A Conversation with Dr. Rheanna Robinson

Dr. Rheanna Robinson is a Métis mother, scholar, and advocate for Indigenous disability studies and education. She was raised on Wetsuwet'en territory (Smithers, BC) and has resided on the territory of the Lheidli T'enneh Nation (Prince George, BC) for the last twenty years. Rheanna completed her PhD in Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia in BC's Lower Mainland but has a deep commitment and love for Northern BC and all it has to offer.

Diagnosed with MS in 1997 at the age of 19, Rheanna was determined to still pursue her life ambitions despite the adversity she was facing. Her post-secondary experiences bolstered her interest in contributing to research and knowledge transmission and translation, as well as her desire to be part of important collective conversations about priorities for Indigenous peoples and their communities.

As an Associate Professor in the Department of First Nations Studies at UNBC, and a Co-Lead for the Indigenous Research Stream with the Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship at UBC, Rheanna is actively engaged in Indigenous disability-related research and looks forward to future studies.

Always committed to fostering the importance of considering Indigenous knowledges and principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion, Rheanna looks forward to further scholarly contributions and research related to Indigenous perspectives and experiences of disability and, as someone who lives with physical disability, knows accessibility must remain a priority for all.