Kahontakwas Diane Longboat, B.A, B.Ed, M.Ed is a member of the Turtle Clan, Mohawk Nation at Six Nations Grand River Territory, Canada and a citizen of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. She is the founder of Soul of the Mother, a healing and teaching lodge on the shores of the Grand River.
“Building with traditional First Nations, Inuit and Metis knowledge systems as the foundation for change is essential not only for the future of our people, while serving the spiritual evolution of humanity and the healing of Mother Earth. Nothing less is demanded of us in this time period, but to change the world.”
Diane’s work is situated at the intersection of health, education and traditional First Nations knowledge systems.
Since 2013, Diane has served as Elder for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada’s largest and leading institution for clinical services and research for mental well-being. Diane led the development of the Ceremony Grounds for CAMH to establish the Sweat Lodge, the Sacred Fire with 44 ceremonies and medicine gardens, including the policy development required to support traditional Indigenous healing as a standard of practice.
Today, as Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives, in Shkaabe Makwa Centre at CAMH, her work involves organizational strategy for enhancing culturally grounded services to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples as Rights Holders and advancing the CAMH Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan. Beyond CAMH, Diane has been instrumental in influencing the Indigenous anti-racism and health justice strategy of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network through the creation of the Indigenous Health Action Network. This group of Indigenous health leaders provide strategic advice to the CEOs of the 17 member hospitals in the GTA. As consultant to the Ontario Hospital Association, Diane supports their leadership and personnel as they co-create their relationships for their Indigenous health strategy with First Nations, Inuit and Métis and the 140 member hospitals throughout Ontario working towards excellence in health outcomes for Indigenous patients, families and communities.
Since 1994, Diane is founder of Soul of the Mother, a Healing and Teaching Lodge on the shores of the Grand River at Six Nations Grand River Territory, having extensive relationships with First Nations in Canada, the United States and Indigenous Nations globally. Additionally, the Council of Soul of the Mother welcomes many organizations, nationally and internationally who seek Indigenous wisdom traditions as inspiration for their strategic planning.
As a professional educator, Diane has lectured at universities both nationally and internationally, on the topic of traditional Indigenous knowledge systems and spirituality as the fuel for systems transformation. She has published extensively on Indigenous education law and jurisdiction for the Assembly of First Nations, the Chiefs of Ontario and the Ontario Native Education Counselling Association.
In 2017 and 2018, Diane was the Indigenous Education Advisor to the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne and to two Ministers of Education (Minister Naidoo Harris and Minister Hunter). Diane served on the Dean’s Strategic Advisory Group at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education from 2017-2021.
Diane is a builder who believes in systems transformation to serve First Nations, Inuit and Métis Rights Holders with honor and respect, embodying cultures, languages and care for land as building blocks for a new economy, a new healthcare system, a new education system and a new human services system in a true democratic structure.
Diane is the founder and first Director of First Nations House (Office of Indigenous Student Services and Programs) at the University of Toronto.