U of S Aboriginal researchers elected to Royal Society of Canada

University of Saskatchewan researchers Sakej Henderson and Marie Battiste, two of the country’s top Aboriginal scholars and Indigenous knowledge advocates, have been elected to the Royal Society of Canada—one of Canada’s highest academic honours. “The contributions Sakej and Marie have made to the protection and promotion of Indigenous rights, knowledge and education have helped make the U of S what I believe to be the best place in Canada for Aboriginal research, scholarship and artistic work,” said U of S President Ilene Busch-Vishniac, in a news release. Henderson, a director of the U of S Native Law Centre, is a member of the Chickasaw Nation and was one of the first Aboriginal people to earn a degree from the Harvard Law School. He is an expert on Aboriginal and treaty rights and is widely recognized as an authority and advocate for the human rights of Indigenous people. Battiste, a professor in the College of Education, is a Mi’kmaw scholar with degrees from Harvard and Stanford universities. Her career has been dedicated to research in both improving outcomes for Indigenous youth and balancing knowledge systems in the academy.