EVA OTTAWA

 

Mrs. Ottawa holds a Bachelor degree in sociology since 1996. Her Choice for this field came as a result to her desire to help her community by performing various analysis on the social, economic and cultural situation in order in particular to make recommendations or action plans to reduce the problems related to suicide, school dropout, etc. She wanted to contribute to the well-being of young and old people among first nations.

 

She also holds a Law degree since 2002. Having worked actively with the Commission sur la Constitution Atikamekw in 1998-1999, she decided to deepen her legal knowledge. She first wanted to make legal concepts accessible to members of the Atikamakw nation in order to be able to work closely with them. Her legal training enabled her not only to be better equipped to defend the rights and interests of her nation but also to build a new society project of self-governance that reflect their reality and vision.



She has held various positions in her community and her nation: she was in charge of the coordination of cultural services of the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw from 1996 to 1998. She served as a researcher and then as the Acting President of the Commission sur la Constitution Atikamekw from 1998 to 1999; she was a member of the Atikamekw negotiating team from 2002 to 2004 as analyst and associated negotiator; she was also a consultant for indigenous organizations from 2005 to 2006. In September 2006, she was elected Grand Chief of the Atikamekw nation by universal suffrage for a term of four years and she was re-elected in 2010. She also acted as President of the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw from 2006 to 2013. During the past year, she worked in her home community to be actively involved in youth education and the establishment of a governance model in education (local authority in education).