User:Thegirlbeneaththemoon/sandbox

= Onowa McIvor = Onowa McIvor is an Assistant Professor and the Director of Indigenous Education at the University of Victoria. She is also the President of the FEL                      (Foundation of Endangered Languages) in Canada.

Biography
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 before attending the University of British Columbia where she completed her PhD in American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures and Linguistics. Her 2012 dissertation, "I am learning [to be] Cree", explored language learning as an adult.

Academic Career
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, Onowa was promoted to Assistant Professor.

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.

Awards and Achievements
In 2016, McIvor was awarded with the Bobby Wright Award, which acknowledges and honours early career contributions to research in Indigenous education.

Dissertation/Thesis
Building the nests: Indigenous language revitalization in Canada through early childhood immersion programs (2005)

îkakwiy nîhiyawiyân: I am learning [to be] Cree (2012)

Papers/Articles
The contribution of Indigenous heritage language immersion programs to healthy early childhood development (2005)

Learning About Teaching As If Communities Mattered: Strengthening Capacity Through Partnerships (2005)

Language and Culture as Protective Factors for At-Risk Communities (2009)

Strategies for Indigenous language revitalization and maintenance (2009)

I Am My Subject: Blending Indigenous Research Methodology and Autoethnography Through Integrity-based, Spirit-based Research (2010)

The protective effects of language learning, use and culture on the health and well-being of Aboriginal people in Canada. (2013)

The World Indigenous Research Alliance (WIRA): Mediating and Mobilizing Indigenous Peoples' Educational Knowledge and Aspirations (2015)

Books
Canada’s big chill: Indigenous languages in education. (2013)

Adult Indigenous language learning in Western Canada: What is holding us back? (2015)