Rate My Professor Lana Whiskeyjack

Dr. Lana Whiskeyjack is an Associate Professor in the Department of Women's and Gender Studies in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. A nêhiyaw (Cree) indigiologist, scholartist, and spirit-centered community-based researcher from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, she holds an iyiniw pimâtisiwin kiskeyihtamowin doctorate (ipkDoc) from University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills awarded in 2017, a Master of Arts in Canadian Studies from Carleton University awarded in 2006, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Art and Culture from Carleton University awarded in 2002. Her scholarship integrates Indigenous knowledge, language, art, and academia to support cultural and language revitalization through kinship-building and experiential methods, with a focus on Indigenous arts-based practices, visual storytelling, Indigenous matriarchy, gender and sexual diversity, sexual health and wellness, and kinship.

Dr. Whiskeyjack's research emphasizes community-led, participatory approaches grounded in nêhiyaw ways of knowing and being, including projects on restoring health through Cree knowledge, strengthening relations for Two-Spirit youth and families, and connecting to the spirit of nêhiyawêwin (Cree language). She has received the 2024 Community Scholar Award from the University of Alberta for her contributions as a researcher and educator. Her work addresses gender- and sexual-based violence through violence-informed, strength-based practices and supports rematriation-based self-determination initiatives. Dr. Whiskeyjack teaches courses such as WGS 480 Indigenous Feminisms and WGS 332 Contemporary Feminist Theory, incorporating circle dialogues, experiential learning, and art-integrated methods rooted in Cree Natural Laws of sharing, truth, kindness, and courage.