President's Public Lecture Series - "Repatriation to Reconciliation - The Genesis of a Canadian Identity"

Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux
Date: Friday, Oct. 24, 2025
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location: OA 1033, Lakehead Orillia campus + Live stream

The Repatriation of the Canadian Constitution in 1982 launched a dialogue in this country unparalleled anywhere else – from the Oka Crisis of 1990, RCAP in 1991, to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report in 2015 and the MMIWG Final Report in 2019, to our 4th National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in 2025, Canadians are beginning to understand Indigenous Peoples are important to our national identity.

Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux served as Vice Provost Indigenous Initiatives at Lakehead University for three years and was appointed as the first Indigenous Chair for Truth and Reconciliation at Lakehead University in 2016. She was inducted as a “Honourary Witness” by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in 2014 and is Chair of the Governing Circle for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba. 

Cynthia is a faculty member at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and continues to offer public education and training on Indigenous history, governance and healing across Canada. She is a member and resident of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation and has dedicated her life to building bridges of understanding. She sees endless merit in bringing people from diverse cultures, ages, and backgrounds together to engage in practical dialogue and applied research initiatives.

Presented in partnership with Lakehead University's CELL/TALL programming.

REGISTER HERE: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeTacvoCC3zbSwxQ6iPFpq0Ofr2Eq76...