Join us on Wednesday, February 12th, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (PDT), for “Weaving Relations for Meaningful and Genuine Change.” In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we will have a conversation with Dana-Lyn Mackenzie, a member of the Hwlitsum First Nation, lawyer, and Senior Manager, EDI & Indigeneity, at the Faculties of Applied Science and Land and Food Systems. Dana-Lyn is the recipient of two UBC President’s Staff Awards for Advancing Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (2024) and for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion (2016). She was instrumental in creating the Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day, the Weaving Relations course, and the Cascades of Change: Inclusive Leadership and Respectful Engagement program. In this conversation, you will learn more about what it means to be involved and to lead change in the processes of truth and reconciliation at UBC and beyond.
Speaker Bio
Dana-Lyn Mackenzie, JD;
Senior Manager, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity,
Faculties of Applied Science, Land and Food Systems & Forestry;
Elected Councilor – Hwlitsum First Nation
;
Recipient – 2024 President’s Staff Award for Advancing Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence ;
Recipient – 2016 President’s Staff Award for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion
Dana-Lyn (born Wilson) is a member of the Hwlitsum First Nation, based in Canoe Pass, BC, and a lawyer. Dana-Lyn is an elected councillor of her Coast Salish nation, serving since 2021. She has practiced criminal law and continues to practice administrative and employment law as an Associate at Acumen Law. She is a double alumna of UBC, having obtained her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees here.
As Senior Manager, EDI & Indigeneity, Dana-Lyn is currently leading the decolonization and Indigenization efforts in the Faculties of Applied Science and Land and Food Systems. In this role, Dana-Lyn supports EDI.I education, engagement, and support for the two Faculties. Leading the impactful UBC Orange Shirt Day Intergenerational March for the past two years has been an honour. Recently, Dana-Lyn conceptualized and created the Weaving Relations course, an educational opportunity meeting Goal 2 of UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan. Dana-Lyn has been a speaker on numerous panels on Indigenous research, communities and ISP implementation. She currently sits on the Indigenous Working Group, co-chairs the ISP Community of Practice and advises frontline student services advisors on best practices in Indigenous student support.
Dana-Lyn has worked as a university administrator since 2012 in Indigenous awareness, programming and student affairs capacities. Dana-Lyn wore many hats in her previous roles, including offering student academic success programming, Indigenous student career support and alumni engagement, and participating in Indigenous student admissions. Dana-Lyn led Indigenous-focused programming during her tenure at the Peter A. Allard School of Law with UBC, where she was recognized in 2016 with the UBC President’s Staff Award on Advancing Diversity and Inclusion.
Lastly, Dana-Lyn has been a Board member of RESEAU-CMI, Networks of Centres of Excellence – Knowledge Mobilization, since December 2021.
Dana-Lyn spends her spare time with her family, and being the mother of two amazing young adults is her proudest achievement.
Moderator
Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement
Description
Written by Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun
Dana-Lyn Mackenzie has been methodically and strategically weaving together relations and nurturing connections between Faculty, staff and students in a concerted effort to strengthen the University of British Columbia’s overall commitments to truth and reconciliation. In 2024, she was the recipient of the President’s Staff Award for Advancing Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence having made significant contributions through education, advocacy, policy guidance, and the implementation of the Indigenous Strategic Plan within UBC. She is a staunch advocate for meaningful and genuine change, and has been leading the way for people to engage in an era of truth and reconciliation, while simultaneously creating momentum for individual and collective transformative shifts to help us do and be better.
Dana-Lyn has been instrumental in creating the Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day, and equally active in creating the innovative and interactive program Weaving Relations, and key to the creation of Cascades of Change: Inclusive Leadership and Respectful Engagement. If she’s not busy effecting change within UBC, she’s committed to helping her fellow members of the Hwlitsum First Nation in advancing self-determination and wellness. She’s a formidable force of transformative change, inspiration, mindfulness, and compassion.
Please join me for this important and inspiring conversation with Dana-Lyn Mackenzie as she weaves us through the merits and principles of being involved, being active, being generous of our minds and hearts, and being genuine about our individual and shared determination to come to terms with the historic past to create a better and just future for Indigenous peoples.
Topic: Weaving Relations for Meaningful and Genuine Change
Date: Wednesday, February 12th, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM (PDT)
What Will I Learn?
You will gain a unique perspective on what it means to be involved and to lead change in the processes of truth and reconciliation at UBC and beyond.
Continue Learning
“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”
Learn more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives here
Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives Speakers Series here
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