Jo-Ann Archibald

Jo-Ann Archibald

Education (2000)

A visionary, a lecturer, an author and an academic, Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald is an agent of change and unrivaled pioneer in the advancement of First Nations education. Born in Chilliwack and a member of the Sowahlie First Nation, Dr. Archibald finished her undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia. She continued her specialization in Education, earning both a Masters degree and Ph.D. at Simon Fraser University. While teaching elementary school, Dr. Archibald noted the lack of culturally relevant curriculum for First Nations students. She worked with teachers and elders from the Coqualeetza Cultural Centre to develop the first curriculum on the history of the Sto:lo people for elementary and secondary students. Since moving to the post-secondary system, Dr. Archibald has continued to create positive changes for First Nations students. As a member of the Board of Directors of the First Nations House of Learning at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Archibald assisted many faculties with the development and implementation of First Nation initiatives in Arts, Agricultural Sciences, Applied Sciences, Law, and Health Sciences to name a few. She led the fundraising campaign to establish a First Nations library, a child-care centre and fully-equipped computer laboratory. As the President of the Mokakit Education Research Association, Dr. Archibald developed national curriculum on HIV/Aids, Aboriginal heroes, and alcohol and substance abuse prevention. Dr. Archibald was supervisor of the Native Indian Teachers Education Program (NITEP), teaching, mentoring, and advising many First Nations graduate students. She has published frequently and has served as editor of the Canadian Journal of Native Education. Internationally, Dr. Archibald helped establish a formal relationship between the University of British Columbia and the University of Auckland in New Zealand and is the director for the International Research Institute for Maori and Indigenous Education. She has also traveled to China to lecture on curriculum development for Tibetan students. In 1995, Dr. Archibald received the Justice Achievement Award, an international award from the National Association for Court Management for her development of First Nations justice curriculum.