First Indigenous woman Chancellor of Brandon University,First female Indigenous dentist in Canada
Mary Jane McCallum (born May 1,1952)[1][2] is a Canadian Senator representing Manitoba,appointed in 2017.[1] She is the 8th Chancellor of Brandon University,a role she assumed in 2021,making her the first Indigenous woman to hold that post.[1][3][4] A Cree woman,and a dentist by profession,McCallum has worked to provide dental and medical services to northern and Indigenous communities across Manitoba and Saskatchewan.[1][3] As a survivor of the Canadian residential school system,she advocates for social justice,Indigenous rights,and decolonization,sharing her personal experiences to foster awareness and understanding.[3][5][6]
At the age of five,McCallum attended the Guy Hill Residential School in The Pas,Manitoba,where she remained for 11 years.[7][3][8] She has described this period as traumatic,stating that her identity was "reshaped to one based on shame,dependence,blind obedience and fear".[5] Prior to this experience,she described herself as "solid," having received a land-based education within her community's trapline and fish camp,which she states instilled in her a sense of connection,relationship,spirituality,and purpose.[5] She recounts winning first prize in a religion class for a description of hell,an experience that she states instilled a deep and persistent fear that has remained with her.[5] McCallum attributes this internalized fear and belief to the influence of colonial figures like John A. Macdonald,who,she argues,propagated the belief that Indigenous peoples were "savages;less than human".[5] She acknowledges that for a time,she internalized this view.[5]
McCallum states she is "still on my reconciliation journey towards that child who first entered residential school," highlighting the enduring impact of the trauma.[5] She emphasizes that the policies and laws initiated by colonial figures have continued to affect her,her children,and her grandchildren.[5] She has stated that the trauma inflicted by residential schools "shattered the meaning of our lives and left death,disorder,disconnection and disempowerment".[5]
As Canada's first female Indigenous dentist,having earned her DMD in 1990,Mary Jane McCallum initially practiced dentistry with a "rigid,Westernized approach" for approximately a dozen years.[6] Her focus was primarily on completing oral treatment plans.[6] She recognized that this method was ineffective in addressing oral disease within First Nations communities,understanding that deeper problems stemmed from "mental and spiritual pain,rooted in racism,trauma and loss inflicted by colonization".[6] This realization prompted a transformation in her approach:she decided to "see the person as a human being" and to understand "what did they want out of this care I was giving them?"[6] This shift,drawing strength from traditional teachings,reshaped her practice into a more holistic and patient-centric model.[6]
McCallum dedicated much of her career to providing dental and medical services to northern and Indigenous communities across Manitoba and Saskatchewan.[1][5] From 1979 to 1997,she worked in various capacities within the dental field,including serving as a dental therapist in remote communities.[7][3] She also held a position as an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba,where she managed a dental clinic in Churchill and oversaw students completing their practicum.[7][3] Between 1996 and 2000,she undertook an interchange with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs,serving as the Regional Dental Officer for the province.[7][3] She worked in Brochet from 1992 to 1996 and again from 2003 to 2010.[7][3] In Brochet,she managed community health programs,including initiatives for children's dental health,diabetes,and prenatal care.[7][3] She also volunteered for several local committees,such as housing,school,and education committees,and organized monthly dinners and meetings with Elders to discuss social issues affecting the community.[7][3] Additionally,she worked as an independent contractor for the federal First Nations and Inuit Health Branch,providing services in northern Manitoba.[7][3] In April 2002,she returned to the University of Manitoba to lead the Aboriginal Dental Health Programs.[7][3] She retired from active dentistry in April 2021,though she maintains her status as a non-practicing member of the Manitoba Dental Association.[7][9]
As her practice evolved,McCallum expanded her role to become a community organizer and social justice advocate.[6] She states that cavity-prevention programs are "futile among Indigenous populations" if fundamental needs such as "safety,warmth and food are not there".[6] She advocates for improving the health of First Nations,Inuit,and Métis people by addressing the social determinants of health,including housing,employment,and education.[6] She believes that health improvement will be achieved through "decolonizing frameworks like the health-care system and reclaiming traditional teachings".[6] She states that "If every single Indigenous person had a home,a job and was educated,it wouldn’t mean anything without spiritual healing".[6] Her philosophy emphasizes that Indigenous communities possess their own solutions and must be empowered to implement them.[6]
Mary Jane McCallum was appointed to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on December 4,2017.[1] She initially joined the Independent Senators Group,where she served from 2018 to 2022.[1] Later sitting as a non-affiliated Senator,[1][7] and then as a Conservative. During her tenure,she has served on the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples.[6]
McCallum has used her platform in the Senate to advocate for Indigenous peoples,share survivor experiences,and address systemic injustices.
September 26,2024: She delivered a tribute to the late Grand Chief Cathy Merrick on behalf of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.[2]
June 6,2024: McCallum paid tribute to Senator Victor Oh,drawing a parallel between the historical injustices faced by Chinese Canadians and the struggles of First Nations.[2]
October 31,2023: She extended a tribute to members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority from the southern Philippines.[2]
October 3,2023: She shared an excerpt from her speech,"A Life in Retrospect:Examining the Seven Generations of My Lived Experience," focusing on her early childhood before residential school.[2]
September 26,2023: In a tribute to "grassroots people," she emphasized resilience and authenticity.[2]
June 20,2023: She spoke on "Guy Hill Residential School Search and Resurgence as First Nations Sovereign Peoples," reflecting on the formation of "families and lifelong friends" among residential school children.[2]
December 14,2022: She collaborated with the Indigenous Women's Collective to address "Indigenous Identity Fraud".[2]
McCallum has discussed experiencing racism on the Senate floor.[8] She uses her platform to challenge denialism regarding residential schools,advocating for a deeper understanding of oppression and privilege,and for dismantling systemic racism,discrimination,violence,and abuse embedded within the residential school system and its ongoing impacts.[8] She states she carries "all those voices with me when I go into the Senate Chamber"[6] and that her aim is to "bring voice to First Nations concerns".[5]
Chancellor of Brandon University
On May 6,2021,Mary Jane McCallum was appointed the 8th Chancellor of Brandon University.[1][7] She became both the first Indigenous woman and the first female Chancellor in the university's history.[7][9] Her initial term commenced on July 1,2021.[1] The Brandon University Senate renewed her chancellorship for a second term on January 30,2024.[9] Dr. David Docherty,President of Brandon University,commented on her continued service,noting her "thoughtful guidance,her care,and her keen insight," and her inspirational leadership.[9]
As Chancellor,Mary Jane McCallum serves as the formal head of Brandon University,providing vision and guidance.[7] She acts in an advisory and supportive role to the University President.[7] Her responsibilities include membership in both of the university's governing bodies:the Board of Governors and the Senate.[7] She provides leadership and advice in fundraising campaigns and cultivates relations with donors.[7] A central ceremonial duty is presiding over each Convocation ceremony,where she brings greetings and offers advice to graduating students,and officially confers degrees.[7] McCallum serves as an ambassador for Brandon University,supporting and promoting its mission and values.[7] She occasionally represents the University in an official capacity at external functions and frequently hosts,attends,or presides at other special events.[7] She has expressed her eagerness to continue her "wonderful journey" with the university's students and faculty.[9]
Advocacy and public engagement
Mary Jane McCallum is committed to educating the public about the impacts of the residential school system. She leads workshops and presentations where she shares her personal experience as a residential school survivor.[7][3][9] Her objective is to raise awareness and foster understanding of the trauma inflicted by these institutions.[7][3][9] Her personal reflections have also been published,notably in "Bless Me Father for I Have Sinned," a chapter in First Lady Nation,Volume II:Stories by Aboriginal Women.[5]
McCallum advocates for social justice,Indigenous rights,and decolonization.[3][2] Her professional journey in dentistry evolved into a broader commitment to community organizing and social justice advocacy,driven by her understanding of the systemic roots of health disparities in Indigenous communities.[6] She emphasizes the need to address the social determinants of health and to decolonize existing systems,including healthcare,to achieve healing and well-being for Indigenous peoples.[6] A core tenet of her philosophy is the belief in empowering Indigenous communities to identify and implement their own solutions.[6] Her public statements,including her interventions in the Senate,frequently address issues of racism,discrimination,and the ongoing impacts of colonialism.[2][8]
Personal life
Mary Jane McCallum is married,and has two daughters and a son.[7][3][9]
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