{"id":16519,"date":"2025-12-10T01:20:59","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T04:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/2025\/12\/10\/au-elder-in-residence-honoured-for-contributions-to-indigenous-literacy-advocacy-and-teaching\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T01:20:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T04:20:59","slug":"au-elder-in-residence-honoured-for-contributions-to-indigenous-literacy-advocacy-and-teaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/2025\/12\/10\/au-elder-in-residence-honoured-for-contributions-to-indigenous-literacy-advocacy-and-teaching\/","title":{"rendered":"AU Elder in Residence honoured for contributions to Indigenous literacy, advocacy, and teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Dr. Maria Campbell was recently honoured for her contributions to Indigenous literacy and education. Photo supplied.   Athabasca University\u2019s Dr. Maria Campbell awarded King Charles III Coronation Medal (AU) \u2013 Dr. Maria Campbell, acclaimed M\u00e9tis author, filmmaker, and Elder in Residence at Athabasca University\u2019s Nukskahtowin, has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to Indigenous literature, advocacy, and education in Canada. This national honour, newly introduced to mark the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and given to Campbell in June, recognizes individuals whose lifetime achievements and service have positively impacted their communities and the country. For Campbell, the medal adds to an already distinguished legacy as a cultural leader, activist, and mentor to generations of Indigenous writers and scholars. This legacy, she has said, comes from being inspired by a long line of storytellers and a mother who was an avid reader. \u201cI did not aspire to be a writer. I was journalling but I always loved books and my mother was a book person, so I grew up with books,\u201d she said in an interview in 2023. \u201cI also come from oral tradition; my people are storytellers so I would say they all inspired me.\u201d A life grounded in kinship and resistance Campbell was born in northern Saskatchewan in 1939 and raised in a road-allowance M\u00e9tis community. The eldest of eight children, she assumed caregiving responsibilities at a young age following her mother\u2019s death. These early life experiences of loss, poverty, and resilience would later shape the themes of kinship, injustice, and survival that run through her writing. She left home at 15 and through decades of personal hardship emerged as one of Canada\u2019s most influential storytellers. Her memoir, Halfbreed, published in 1973, broke new ground in Canadian literature by presenting a raw, honest account of her life as a M\u00e9tis woman. It remains one of the most powerful works in Canadian literature. The release of Halfbreed is but part of a lifelong journey of storytelling, advocacy, and cultural reclamation. Campbell wrote several books, including People of the Buffalo, Achimoona, and Stories of the Road Allowance People, the latter preserving oral stories from Cree-Michif communities. Her work extends across media, with film, theatre, and spoken word playing central roles in how she shares M\u00e9tis experiences and histories. Award-winning storyteller and community builder Campell\u2019s influence is not limited to the page, but also extends to her commitment to community and creating opportunities for others. She along with several other women helped establish Edmonton\u2019s first women\u2019s halfway house and she was the Elder for the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Justice Commission, and has played a central role in creating culturally rooted healing and justice initiatives for Indigenous women. Her leadership has often centred on community\u2014particularly M\u00e9tis women, Elders, and youth\u2014and she continues to model a form of advocacy that is rooted in kinship, culture, and accountability. A vital presence at Athabasca University Campbell\u2019s contributions to Indigenous education are central to her current role at AU as Elder in Residence at Nukskahtowin, a name she gifted the Indigenous centre in 2018. Nukskahtowin, a Plains Cree word meaning \u201cmeeting place,\u201d reflects her vision of a space where Indigenous Knowledge, storytelling, and academic inquiry can converge with respect and purpose. As Elder in Residence, Campbell teaches oral storytelling, M\u00e9tis history, and cultural protocol, and she mentors students, faculty, and staff. Her work supports AU\u2019s commitment to Indigenization and conciliation, offering students across Canada access to Indigenous Knowledge and cultural practice through AU\u2019s digital platforms and community initiatives. Within the university community, she is known for her wisdom, warmth, and fierce commitment to young people. She is frequently invited to share stories at events, participate in book clubs, and guide the development of Indigenous-focused curricula. Her mentorship continues to shape the work of future Indigenous educators, writers, and leaders. A national legacy of story, mentorship, and resurgence Campbell\u2019s many honours affirm a life of service grounded in kinship and cultural memory. In accepting past awards, she has credited her community, her family, and her readers\u2014always emphasizing the collective. She also describes her work as part of learning more about the Indigenous Peoples of this land. Though she holds numerous accolades, including the Order of Canada and multiple honorary doctorates, Campbell\u2019s greatest legacy may be her ongoing work as a teacher, mentor, and matriarch. She has helped define how Canadians understand M\u00e9tis history, offering narratives that were silenced as part of the colonial project. Athabasca University is honoured to walk alongside Dr. Maria Campbell in advancing Indigenous education and cultural revitalization. Her words, presence, and unwavering commitment to M\u00e9tis and Indigenous resurgence continue to resonate deeply\u2014on campus, in communities, and across the country. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Maria Campbell was recently honoured for her contributions to Indigenous literacy and education. Photo supplied. Athabasca University\u2019s Dr. Maria Campbell awarded King Charles III Coronation Medal (AU) \u2013 Dr. Maria Campbell, acclaimed M\u00e9tis author, filmmaker, and Elder in Residence at Athabasca University\u2019s Nukskahtowin, has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":16520,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2075,118,1],"tags":[2074,116],"class_list":["post-16519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-alberta","category-indigenous","category-uncategorized","tag-alberta","tag-indigenous"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/137"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/service.codeus.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}