Marie Smallface Marule

Marie Smallface Marule

Education (1995)

Marie Smallface Marule is the President of the Red Crow College.  Located on the Blood Reserve, the college is part of the University of Lethbridge.  In this capacity Ms. Smallface Marule is developing an educational curriculum to meet the needs of Aboriginal students.  She is known for her work as an educator and advocate of human rights issues for Aboriginal peoples around the world.  As an educator, she taught at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology in Merritt, BC; and was an Assistant Professor at the University of Lethbridge.  She was one of the first Aboriginal women to gain a BA in Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Alberta, where she has now completed Masters’ course work in Anthropology, with a thesis in progress.  She was one of the first Aboriginal women to travel to Africa with CUSO as a volunteer in Community Development and Adult Literacy in Zambia.  It was as a result of these travels that she began her quest to work on human rights issues.  Upon her return, she was the Executive Assistant to Grand Chief George Manuel, and was later the Executive Director of the National Indian Brotherhood, the forerunner of the Assembly of First Nations.  While working fulltime, she also helped create the World Council of Indigenous Peoples (WCIP), which has brought the concerns of indigenous peoples around the world to international attention.  Her other activities include:  acting as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Blood Tribe Police Commission; Chair and Member of the Blood Tribe Elections Appeal Board; Chair and Vice-Chair of Indian News Media; Secretary of the Indian Association of Alberta; and Chief Administrator of the World Council in Indigenous Peoples.  Over the years, Ms. Smallface Marule has traveled extensively in Europe, Africa and South America to gain respect for indigenous voices around the world.