TAIAIAKE ALFRED
Keynote Speaker
Writer ~ Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
www.wasase.org
Taiaiake is a Kanien'kehaka scholar and orator who has dedicated himself to indigenous struggles for dignity, unity, and strength. He believes that words have the power to transform, the truth is a powerful weapon, and that it is time to act.
Taiaiake was born at Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal) and raised in the community of Kahnawake, and has long been involved in the public life of his own and other Indigenous nations. He is a prominent voice in scholarly circles and an award-winning journalist known for his passionate and incisive commentary on politics and culture. As a young man, Taiaiake served as an infantryman in the U.S. Marine Corps, and later earned degrees in history and political science from Concordia University and Cornell University. He is currently a professor at the University of Victoria, and lives with his wife in the territory of the Saanich Nation.
