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Ms. Michelle Smith

Title: 
Assistant Professor
Ms. Michelle Smith
Contact Information
Email address: 
michelle.e.smith [at] mcgill.ca
Address: 

Education Building
3700 rue McTavish
Montréal, Quebec H3A 1Y2
Canada

Department: 
Educational and Counselling Psychology (ECP)
Professional activities: 
  • Mawachihitotaak Metis Thinkers Committee (MĂ©tis Studies Symposium)
  • Indigenous Community Table, Dawson College
  • Chaire-rĂ©seau jeunesse: Volet Autochtone | Youth Network Chair: Indigenous Stream, Research Associate
Area(s): 
Arts, Languages and Literacy Education
Diversity, Identity and Indigenous Topics
Mental Health, Intervention and Psychopathology
Social Action and Sustainability Education
Teacher Education, Pedagogy and Leadership
Areas of expertise: 
  • Self-determined education
  • Indigenous education
  • Inclusive education & pedagogies
  • Post-secondary education
  • Storytelling and MĂ©tis methodologies
  • Decolonizing methodologies
  • Community-based education
  • Participatory media
  • Youth media
  • Education, Health & Wellness
Biography: 

Michelle Smith is a Red River Michif educator and filmmaker born and raised in St. James, Manitoba. She is a member of the Manitoba MĂ©tis Federation. She has worked in Indigenous education for more than a decade as a teacher, advocate, researcher, mentor, curriculum and program developer at Quebec colleges and in community contexts. She is Principal Investigator for the First Peoples Post-Secondary Storytelling Exchange (fppse.net), a community-based research collaboration building more responsive post-secondary education for First Nations, Inuit and MĂ©tis students and honouring Indigenous approaches to teaching and learning. She established the Journeys First Peoples Transition program at Dawson College where she taught for over a decade.

She is a Vanier scholar and is completing her PhD in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill. Her doctoral research involves co-constructing creative teaching and learning spaces that promote healing and cultural connection. She is partnering with Kativik Ilisarniliriniq (Nunavik School Board) and Inuit youth to co-develop an Inuit arts and culture college degree program in Nunavik, northern Quebec. Research interests include arts-based, storytelling and MĂ©tis methodologies, community-based education, youth agency, decolonizing practices, and Indigenous educational sovereignty.

Degree(s): 
  • PhD (C) Education, McGill University, Canada
  • MA Media Studies, Concordia University, Canada
  • BA Honours, Anthropology, McGill University, Canada
Awards, honours, and fellowships: 
  • 2021, Vanier Scholarship, SSHRC, McGill University, Canada
  • 2016, Community and College Social Innovation Fund, SSHRC, Dawson College, Canada
Selected publications: 
  • Smith, M., Phillips, M., Ives, N., Horne, K., Partridge, P. Recherche vivante : Les voix des jeunes dans l’échange d’histoires des Premiers Peuples au post-secondaire In NATASHA BLANCHET-COHEN ET VÉRONIQUE PICARD eds. LES JEUNESSES AUTOCHTONES AU QUÉBEC : DÉCOLONISATION, FIERTÉ ET ENGAGEMENT. Presses de l’UniversitĂ© Laval. Forthcoming.
  • Smith, M. What Indigenous Students have taught me about Culturally Safe Classrooms. Bulletin de la documentation collĂ©giale. Forthcoming.
  • Smith, M. (2023). Shining Our Bright Light, documentary film.
  • Smith, M., Partridge, P., Quittich-Niquay, M., Dyer, K., & Miller, E. (2023). Decolonizing Documentary Spaces: Enacting Care-Full Methods within Educational Frameworks & Fissures. Interactive Film & Media Journal, 3(2). , M. & Smith, M. (2020). Miskâsowin & Wâhkotowin: Coming into being through creation and kinship pp 25-39. In Dr. Catherine Richardson & Dr. Jeannine Carriere eds. Speaking the wisdom of our time. J.Charlton Publishing Ltd.
  • Miller, E. & Smith, M. (2012). Dissemination and Ownership of Knowledge: Refugee, Aboriginal, Youth, Participatory Media, Video. pp. 331-348 In EJ Milne and C Mitchell eds. The Handbook of Participatory Video. Alta Mira Press.
Graduate supervision: 

Not taking new students during the upcoming application period.

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