FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Melissa Yazzie melissa_yazzie@hks.harvard.edu
Chief Sophie Pierre Named Inaugural Senior Fellow in Indigenous Governance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School
November 19, 2024, Cambridge, MA — The Harvard Kennedy School’s Project on Indigenous Governance and Development is pleased to announce Chief Sophie Pierre as its inaugural Senior Fellow in Indigenous Governance and Development for Spring 2025. Pierre’s appointment fulfills the generous endowment support of the fellowship’s donors, Joseph P. Kalt and Judith K. Gans.
Chief Sophie Pierre’s career spans over three decades of dedicated service to her community of ‘Aqam (St. Mary’s Indian Band) and the broader Ktunaxa Nation. As the elected Chief of ‘Aqam for 26 years and the Administrator/Tribal Chair of the Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council for 25 years, she played an integral role in reshaping her community and advancing Indigenous self-determination. Most notably, her leadership in transforming the former Kootenay Indian Residential School, which she attended for nine years, into the St. Eugene Resort—a thriving hotel, golf course, casino, and RV park. This transformed a symbol of trauma into one of resiliency and economic prosperity for the Ktunaxa Nation.
Pierre’s work for reconciliation, economic development, and community empowerment has earned her numerous honors, including the Order of Canada (2016), the Order of British Columbia (2002), and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in business (2003). In 2009, she was appointed Chief Commissioner of the BC Treaty Commission, where she facilitated treaty negotiations between the governments of Canada and British Columbia and Indigenous nations.
Throughout her career, she has been a tireless advocate for the revitalization of Indigenous languages and cultures and has worked to bridge traditional knowledge with modern governance. In addition to her governance roles, Pierre served as a mentor with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and served on the boards of both the BC Achievement Foundation and the Vancouver Foundation. She remains an elder advisor to her community and continues to pass on her knowledge of the Ktunaxa language and cultural traditions.
A respected leader, visionary, and elder of the Ktunaxa Nation, she brings to Harvard a wealth of knowledge in governance, economic development, and the challenges and opportunities facing Indigenous communities today.
The Senior Fellow in Indigenous Governance and Development allows highly accomplished senior leaders to spend time at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. As honored representatives of their nations, Senior Fellows are able to reflect on their careers in public service and share practical lessons in nation-building with the coming generations of world leaders.
“A fundamental value practiced by Ktunaxa is the responsibility of passing on traditional knowledge along with life experience lessons that support one’s culture. This was something drilled into me by my mother, as it was her life’s goal to pass on the knowledge that she carried. I am honored to be invited to Harvard Kennedy School, such a prestigious place of learning, in order to carry out my responsibilities,” said Pierre.
“We are thrilled to welcome Chief Pierre as our inaugural Senior Fellow,” said Megan Minoka Hill, Senior Director of the Harvard Kennedy School Project on Indigenous Governance and Development. “Her legacy of transformative leadership in her community and her profound impact on Indigenous governance are unmatched. We look forward to the insights and mentorship she will provide to our students, faculty, and to the greater Harvard community.”
About the Harvard Kennedy School Project on Indigenous Governance and Development
The Project on Indigenous Governance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School is dedicated to advancing knowledge and research on Indigenous governance, leadership, and development. Hosted by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the Project provides a platform for Indigenous leaders and scholars to collaborate, share knowledge, and inspire change through interdisciplinary research, public presentations, and educational initiatives.
###
For more information about the Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, please visit the Project’s website at www.IndigenousGov.hks.harvard.edu, or email IndigenousGov@hks.harvard.edu
