Biography

Loretta Loon is Eeyou/Inninew Cree, a clan council member of MoCreebec Eeyoud and a band member of Fort Albany First Nation.  She is a PhD Candidate at York University in Education in which her thesis deciphers “Stealing Across Time: Indigenous Eeyou Istchee and Autochthony as Decolonization.”  Loretta has worked with Indigenous communities throughout Ontario since 1993 in community development, administration, health policy and post secondary education.  She has taught and developed Indigenous-focused curriculum at a number of universities including Algoma, York, Brock, McGill and Toronto Metropolitan University, respectively. She has also worked as a Health Policy Analyst for Noojimawin Health Authority in Toronto for a number of years and as a Senior Policy Advisor with the Government of Nunavut in Iqaluit.  Loretta brings her experience working within provincial and federal government contexts in housing, health policy and analysis.  Her research interests are Indigenous Mental Health and Youth Resiliency, Indigenous Land Based Pedagogies, Decolonizing Education, Decolonization. Loretta is currently Associate Vice-President - Culture, Healing and Wellbeing at Weeneebayko Area Health Authority in Moose Factory, Ontario Canada and was recently nominated for Chief, MoCreebec Eeyoud. Loretta enjoys spending her time with her children Meridian and Amelia,  being home and in her traditional homeland of James Bay.