Harvey McCue (Waubageshig)

One of the leading experts on Indigenous education in Canada, Harvey McCue’s lifetime of expertise spans Indigenous self-governance, public relations, economic development, and gaming as well as education. He has steadfastly pursued one overarching goal: the implementation of education curricula that serve and speak directly to the interests, needs, and potential of Indigenous youth and their communities.

In 1967, during his 3rd year at Trent as the President of the Champlain College Student Cabinet, McCue met with Dr. T.H.B. Symons, the founding president of Trent, to discuss a new “Indian-Eskimo Studies” program. After graduating with an Honours BA in Sociology in 1969, he was hired by Dr. Symons to assist the establishment and development of the program, making the university the first in Canada and the second in North America to introduce an Indigenous Studies program.

After 14 years at Trent, McCue moved to James Bay as Director of Education Services for the Cree School Board, where he helped to create infrastructure, train personnel, and implement curriculum. He then took a role as Director of Policy & Research in what was then Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), subsequently becoming the federal government’s very first First Nations Director General of Indigenous Education.

McCue’s path then took him to Nova Scotia, where he served as Executive Director and Director of Education of the Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Education Authority, working with the federal and provincial governments to return exclusive jurisdiction of on-reserve education to First Nations. This work ultimately led to the 1999 Mi’kmaq Education Act.

Since retiring, McCue has consulted on K-12 curricula for First Nations across Turtle Island. Projects have ranged from a 24-module curriculum on suicide prevention for First Nations youth, which has been brought into many First Nations schools in Canada and the United States, to a K-12 Syilx cultural curriculum for the Upper Nicola Band in BC. In 2020, he completed a K-12 history curriculum for Long Lake #58 First Nation in Ontario which was the first of its kind in Canada.

McCue has mentored numerous Indigenous community leaders and has published widely, with his works serving as valuable guides to curriculum development and strategic planning.  He gives his time to numerous boards, including the National Reading Campaign, the First Nations Housing Professionals Association, the First Nations Technical Institute, and the Stratford Festival. He served as a Governor of the Trent University Board of Governors.

McCue has earned numerous accolades for his work, including an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from Trent University, and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2020.