FORMER CONTRIBUTORS

AVA AUGUSTINE

Ava Augustine is a recent graduate in the first cohort of the Bachelor of Indigenous Environmental Science and Practice program at the University of Guelph and an Undergraduate Research Assistant to Dr. Susan Chiblow. With passionate advocacy for her learning, Ava created the Indigenous Environmental Science Student Council and was honoured to represent her peers on the University of Guelph Senate and Board of Governors.  

As a learner of mixed settler descent, Ava is very grateful to be welcomed into learning with and for Indigenous Peoples and respects the privilege of listening. Through her work as a graphic recorder, Ava strives to increase accessibility in the sciences and uplift Indigenous knowledge systems through creative forms of scientific communication. Ava has collaborated with Dr. Susan Chiblow and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Elders groupsince 2023 with the planning and organizing of Anishinaabek research gatherings. She has also created interactive illustrations to reflect the teachings shared through this work, including the Ndaakendaaswen Gamig logo.

Ava has had the honour of working as a URA with Dr. Madhur Anand’s Collaboratory, and Dr. Diana Lewis’ IndigenERA lab both at the University of Guelph. Through this work, she has strengthened her engagement in research with diverse perspectives of environmental sciences. Growing up in a farming town along the coast of Lake Erie, she observed the importance of respecting the lands and water with her family. Ava aspires to continue making efforts of leadership and advocacy towards intersectional environmentalism throughout her learning. 

Sandreka Rowe is a dedicated fifth-year undergraduate student at the University of Guelph, in the Bachelor of Indigenous Environmental Science and Practice program. Her academic journey reflects a deep commitment to respectful, community-centered research that uplifts Indigenous voices and perspectives. 

Sandreka works as an Undergraduate Research Assistant for Dr. Susan Chiblow, an esteemed Assistant Professor, supporting ongoing research projects for the Learning from the Lands Lab which focuses on developing Indigenous-led projects working towards building a more suitable future by working closely  with the Elders of the Robinson Huron Treaty territory. This work integrates traditional ecological knowledge and community engagement to address environmental concerns of community members in Garden River First Nation. 

Currently, Sandreka is building on this foundation through her capstone research project, which explores the cultural impacts of water contamination on Indigenous communities. She remains deeply grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Elders and community members, acknowledging the privilege and responsibility of contributing to this vital field of study as a non-Indigenous researcher and learner. 

Marah is an Anishinaabe student in the Bachelor of Indigenous Environmental Science and Practice Program. She is a member of Timiskaming First Nation through her maternal side and settler descent on her paternal side. Marah is passionate about prioritizing Indigenous science in community-led projects to address environmental racism in Indigenous communities. She wants to ensure all aspects of Indigenous worldviews, including Indigenous rights to healthy Aki and Nibi, are upheld against contamination from industrial development. Marah had the opportunity to attend a field school focused on Indigenous-settler politics in Aotearoa, highlighting the importance of Indigenous self-determination in decolonizing policy and ensuring legal treaty relationships are upheld. Currently, she works to support community-led environmental and human health risk assessments in Indigenous communities at the IndigenERA lab, and is an enthusiastic volunteer for the Learning from the Lands lab! Most importantly, Marah loves to shoot the breeze with friends and family, spend time outside, and laugh.