A Conversation on Inuit Health and Wellness
Join the Office of Indigenous Initiatives for another Ajuinnata at McGill event: A Conversation on Inuit Health and Wellness with special guests Minnie Grey and Richard Budgell. This event will be driven by discussion questions. All are encouraged to attend, and light refreshments will be provided.
Where: Royal Victoria College West Lounge 014 (access via 3425 rue University, Montreal, QC)
Speaker bios:
Minnie Grey, who is from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, has helped protect and promote the Inuit way of life for over 30 years. As the former vice-president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council and the chief negotiator for the creation of a Nunavik regional government, she spearheaded and bolstered initiatives that improved education, food security, cultural rights, and economic development across Inuit Nunangat. As the former executive director of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, she established and furthered health policies in Nunavik—notably those addressing youth mental health.
Richard Budgell, a Labrador Inuk, was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McGill in 2020, where he lectures, writes, and does research on Inuit health. Prior to joining Family Medicine, he was a federal government public servant in First Nations and Inuit health, and other Indigenous fields, for more than thirty years. Has was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for exemplary public service in his role in the creation of the Aboriginal Head Start program, an early childhood development program for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children and families. He has a Master of Arts degree in Canadian Studies (Aboriginal concentration) from Carleton University and began doctoral studies in History at McGill in 2021. He is involved in a variety of research projects, including Inuit cultural safety in health care and the Inuit community in southern Quebec.
