Margaret Kress, Member at Large

A Saskatchewan born woman, Dr. Margaret Kress, originates from the south grasslands in Treaty Four territory and the Métis homelands. She carries the name Tahkwaki Waapikwani Iskwew (Bear Clan) and her journey shows her wide connection to the prairies, the upland boreal forests and the wetlands, the rivers, lakes and oceans, and all those places which weave together her relations as those of the land. She embraces and honours her Michif ancestors and her Euro-settler ancestors of France, England, and Germany, as resilient and life-giving peoples. Margaret’s focus is centred on highlighting Indigenous reclaims of ecological and cultural knowledge, and of languages, matricultures, and wellness. As a scholar, teacher and researcher, she elevates transformative, inclusive and Indigenous storywork and engages in academic and community-based research to support initiatives led by Indigenous communities. Her writing includes selections within Métis Rising: Living Our Present through the Power of Our Past, Climate Chaos: Eco-feminism and the Land Question, kimiwan, Of Land & Living Skies: A Community Journal on Place, Land, and Learning, and Honouring Indigenous Women - Hearts of Nations. She honours teachers across the lands who have taught her about traditional knowledges and plant medicines—you can find her in the northern boreal forests and on the prairies learning from her relations there.