2015 Kawaskimhon Biographies
Elder
Imelda Perley
Imelda Perley is Wolastoqew (Maliseet) from Tobique First Nation, St. Mary’s First Nation and Houlton Band of
Maliseets (United States). She has been recently appointed as Elder-in-Residence at University of New
Brunswick. Imelda holds a B.A. and M.Ed. both from the University of New Brunswick. She is a fluent speaker of
Maliseet, her first language. Imelda teaches Maliseet language and Wabanaki Worldview courses at University
of New Brunswick and University of Maine. She also co-teaches a Native Studies module at Saint Thomas
University.
She is also founder and coordinator of the Wolastoq Language and Culture Centers Inc. situated at Tobique and
St. Mary’s First Nations. The primary purpose of each center is to promote Wolastoq language, culture,
traditions, worldviews, and ceremonies. Each center also conducts workshops that provide information
pertaining to history, social, economic, political, and cultural conditions of Wolastoq communities. Imelda
remains active in promoting cross-cultural awareness sessions within the public domain.
She is a member of several federal and provincial committees and provides a cultural perspective on issues
discussed by the committees. These include the Social Science Humanities Research Council of Canada, New
Brunswick Department of Education, New Brunswick Literacy Coalition, Health Canada initiatives and Atlantic
Institute on Aging.
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she is a member of the University of New Brunswick research team
that has received a grant to collect stories from Wolastoqi Elders. Furthermore, she is the Cultural Consultant
for Health Canada initiatives titled “From the Womb to Beyond”, ‘Ciw Wolakmiksuwakon (Maliseet Nations
Mental Wellness Team Pilot Project), and Grandmother Guides.
Her traditional roles within the community include Sweatlodge Keeper, Medicine Wheel Teacher, Sacred Pipe
Carrier, and Keeper of the Women’s Ceremonies (e.g. Puberty, Naming and Fasting). She is a cultural advisor for
community organizations, provincial and federal agencies. Her acquisition of traditional knowledge from the
Elders and other cultural teachers has prompted her to remain active in environmental and cultural issues.
Imelda is a 2001 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Early Childhood Literacy (Grandparent Category) award
in recognition of contributions made by storytellers in the promotion of literacy. She has also co-authored with
Andrea Schneider an article titled “Preserving the Wolastoqey Language and Supporting Wolastoqi Language
Carriers” in Antistasis (a New Brunswick Education Journal based at University of New Brunswick).
Facilitators
Luis R. Campos
B.A. (U. of Texas - El Paso), M.A. (U. of Texas), J.D. (Southern Methodist University); LL.M. and S.J.D. (U. of
Toronto) joined the UNB Faculty of Law as an Assistant Professor in January 2015.
Dr. Campos received the 2014 Alan Marks medal for the best graduate thesis at the Faculty of Law of the
University of Toronto. His work employed interdisciplinary perspectives to reconsider the truth claims—and the
evidential value—of explorer and trader narratives in aboriginal rights litigation.
Dr. Campos was a partner at the multi-national law firm of Haynes & Boone, LLP, where he was also a member
of the firm’s International Practice Group Council. In recent years, he has also served as legal counsel
(immigration) to the telecom company Ericsson Inc. Additionally, Dr. Campos possesses significant experience in
representing refugees and victims of persecution and torture in administrative proceedings.
Dr. Campos’ research interests include: (1) international human rights with respect to migrants and indigenous
peoples, with special regard for the Inter-American Human Rights system and (2) migration and mobility of
professional and knowledge workers under regional trade and investment agreements. He also has a keen
interest in legal pluralism, as well as critical and interdisciplinary approaches to law.
Nicole O’Byrne
B.Sc. (Queen’s), B.A. Hons. (Regina), LL.B. (Saskatchewan), LL.M. (McGill) recently defended her Ph.D.
dissertation in Law and Society at the University of Victoria where she studied the history of Aboriginal-nonAboriginal relations under the supervision of Dean Jeremy Webber and Professor Hamar Foster. Prior to joining
the Faculty of Law in 2009, she clerked at the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal and practised law in Saskatchewan.
She currently teaches Aboriginal Peoples and Law, Evidence Law, and Criminal Law. Her research interests focus
on the history of Canadian federalism, public policy history and intergovernmental agreements including The
British North America Act, 1930 (the Natural Resources Transfer Agreements). She has recently published an
article examining the constitutional thought of Métis leader Louis Riel and has also co-authored two articles on
the history of Medicare in British Columbia and New Brunswick. Her current research interests include the 1963
Royal Commission on Finance and Municipal Taxation (the Byrne Commission) and the implementation of the
Robichaud administration’s Programme of Equal Opportunity (1964-1970). She is also part of Canadian Water
Network research team examining the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing.
David Perley
David Perley is the Director of the Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre (formerly Mi’kmaq-Maliseet Institute) at the
University of New Brunswick. He is also pursuing his PhD on a part-time basis. He is a co-founder of the
Wolastoq Language and Culture Centers located at Tobique and St. Mary’s First Nations in New Brunswick. In
addition, he is a part-time lecturer at University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University. He teaches
“Aspects of Maliseet and Mi’kmaq Societies”, “Aboriginal Education”, “Wabanaki Education”, and “Wabanaki
Studies”.
As a full-time candidate (now part-time) for his PhD, he was a research assistant for the project titled
“Incorporating Maliseet and Mi’kmaq Content into the Post-Secondary Curriculum”. He was also a member of a
University of New Brunswick research team that has received a grant to collect stories from Wolastoqi
(Maliseet) Elders. These stories will be used for curriculum development projects ensuring that Maliseet
worldviews, values and teachings will be incorporated into the curriculum at the secondary and post-secondary
levels.
Mr. Perley holds a B.A. (St. Thomas University) and M.A. (University of New Brunswick) in sociology. He
specializes in Aboriginal education, Aboriginal studies, race relations, and analysis of social problems. His M.A.
thesis investigated the causes of Aboriginal dropout at the post-secondary level. He has also published an article
in the Canadian Journal of Native Education titled “Aboriginal Education in Canada as Internal Colonialism”. In
addition, Mr. Perley has co-authored two reports published by the Research Branch of Department of Indian
Affairs (Ottawa) entitled “Regional Comparisons of Data on Canada’s Registered Indians” and “An Overview of
Demographic, Social and Economic Conditions Among New Brunswick’s Registered Indian Population”.
Mr. Perley is a former Chief (1983-1989) and Councillor (2004-2010) of the Maliseet Nation at Tobique and has
been employed as consultant for federal and provincial departments such as Education, Justice, Solicitor
General, Child and Family Services as well as Indian and Northern Affairs. He recently retired from the N.B.
Department of Education (Mar., 1990 - Oct., 2003) and while with the Education department, he held the
position Consultant: Aboriginal Education. His duties and responsibilities included policy/program development
and implementation of initiatives designed to meet the educational needs of Maliseet and Mi’kmaq students
attending public schools.
Josephine Savarese
Josephine L. Savarese is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, St.
Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick.
In her latest publication, she investigates a case where the state intervened in a family after the disappearance
of a young indigenous girl. It appears as a chapter in Criminalized Mothers, Criminalizing Mothering published by
Demeter Press, 2015.
Josephine’s research focus on the racialized nature of the child welfare system was formed through studies in
critical race, feminist scholarship in Sociology and Law at the University of Saskatchewan. During a contract with
the Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission, Josephine obtained hands on experience representing families and
children who were largely indigenous on protection matters. In 2009, she was commissioned to research and coauthor (with the Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission, Regina Rural Area Office) a Memorandum of Argument
for an application to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada on behalf of Laura, the mother highlighted in her
chapter.
Josephine is a member of the executive committee of the Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network (UAKN) for the
Atlantic Region funded by SSHRC and serves on the board of the Canadian Law and Society Association.
During a 2013 sabbatical leave, Josephine completed a graduate certificate in Advanced Women’s Studies at the
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. A highlight of this overseas experience was working with the children and
families of tourists and “locals” while volunteering at the Honolulu Zoo in Waikīkī.