Bio
Emilee Bews,
She/Her
Board of Directors - Member
Emilee Bews (she/her) is Anishinaabe-kwe with membership to Batchewana First Nation and currently resides in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal, QC). She is a doctoral student in Educational Studies at McGill University, with research focusing on decolonizing educational systems by integrating Anishinaabe perspectives into Ontario curricular frameworks to support Anishinaabe learners. Her current work builds on her M.A. in Education & Society, obtained at McGill University as a McCall MacBain Scholar, which explores land-based education as a vehicle for cultural resurgence in Batchewana First Nation. She holds a B.A. in English with an embedded certificate in Mental Wellbeing and Resilience from the University of Calgary.
Emilee is a course lecturer in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University, facilitating conversations of reconciliation through education with pre-service teachers. Beyond academia, Emilee mentors Indigenous undergraduate students through the IMPRESS program, seeking to empower Indigenous voices in academic spaces through community-building efforts. Through her academic and personal pursuits, Emilee maintains a strong commitment to social justice, working toward Indigenous educational sovereignty.
IYR has partnered with Fora: Network for Change’s Young Director program and welcomes Emilee where she will receive coaching and mentorship support.
Fora: Network for Change places young women and gender-marginalized leaders at the centre of decision-making processes. Through their signature programs – Global Summit and Rise on Boards – they make strategic investments in young leaders through education and training, building networks, and access to unparalleled opportunities at home and abroad. Launched by Fora in 2017, Rise on Boards is an annual program that places trained, mentored, community-minded young leaders living in Canada, between the ages of 18-25, on non-profit governance boards.
