Clinician and Community Researcher, Elsipogtog First Nation Eastern Door Center Diagnostic and Intervention Team. Clinical Coordinator of the Elsipogtog First Nation Education Division, Eastern Door Center Diagnostic Team. Research interests: Mental Health and Psychopathology in Children and Youth; Medicine Wheel Tools that can among other things be used for FASD screening in indigenous communities.

I have many ties that bind me to Mi’gmagi. One of the strongest is being the Migajou (grandmother) of Jovia Rose Clair Cox from Elsipogtog FN. I also have the honour to be the Gegoni, godmother, of another young woman from the community. These tie my heart and spirit to the community and also my blood. My social bonds also are strong. I lived with my husband and son for two years in Indian Island First Nation in the mid 1990’s. This was when I first came to Elsipogotg as the Big Cove School Psychologist. I had just finished my PhD and I really had not intended to leave my home and life in Northern Cape Breton. But Elsipogotg called to me. In 1996 when I came there were chain suicides among the youth. It was not an easy time but I felt honoured to be chosen and to have the opportunity to come to the community to help by listening to what the youth and their families had to say. I learned as much as I gave. I knew about the learning part because as in Cape Breton through the years my family had social bonds with friends from Eskasoni and Memebertou. The knowledge that was held by people of Mi’gmagi was invisible to many people outside it but my respect grew through the years from my relationships with people like elder Noel Denny (Sarah) from Eskasoni.

Current Projects: (1) ‘Two Eyed Seeing’ in Identification of Risk Factors for Iron Deficiency