Kahontakwas Diane Longboat BA, BEd, MEd

is a member of the Turtle Clan, Mohawk Nation at Six Nations Grand River Territory, Canada and a citizen of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. She is a ceremonial leader, traditional teacher and healer. Since 2013, Diane has served as Elder for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada’s largest and leading institution for clinical services and research for mental well-being.  Diane lead the development of the Ceremony Grounds for CAMH to establish the Sweat Lodge, Sacred Fire, and medicine gardens, including the policy development required to support traditional Indigenous healing as a standard of practice. In addition, in 2016, Diane became the Senior Project Manager, Guiding Directions Implementation, the CAMH strategy to improve practices and partnerships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

Diane is founder of Soul of the Mother, a Healing Lodge on the shores of the Grand River at Six Nations Grand River Territory, with extensive relationships with First Nations in Canada and throughout the United States and globally.

 Diane is also founder of First Nations House (Office of Aboriginal Student Services and Programs) at the University of Toronto.

 As a professional educator with a Master’s degree in education, Diane has taught at universities and conferences, nationally and internationally, on the topic of traditional Indigenous knowledge systems and spirituality as the fuel for innovation. She has published extensively on Indigenous education law and policy for the Chiefs of Ontario and the Assembly of First Nations.

 In 2017 and 2018, Diane was the Indigenous Education Advisor to the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Minister of Education (Minister Naidoo Harris and Minister Hunter). Diane currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

 Recently, Diane was Co-Chair for the development of the Indigenous Peoples Program at the Parliament of the World’s Religions global gathering in Toronto for 10,000 delegates in November 2018.  Over 100 Indigenous spiritual leaders from around the globe spoke in the Lodge of Nations built inside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and at workshops throughout the Parliament and participated in opening and closing ceremonies.

 Diane is recognized as an Evolutionary Leader by the Source of Synergy Foundation in New York City, a faculty member of the Shift Network and a Global Commissioner for the Digital Global Commission for Justice and Healing. Diane is a Board member of Honoring Indigenous Peoples, and a member of the Council of Elders of many organizations in North America including the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, Canada.