Indigenous women and girls are the backbone of First Nation communities but have been oppressed and marginalized since the arrival of European colonizers. Patriarchy, misogyny, and racism have diminished their traditional roles as decision-makers, knowledge-keepers, and life-givers. The impact of colonization and patriarchal governance has resulted in high rates of violence against Indigenous women, including the staggering numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) and the Highway of Tears.

Dr. Patricia Makokis and Janice Makokis bring attention to the intersection of Indigenous rights and women’s rights, addressing the layers of colonialism and oppression that directly and indirectly affect Indigenous women. They shed light on the urgency to restore access and justice for Indigenous women, so that they can have a voice and contribute to the success of themselves and their children within and outside of their communities. Dr. Patricia and Janice advocate for a collective approach to breaking the barriers created through colonial systems of oppression, which affect the lives of every single Canadian.

Join Dr. Patricia and Janice as they share their journey, knowledge and experiences to empower and inspire Indigenous women to rise above the challenges and reclaim their rightful place in society. Together, we can work towards a future where Indigenous women are honoured, respected, and valued for the contributions women bring to their communities, and to the world.

Indigenous rights and women’s rights.

Sector who focuses on violence against Indigenous women.

Dr. Patricia Makokis and Janice Makokis stand as two of Turtle Island’s most highly regarded Indigenous leaders and knowledge keepers. As a mother-daughter pair and the matriarchs of the Makokis family, their synergy creates a powerful force for advocacy, healing, and transformation within Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. 

Together, Dr. Patricia and Janice Makokis share an unprecedented and unique perspective, drawing from their extensive experience across two different generations and the wisdom of their ancestors. They blend the truth of the past with insights into how we arrived at our present situation. Through their guidance, both individuals and organizations can learn what is required to instill hope, restore justice and join them on their journey for change.

Dr. Patricia Makokis’s stature as one of Canada’s most outstanding Indigenous leaders has grown over two decades. Internationally renowned, she exemplifies a profound connection to the community and Indigenous values, delivering a message infused with hope and healing. Her approach to leadership education and policy development has been instrumental in enhancing equality and justice for First Nation peoples.

Janice Makokis, meanwhile, continues the family’s tradition as a passionate advocate and consultant. Her wisdom transcends boundaries, building bridges between Indigenous history and Western perspectives in Canada. Through her work with the Idle No More movement and the TRC Calls to Action, she creates dialogues that inspire actionable change, breaking down stigmas and stereotypes. 

Dr. Patricia Makokis and Janice Makokis share the powers of allyship and unity for action, spreading their message across to different nations and the globe. They unite to bring new awareness and experiences for audiences around Turtle Island through their dedication to justice, equality, and wholeness. By advocating for a more inclusive and compassionate world, they build bridges among communities, peoples, and nations, leading the way on the path to equal treatment, access, and reconciliation.

Dr Patricia Makokis is one of Canada’s grassroots Indigenous servant leaders, consultants and experts. She is an internationally renowned speaker and well-known for her authority and expertise on all topics that require an Indigenous Perspective. Her dynamic experiences, strong relationships with Indigenous knowledge keepers and elders, heavy involvement in the community and her 25+ career in academia give her a very unique approach when sharing insights and offering solutions. Dr. Patricia Makokis is a Nehiyô (Plains Cree) from Saddle Lake Alberta who is on a mission to inform, educate and gain allies to create a bridge between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples through her work. She is passionate to help facilitate the development of Indigenous wellness (economic, health, social, and education); fostering positive business/industry relations between Indigenous Peoples and industry/business (relational leadership) and rebuilding Nations (one person at a time).

Dr Patricia Makokis is a regular advisor, educator, and consultant that has dedicated her life to understanding the different challenges each community, band, and individual has and still faces due to the impact of colonialism and the disbandment of her people. Her passion is to educate, inform and ignite the revitalization of their communities, to reinstall hope through traditional practices and change the outcomes for her people within her lifetime. She has been called upon by First Nation communities and all levels of government to assist in managing crises’ within different Nations as well as assist in providing advice in writing social policy.

Dr Patricia Makokis holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of San Diego, specializing in leadership, which she used to come back to Alberta and serve as President of Blue Quills College/University. Blue Quills College/University is a First Nation-owned and operated university in Canada, the first of its kind in the country. The institution was founded as an Indian residential school in the 1930s before being occupied by a peaceful protest movement in 1970 and then transferred to Indigenous control in 1971. Dr Patricia Makokis was challenged in the position, as the dark history of the institution played a strong role in the mistreatment and abuse of Indigenous children and were key strategies that were meant to divide the community, family, cultural identity and traditional practices.

Dr Patricia Makokis was one of three other instructors that obtained a doctorate degree and returned to Blue Quills University to restructure and redevelop their programming. Dr Makokis worked with both community and instructors to thread and privilege Indigenous knowledge and teachings to blend with western knowledge for a unique approach to education for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Dr Patricia Makokis realized the success of Blue Quill, as Indigenous students could finally access their history and traditional teachings, while non-Indigenous students could understand new perspectives not available to them through western educational institutions. This was one of the first major bridges that Dr Patricia Makokis made in aligning western and Indigenous Peoples for allyship through educational awareness. Today, Blue Quills University offers university degrees taught in First Nations languages and training for jobs; it teaches the story of residential schools and engages in intergenerational healing for Indigenous communities, with a focus on language, culture and restoring Indigenous identity; and it educates other Canadians about residential schools.

Well-known in Canada for her contributions to education, Dr Patricia Makokis continues to build new bridges to enhance learning and create access for Indigenous students. She and her colleague Dr Dianna Steinhauer, president of Yellowhead Tribal College, collaborated and partnered with the University of Alberta to deliver the Indigenous community-industry relations certificate and Indigenous community-engagement citation in Alberta. She has also written and developed leadership courses as part of a Bachelor’s Degree in leadership for Blue Quills First Nations College that transferred to many Western Canadian Universities. What many people do not know is that Indigenous educational institutions have not been recognized over the last 150 years of Canadian history because of colonialism which impacts traditional teachings, cultural expressions and the ability to pass on Indigenous teachings and history to future generations.

Additionally, she has worked on national health initiatives including Promoting Mental Health for Canada’s Indigenous Peoples for the Royal College of Physicians and the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada. She developed and established the curriculum that is standard across Canada for the Community Wellness Certificate offered by the Nechi Training Institute. Dr Patricia Makokis also created and produced numerous academic courses in Management, Organizational Change and Wholistic Leadership and was a main contributor to rewriting the University of Alberta Indigenous Studies curriculum and creating campaigns for Truth and Reconciliation on campus. She is a current instructor at U of A teaching a Masters’s level course on First Nation policy for teachers and administrators. She also instructs at Athabasca University on assisting Indigenous women’s councillors on the history of Indigenous women and their outcomes to guide them on culturally-centred best practices in care.

Dr Patricia Makokis is well accomplished in her career in winning many awards and being appointed to a wide variety of Indigenous and non-Indigenous boards/councils. Some notable mentions are appointed to the Judicial Council of Alberta; Saddle Lake Chief and Council to the Saddle Lake Cree Nation Child Welfare Board. She has received the 2014 Aboriginal Role Model of Alberta Award for her work in community development, the 2009 Alumni leadership award at the University of San Diego, the 2002 Seekers & Storytellers Award as Aboriginal Role Model of the Year and the 2002 Queens Golden Jubilee Medal Award.

Dr Patricia Makokis is the mother of two of Canada’s leading Indigenous experts, who are a reflection of her life’s work. Her daughter, Janice Makokis has recently consulted for the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission and co-chaired the North American Indigenous Peoples Caucus at the United Nations. Her son, Dr James Makokis is a medical doctor with one of Canada’s leading practices for transgender and LGBTQ2 Canadians. The family has dedicated their lives and careers to their people, and to educating non-Indigenous populations with the goal of obtaining more allies. The Makokis family and especially Dr Patricia Makokis feel that it will only be through educating Canadians for the allyship cause, that First Nation communities can have access to resources, support and knowledge to sustain the desperately needed change within Canada.

The family is strongly connected to their roots, culture and community. They are also well-connected with First Nation communities, Indigenous Leaders, Elders and members of all Nations around the world. With the support of her community, Dr Patricia Makokis and the Makokis family organize the annual “Treaty Walk”, which is a 3-day walk over 300 km to bring awareness in different locations each year in rural and urban Alberta. The purpose of the walk is to bring awareness to build bridges between Indigenous and Western nations with the intention to educate each other on the breaches of the Treaty in place which play a large role in limiting First Nation communities to rebuild the foundation they desperately need for sustainable and measurable change.

Dr Patricia Makokis is a dynamic leader who shares her unique perspectives which come from a long journey in education as a student and instructor, and speaker who shares her experiences, educational background and education have led her to create bridges between Western and Indigenous Peoples while making all organizations and communities stronger and most importantly, together. A new future depends on a deep understanding of the past, the accountability of the present challenges and sharing our responsibility for what we can all do to align for change.

Janice Makokis is a dynamic nehiyaw iskwew (Cree woman) who is making waves in the world of Indigenous legal scholarship and advocacy. She was born and raised in Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6 territory, Alberta, Canada and comes from a family of residential school survivors. As a result, Janice is driven by a deep commitment to addressing the intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools and works daily to create a better future for her community and her son, Atayoh Kan Asiniy (Spirit Rock) Makokis. Through her work, Janice Makokis assists both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in breaking down stereotypes and identifying colonial systems of the past and present that have shaped the outcomes for First Nation communities. She has dedicated her career and her life to her people and focuses on educating others on the truth of our history, to guide us all toward Reconciliation.

Being an Indigenous woman from a segregated and marginalized community in Northern Alberta, Janice Makokis faced many challenges in and outside of her youth, education, and career. Her brother, Dr James Makokis, who was often bullied as a youth due to his identifying as Two-Spirit, led to Janice also experiencing challenges within and outside of her peer groups. Once Janice went on to pursue her education, she was able to identify rampant discrimination based on race and gender. It was during her education that she and her brother James decided to utilize their struggles and challenge themselves to create and change outcomes for her people. Janice Makokis is a gifted educator and legal scholar, who was appointed the Ianni Legal Scholar in 2021 at Windsor Law School, where she teaches courses on First Nation Women and the Law and Indigenous Laws and Legal Orders. She is also a sessional faculty member at the University of Alberta, Yellowhead Tribal College, and the University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’įnistameyimâkanak Blue Quills. Janice’s work on climate justice issues as part of the University of Alberta’s “Just Powers” research project, highlights her commitment to creating positive change.

Janice’s educational background and professional experience are truly impressive. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Native Studies (with a minor in Political Science) from the University of Alberta, a Master of Arts in Indigenous Governance from the University of Victoria, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa. In addition to her academic and professional pursuits, Janice Makokis is a dedicated community member and cultural keeper. She has spent the past 15 years learning about Ncehiyaw (Cree) ways of being and the Indigenous laws from Elders and Indigenous knowledge keepers. She regularly participates in activities/education initiatives within her community while adopting her cultural beliefs and family systems to pass them down to her son. She believes that through cultural teachings, we can reshape our connection with ourselves, our relationships, and our planet.

Janice Makokis is currently working at the Onion Lake Cree Nation and is focused on Indigenous laws and legal orders. Indigenous laws and legal orders are the original laws of the land and were in existence prior to the imposition of western colonial laws and legal systems. The imposition of these laws has had a significant impact on Indigenous Peoples and Nations and has disrupted their governance structures. Janice Makokis is working towards reducing the number of Indigenous people who encounter the criminal justice system and reducing the number of Indigenous children in care. The governance of Onion Lake Cree Nation is unique, as all important Chief and Council decisions are vetted through their Elders Council. This idea of governance arose from concerns about high numbers of Onion Lake members and children meeting the court system. Janice plays an active role in providing strategic insights for the decisions made by the Elders Council is following the Creator’s laws, human laws, and laws in songs, ceremonies, and sacred sites, and working from a place of kindness.

Janice Makokis is also a co-producer of the film “Awasisak Our Future,” which tells the story of a group of treaty walkers and the importance of treaties for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. She serves as a board advisor for the Yellowhead Institute, an Indigenous-led research and education center in Toronto. Janice is a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights and self-determination. Throughout her career, she has been a rapporteur at international meetings and has served as the co-chair/co-ordinator on the North American Indigenous Peoples Caucus (NAIPC) from 2013-2016. She is dedicated to advancing the discourse on Indigenous People’s rights and is a strong voice in the fight for decolonization initiatives and cultural resurgence and revitalization efforts.

Janice Makokis continues to be involved in international and national Indigenous advocacy work through various international bodies and United Nations mechanisms to advance the discourse on Indigenous Peoples’ rights. She served as the co-chair/co-coordinator of the North American Indigenous Peoples Caucus (NAIPC) from 2013-2016—a voluntary Indigenous body that makes recommendations to the agenda items to be addressed by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She also played a major role in the Idle No More movement and has followed in her mother’s footsteps in connecting with Canadian Indigenous and non-Indigenous allies to support local and national movements to bring awareness to First Nation issues. Janice Makokis is a trailblazer and advocate for Indigenous rights who inspires us all. Her deep commitment to her community, culture, and family, her impressive academic and professional background, and her unwavering dedication to social justice, make her a true leader in the world of Indigenous legal scholarship and advocacy.

Treaty Talk | Makokis Family & Allies
https://www.treatytalk.com/treatywalkajourneyforcommonground
Short Version | Top of Page | 15 Minutes
Long Version | Bottom of Page | 47 Minutes

Treaty Walk | Makokis Family & Allies
https://www.treatytalk.com/treatywalkajourneyforcommonground
Short Version | Top of Page | 15 Minutes
Long Version | Bottom of Page | 50 Minutes

Awasisak our Future | The Children our Future | Makokis Family & Allies
https://www.treatytalk.com/awasisakourfuture
Short Version | Top of Page | 27 Minutes
Long Version | Bottom of Page | 60 Minutes

Janice Makokis: www.speakerscanada.com/keynote-speaker/janice-makokis
IG Tag: @creelegaleagle
LinkedIn Tag: @Janice Makokis
FB Tag: @Janice Makokis
Twitter/X Tag: @bearclannation

Dr. Patricia Makokis: https://speakerscanada.com/keynote-speaker/dr-patricia-makokis/
LinkedIn Tag: @Patricia Makokis
FB Tag: @Patricia Makokis