Anishinaabekwe mixed settler, Deanna is a member of Sachigo Lake First Nation, and grew up exploring the Rockies from Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton, AB). She is currently the Vice President of Policy and Research at Gakino'amaage: Teach For Canada. Her passion for equitable education and social policy stems from her work running Mikinakoos Children’s Fund in coordination with the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority. Prior to joining Gakino'amaage: Teach For Canada, Deanna worked as a Policy Analyst in the Privy Council Office, and with Health Canada’s Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program. She is concurrently a SSHRC Doctoral Scholar studying First Nations education governance at Western University, and completing a Master of Public Health in Indigenous Health at the University of Toronto. Deanna is a 2022-23 Action Canada Fellow.