Biography
I am the former elected Chief of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation and completed one two-year term in political office from December 1997 to December 1999. I was the first woman ever elected as Chief of my First Nation. I am currently the sole proprietor of JDI Business Services. My goal is to be a facilitator/resource person for Aboriginal/First Nation Peoples in Canada. I am engaged by government, colleges and universities, businesses and community organizations to do cross-cultural training sessions/presentations to help people develop a better understanding of Aboriginal/First Nations Peoples in Canada.
I have over 25 years of work experience in the field of First Nations community development. My extensive experiences include community development, public relations, economic development, the development of environmental planning policies and procedures, and establishing community radio. I am a Board member on numerous local community-based organizations and have served as a board volunteer in municipal, regional, and national levels. As a First Nation employee for nearly 20 years with the Consultation and Outreach Office of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, I have gained hands-on experience and an in-depth knowledge of my First Nation community. My life and work experience bring together a life-long commitment to the development of my First Nation community. In 2012 I was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of my support for First Nation history and the advancement of Aboriginal Peoples.
I reside on the Mississsaugas of the New Credit First Nation. I am married and I have 2 children and 5 grandchildren.
Research with PWIP
Since 2011 I have been working with team members of the PWIP Research Group to gain recognition for First Nations in the Ontario Provincial Policy Statement (PPS). Janet Macbeth and I were instrumental in ensuring that for the first time First Nations were recognized in the revised 2014 PPS. At this stage I am contributing to the pedagogical outcomes of this project, especially with contributions to the SURP 802 course in 2015, and I also provide advice to the team regarding the overall scope and outcomes of the project as needed.
Other Research Interests
- I have a keen interest in building upon the learning gained from the PPS review to inform the review of the Greenbelt Plan as the Greenbelt sits on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation.
- I just finished a four-year contract working for the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation on a mapping project that will assist the First Nation to identify the significance of current and historic sites within our traditional lands. The project is part of the Duty to Consult and Accommodation office.
- Over the past 10 years, I have been delivering a unique informative “Indian 101, Who Are the Aboriginal People in Canada Today” across Canada.
Publications
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McCarthy, Daniel; Whitelaw, Graham; King, Carolyn; King, Clynt; Viswanathan, Leela; Cowan, Don; McGarry, Fred; and Scott Anderson. 2013. “Collaborative Geomatics and Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation.” International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society, 9, 2, 1-15.
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McLeod, Fraser; Viswanathan, Leela; Whitelaw, Graham S.; Macbeth, Jared; King, Carolyn; Alexiuk, Erin; and McCarthy, Daniel. 2015. Finding Common Ground: A Critical Review of Land Use and Resource Management Policies in Ontario, Canada and their Intersection with First Nations. The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 6(1). Retrieved from: http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/iipj/vol6/iss1/3
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McLeod, Fraser; Viswanathan, Leela; King, Carolyn; Macbeth, Jared; and Graham Whitelaw. 2014. “2014 Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) at a Glance: Changing Tides in Ontario Provincial Planning Policy with respect to First Nations Interests.” Publisher: Authors. [PDF]
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Viswanathan, Leela; McLeod, Fraser; King, Carolyn; Macbeth, Jared; and Erin Alexiuk. 2013.“Are we there yet? Making inroads to decolonize planning knowledge and practices in Southern Ontario.” Plan Canada, 53, 2, 21-23.