Onowa McIvor

Onowa McIvor is an Associate Professor and the former Director of Indigenous Education at the University of Victoria. She is also the President of the Foundation for Endangered Languages in Canada.

She has and continues to contribute to research areas such as Indigenous language revitalization, Indigenous education, early childhood bilingualism, cultural identity development, and early childhood care and education. Onowa has also done research on MAP's (Mentor-Apprentice Programs) with a fellow scholar, Peter Jacobs. As well as, completed various research projects supporting the correlation between language revitalization and well-being in Indigenous communities.

Born and raised in Northern Saskatchewan, Onowa is of Swampy Cree and Scottish-Canadian descent. McIvor attended the University of Victoria and received her Masters in Child and Youth Care in 2005 before attending the University of British Columbia where she completed her PhD in American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures and Linguistics in 2012. Her 2012 dissertation, "îkakwiy nîhiyawiyân: I am learning [to be] Cree", explored learning an ancestral language as an adult.

McIvor began her academic career as a Curriculum Developer for an Indigenous Language Issues course at the Camsum College in Victoria, BC. She then became a Researcher/Writer for the Office of the Provincial Advisor for Aboriginal Infant Development Programs, Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC, Public Health Agency of Canada, BC Aboriginal Child Care Society, First Peoples’ Heritage, Language, and Culture Council, Ministry for Children and Family Development, and the Victoria Native Friendship Centre. In her final years before obtaining her position at the University of Victoria, Onowa returned to her alma mater, where she worked as a research assistant for the Faculty of Human and Social Development. She also held a position as a Workshop Coordinator for Little Drum Consulting.

In 2008, she acquired the position of Director of Indigenous Education at the University of Victoria and simultaneously became a Senior Lecturer.

In 2012, McIvor was promoted to Assistant Professor.

In 2017, McIvor was promoted to Associate Professor and concluded a 9-year term as Director of Indigenous Education.

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