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About the Indigenous Editor’s Circle

The Indigenous Editors’ Circle is the result of the many conversations and years of planning among Indigenous authors, national and provincial funding agencies, and Canadian publishers – Indigenous and non-Indigenous. The Indigenous Editors Circle is a week-long professional learning program led by Indigenous faculty and guests with diverse experiences in publishing and editing, committed to fulfilling a vision of Indigenous peoples’ narrative sovereignty in Canada. Similarly, participants in attendance are in various stages in the fields of editing and publishing work by and about Indigenous peoples.

About Dr. Gregory Younging

Greg Younging was a nationally and internationally renowned expert on Indigenous publishing and a tireless voice and advocate for raising Indigenous voices in Canada. A publisher, professor, and Indigenous cultural advocate, Greg was a bridge-maker who brought together diverse voices, and his conversations were highly regarded by anyone who had the privilege to sit across from him. He was a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. In addition to his role as publisher of Theytus Books, the oldest fully Indigenous-owned publisher in Canada, Younging was an assistant director for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, the author of , and an instructor in the Indigenous Studies Program at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan.

Moderator

Rita Bouvier is a Métis writer, editor, and retired educator who has received numerous awards for her contributions and leadership in public education. Her fourth poetry collection, a beautiful rebellion, was released in April 2023 by Thistledown Press. She resides in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Treaty 6), but home is sakitawahk—Île-à-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan, located on the historical trading and meeting grounds of the Cree and Dene people (Treaty 10). Rita volunteers with the Saskatchewan Ânskohk Writers Circle Inc., the Indigenous Editors Association, and the League of Canadian Poets.

Guests

Kaitlin Littlechild is the Executive Director of the Indigenous Editors Association. She is the founder of both Kaitlin Littlechild Editing and Juno Communications. She has honed her skills in developmental editing, copy-editing, proofreading, and authenticity reading, working with clients from various disciplines, including academic, scientific, fiction, and nonfiction writing. She is committed to furthering the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples in Canada through her work. Kaitlin holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Waterloo and multiple professional certifications, including strategic public relations and project management from the University of Toronto and editing from ÓÈÎïÊÓƵ. She has facilitated numerous sessions and workshops for Editors Canada, where she is a member of the board.

Zoe Mix is a Métis multidisciplinary artist from Tacoma, Washington. She is a recent graduate of the Master of Publishing program at ÓÈÎïÊÓƵ with a focus on Indigenous publishing practices. Currently, Zoe is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Medicine Wheel Publishing. She is also Social Media Manager and Marketing Designer at Witch, Please Productions, and is currently co-producing a new show titled Making Worlds with the Witch, Please team. In her off hours Zoe is a classically trained vocalist, illustrator and writer.

Alan Sheppard (he/him) is the managing editor at Goose Lane Editions. As managing editor, Alan oversees the editorial process for all Goose Lane titles, from acquisition, through substantive and copy editing, to proofreading and final corrections. Alan joined Goose Lane in 2018, having previously completed a PhD in Classics and worked briefly in the museum sector. Originally from the UK, he has lived in Fredericton, New Brunswick, on the traditional, unceded territory of the Wəlastəkwiyik since 2016.

Dr. Younging was the first Indigenous graduate of the Master of Publishing program at SFU. 

Learn more about Dr. Younging, and the Greg Younging Publishing Award Endowment, which was established on May 5, 2021 to honour his legacy.