of sixty.”

This position will foster an environment where Indigenous students, faculty, staff, collaborators, elders, and visitors can thrive in a safe and culturally competent campus. The AVP-IE&P will collaborate with First Nations governments and communities within the Yukon as well as the Government of Yukon to advance the vision for post-secondary education in the territory.

Joe will begin her duties at Yukon University on Monday, August 28, 2023.