Professor Craft brings a wealth of experience in environmental governance, Indigenous law and public policy. She is a distinguished Anishinaabe-Métis lawyer from Treaty 1 territory in Manitoba and holds a University Research Chair Nibi miinawaa aki inaakonigewin: Indigenous governance in relationship with land and water.
A Vision for Inclusive Environmental Decision-Making
As Chair of the Clean Environment Commission, Professor Craft will lead efforts to facilitate public participation in environmental policy and licensing decisions, ensuring that Manitobans’ voices—especially those of Indigenous communities—are heard. The Commission provides expert advice to the government on environmental issues, undertaking public hearings, investigations, and mediation on key matters related to sustainability and resource management.
A Leader in Indigenous Law and Environmental Stewardship
Professor Craft’s career has been dedicated to advancing Indigenous legal traditions, water governance, and reconciliation. She has worked extensively with Indigenous communities to strengthen relationships with land and water, ensuring that governance structures reflect traditional laws and responsibilities.
Her leadership in the Decolonizing Water Project, an initiative that seeks to reframe water governance through Indigenous legal perspectives, has been widely recognized. In 2023, she received the University of Ottawa’s Knowledge Mobilization Excellence Award for her contributions to research and community-based engagement on water stewardship. She has also led the Women and Water: Anishinaabekwe Collaboration Across Water Jurisdictions project, which explores Indigenous women’s sacred responsibilities to water governance.
A History of Excellence in Research and Advocacy
Beyond environmental law, Professor Craft has played a pivotal role in national and international conversations on Indigenous rights. She served as the Director of Research for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, as well as the founding Director of Research at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. She practiced at the Public Interest Law Centre for over a decade and in 2016 she was voted one of the top 25 most influential lawyers in Canada. In 2021 she was awarded the prestigious Canadian Bar Association President’s Award. She has also been elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists and appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honour.
Professor Craft has also made significant contributions to treaty law through her scholarly work. Her award-winning book, Breathing Life Into the Stone Fort Treaty, provides an Anishinaabe perspective on treaty relationships, while her children’s book, Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow, introduces young readers to the philosophy of treaties.
We wish Professor Craft every success as she takes on this important leadership role. She will be on leave from the University of Ottawa as of September 2025.