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Graduate Student Profiles
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Lisa Robinson
Laurentian student Lisa Robinson is, in her own words, a "botany kind of person." Her interest grew out of her numerous hunting, fishing, and trapping excursions with her father and brother. On these treks, she learned to observe and respect nature, and to become aware of the human footprint on the environment
Now, Lisa is pursuing her MA in biology at Laurentian. This summer, she will be conducting extensive fieldwork around the North Bay and Petawawa areas, studying the regeneration of red oak trees planted under pine trees
Originally from the Wolf Lake First Nation, Temiskaming, Quebec, Lisa remains active in the community. This commitment has earned her several financial donations and awards, the latest being the Tembec Aboriginal Scholarship from Nipissing University. Back in 2007, she obtained a BA of science in environmental biology and technology at Nipissing.
Lisa says the hurdles as a university student are the "learning curves, and just being a new student in a new university." She has appreciated support from Native students at Laurentian. Juggling family and academic responsibilities is also a challenge, she admits. She is married, and she provides care to members of her extended family.
Lisa Robinson wants to continue her education. Following her master’s, she is thinking about doing her PhD, and is particularly interested in focusing on the traditional use of plants.
By Suzanne Charron-Violette
Denise Newton-Mathur
Aanii, Boozhoo,
My name is Denise Newton-Mathur and I have been a registered nurse for 35 years, having graduated from the Sudbury Regional School of Nursing in 1973. In 1999, when my youngest son went off to university, Idecided it was time to further my education. I completed a BA in anthropology in 2004, a certificate in classical studies in 2004, and an MA in interdisciplinary humanities in 2005 – all at Laurentian University.
As an Odawa-Ojibwe Metis, I am fulfilling my dream of continuing my nursing career and assisting aboriginal peoples with their health issues through an appointment within the school of nursing at Laurentian University. My position as a faculty member has permitted the opportunity to fulfill yet another dream: To learn and become fluent in the language of my grandmother, Nishnaabemwin (Ojibwe), which Ilistened to as a young child.
As an educator, I have appreciated the opportunity to share my knowledge of aboriginal peoples with our nursing students and nursing faculty. Recently, the school of nursing formed an Aboriginal Nursing Education Committee, which is developing resource materials to communicate the unique needs of aboriginal learners to nursing faculty members. As well, culturally sensitive information packages are being developed for aboriginal students, their families, and high school guidance counsellors, with the goal of encouraging prospective students to consider a career in nursing at Laurentian. Itruly hope that you will consider becoming a nursing student in our program.
Denise Newton-Mathur, RN, BA, MA
Susan Manitowabi
From graduate to director, Susan Manitowabi knows the Native Human Services program from all sides.
“Susan is an excellent role model for the school of Native human services and Anishinaabe,” says Sheila Cote-Meek, director of academic Native affairs at Laurentian University. “As a graduate of the program, she has now come full circle by becoming the school’s first director. I would say that is quite a remarkable accomplishment.”
Indeed, this is true for both Native human services and Susan (BA 1980, HBSW 2002) herself. In her former role as coordinator of the Native human services program, she “had the task of moving the idea of the creation of the new school through the process here at Laurentian.”
She describes how she looked at people’s strengths and motivated them to do the work required for the project. “Not one person alone could have done it,” she says.
Born and raised in Wiigwaaskingaa (also known as Birch Island, Ontario), she left her community to work and study, while raising four children – all students and alumni of Laurentian.
A lot of her students say: “‘If you can do it, so can I.’ Because there are not a lot of Native women in academia or in positions of authority in communities, so they see it as a real possibility now,” she says.
While Susan is busy setting up the school, she has also started her PhD in rural and northern health. She manages her time efficiently and has a good sense of humour, and practices several hobbies, which she considers habits leading to good mental health. This subject is of special interest to her as she has worked in this field “for quite some time.” Her doctoral work focuses on mental health policies, programs, and best practices for Native communities, in addition to traditional healing
approaches.
Adhering to the teachings of the Seven Grandfathers, Susan is “always thinking about how to do research in an ethical manner.” She keeps informed about best practices by participating on various ethics boards at Laurentian and at the regional and national levels.
She says her community-oriented parents gave her “a really good foundation on how to work with people. A lot of it focused on looking at the positives and helping move things around in a good way,” she says
By Suzanne Charron-Violette
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