Visionary Leaders

Kahontakwas Diane Longboat

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.

“Building with traditional Indigenous knowledge systems as the foundation for change is critical for the spiritual evolution of humanity and the healing of Mother Earth. Nothing less is demanded of us in this era, but to change the world.”

Diane is a builder who believes in systems transformation to serve First Nations, Inuit and Métis with honor and respect, embodying cultures and languages as building blocks for a new economy, a new healthcare system, a new education system and a new human services system in a true democratic structure. Diane’s work is found at the convergence of health, education and traditional Indigenous knowledge systems and spirituality.

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 led the development of the Ceremony Grounds for CAMH to establish the Sweat Lodge, the Sacred Fire and healing ceremonies, and the medicine gardens, including the policy development required to support traditional Indigenous healing systems as a standard of practice. Today, her work also involves organizational strategy for enhancing culturally grounded policies, services and facilities to First Nations, Inuit and Métis at the hospital. Diane is a founding member of the Reconciliation Working Group and helped design its many learning opportunities for staff and patients over the past eight years and today. Diane is responsible for the implementation of the CAMH Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan now in its second iteration to 2030.

Beyond CAMH, Diane has been instrumental in influencing the anti-racism and health justice strategy of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network through the creation of the Indigenous Health Action Network comprised of Indigenous health leaders providing strategic advice to the CEOs of the 17 member hospitals in Toronto. As consultant to the Ontario Hospital Association, Diane supports their leadership as they co-create their engagement strategy with First Nations, Inuit and Métis and the 140 member hospitals throughout Ontario to work towards better patient outcomes and well-being.

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

Diane is also founder of First Nations House (Office of Indigenous 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 lectured nationally and internationally, on the topic of traditional Indigenous knowledge systems and spirituality as the fuel for systems transformation. She has published extensively on Indigenous education law and jurisdiction for Ontario Native Counselling Association, 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 served on the Dean’s Strategic Advisory Group at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

In 2018, 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. At the IPP, Haudenosaunee spiritual leaders and the spiritual leaders of the Anishinaabek Nation asked Diane and Bob Goulais to convene a spiritual leaders meeting called the Covenant of Nations to renew their pre-colonial relationships. This meeting on healing, unity and peace building was held in September 2023. www.covenantofnations.com and the work continues between these Nations.

Diane sits on many Elders/Knowledge Keepers Councils provincially, nationally, and internationally to share the best of traditional wisdom to bring change into the world.