Professor Dwayne Donald will receive the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s highest honour of honorary membership at the 2026 Annual Representative Assembly (ARA), a recognition that reflects his decades of work reshaping how Canada thinks about Indigenous education.
Working in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education, Donald holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Reimagining Teacher Education with Indigenous Wisdom Traditions. Edmonton-born and raised, he is a descendant of the amiskwaciwiyiniwak (Beaver Hills Cree) and the Papaschase Cree, and carries the Blackfoot name Aipioomahkaa, Long Distance Runner.
At the heart of Donald’s research is wâhkôhtowin, the Cree concept of kinship and interconnectedness. He has spent his career exploring how this and other Indigenous relational philosophies can transform teacher education, curriculum and the ongoing work of Reconciliation, bringing depth and grounding to conversations that can too easily remain abstract.
One of his most distinctive contributions is his relational walking practice, which ties learning directly to land and place. His widely cited article, “We Need a New Story: Walking and the wâhkôhtowin Imagination,” makes the case that something as simple as walking together can fundamentally shift the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Donald has presented at universities and conferences across Canada and has been active in Association and subgroup events throughout his career. His Tier 1 Canada Research Chair appointment in 2021 was among several honours recognizing the reach and impact of his work.
The award of Honorary Membership will be presented to Donald at ARA in Calgary over the May long weekend.
