MAJOR DEVELOPMENT AT UQAT'S SCHOOL OF INDIGENOUS STUDIES
Three new Indigenous members join the faculty

The Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) welcomes three new First Nations faculty members to the School of Indigenous Studies. Eliane Grant, Benjamin Gingras and Christian Rock, belonging respectively to the Eeyou, Anishinabe and Innu nations, are joining the team as visiting professors in this department, the first in Quebec to be entirely dedicated to indigenous studies.

Eliane Grant, Benjamin Gingras and Christian Rock, belonging respectively to the Eeyou, Anishinabe and Innu nations, are joining the team of the School of Indigenous Studies as visiting professors. 

« These three specialists will certainly enhance the activities carried out at the School, thanks to their expertise, their cultural background and their professional and personal careers. We are delighted to welcome them to our team, » says Hugo Asselin, Director of the School of Indigenous Studies.

The School of Indigenous Studies stands out for the diverse and recognised expertise of its teaching staff. Its approach, which is both multidisciplinary and cross-cultural, focuses on interactions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the student community and teaching staff. Indigenous persons, including Atikamekw professor Suzy Basile make up 40% of the faculty and a significant proportion of the lecturing staff. Over a third of undergraduate students are Indigenous, while over a quarter of graduate students are members of Indigenous communities from across Quebec and even from other countries.

Eliane Grant, expert in ecology and land management

A member of the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi, Eliane Grant holds a master's degree in ecology from UQAT. Since 2023, she has worked as a wildlife biologist for the Environment and Remediation Department of the Cree Nation Government. Her work and research focus on land disturbances affecting cultural practices and wildlife species of interest to the Eeyouch (Cree), with an emphasis on the link between traditional knowledge and science. She also manages various wildlife and environmental projects in collaboration with the Cree communities, and supports land users during government consultations. As a visiting professor at UQAT, she is responsible for the Certificate in land management in Indigenous context, and teaches courses related to the program.

Benjamin Gingras, neuropsychologist working with First Peoples

Benjamin Gingras is a neuropsychologist specialising in learning disabilities in paediatric patients. Originally from Val-d'Or, he is a member of the Timiskaming First Nation community. He completed his PhD in neuropsychology in 2018 at the Université du Québec à Montréal. His research focused in particular on the development of intellectual functions after brain injury and the impact of epilepsy on recovery. He taught psychology at college before joining the team at UQAT's School of Indigenous Studies, where he shares his expertise in social intervention programs. Very involved in supporting indigenous people experiencing homelessness, he is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the community organisation Projets Autochtones du Québec.

Christian Rock, a strong experience in indigenous governance

Christian Rock holds a bachelor's degree in law from Université Laval and a master's degree in public administration from the École nationale d'administration publique. He is affiliated with the Ordre des administrateurs agréés (Chartered Administrators Order of Quebec) and is a member of the Innu First Nation of Pessamit. Since 2019, he has acted as special advisor on organisational development for The Mamuitun Tribal Council, a not-for-profit organisation designed to provide professional and technical services to indigenous communities, organisations and governments. For more than twenty years, in a variety of roles, he has developed his knowledge of Indigenous governance by assisting Indigenous communities with public administration. At UQAT, he teaches courses on ethics, leadership, governance and public management in Indigenous context.

UQAT's School of Indigenous Studies: a unique approach

Created in 2016, the School of Indigenous Studies offers a dozen undergraduate programs that are inclusive and respectful of Indigenous knowledge and cultures, and five graduate programs. The courses are all offered through distance learning and cover a wide range of fields, including Indigenous studies, governance, land management, tourism, employability and social intervention.

For more information on the School of Indigenous Studies and its professors: https://www.uqat.ca/en/studies/school-of-indigenous-studies/