Deanna (ᒥᐢᑯᒪᑿ ᐅᑕᐦᑯᓇᐣ) is Anishininewak and mixed settler, a member of Sachigo Lake First Nation on Treaty 9 territory, with mixed European ancestry. She grew up in Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Treaty 6), where she spent much of her time with the land and exploring the Rocky Mountains.

A non-profit leader and policy professional, Deanna is honoured to advocate for First Nations students in receiving the best possible education, now, and for future generations.

Her passion for equitable education and social policy stems from her work with Mikinakoos (Little Turtle) Children’s Fund in coordination with the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority. Deanna has also worked within Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch and the Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program. Prior to Gakino’amaage: Teach For Canada, Deanna worked as a Policy Analyst in the Privy Council Office, where she provided briefings for the Prime Minister and senior government officials on key Indigenous priorities. Key areas of focus included supporting the permanent bilateral mechanisms between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders, and the review of federal laws, policies, and operational practices related to Aboriginal and treaty rights, international human rights standards (including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), and the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

Often navigating what she describes as having her feet ‘in two different canoes’—one focused on advancing Indigenous policy in Canada, and the other on centering Indigenous methodologies and lived experiences in research and practice—Deanna brings an interdisciplinary and grounded perspective to her work.

She holds a Bachelor of Education with distinction from Western University, is a SSHRC Doctoral Scholar, and is concurrently pursuing a Master of Public Health in Indigenous Health at the University of Toronto. She was named a 2022–23 Action Canada Fellow.