Executive | IGSA

Meet the 2024-25 Executive Team

Dedicated to supporting the academic and non-academic needs of Indigenous graduate students at the U of A.

VICE-PRESIDENT, INTERNAL/EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

KD King
BScN, MPH, RN, CPSO
PhD Student, Faculty of Nursing

Born in northern Alberta in Treaty 8 territory, KD grew up on the farm before joining his maternal family tradition of becoming a Registered Nurse. A proud two-spirit Métis nurse, KD is doing PhD research looking at HPV related cancer prevention in his community as well as working on other projects and boards. He enjoys the outdoors, gardening, sports, beading and sewing, drag and other theatre, and eating anything and everything.

VICE-PRESIDENT, FINANCE

Meredith Leary (She/Her)
Master of Arts Student in Communications and Technology

Meredith was born in Edmonton, AB and raised in the area around Calahoo, AB. She is of settler-Metis descent and raised in a settler household. Meredith is am a mother to two children and places great value on finding balance between her professional, academic, and personal lives. She is working to learn more about her Metis heritage and build connections with the Metis community to ensure that her children have a better understanding of their culture.

Meredith is a second year student in the Master of Arts in Communications and Technology (MACT) program and is interested in AI ethics, Intellectual Property, and the impacts of misinformation on social media. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, a diploma in arts and cultural management, and a certificate in museum studies.

VICE-PRESIDENT, ADMINISTRATION

James Tatum (He/Him)
PhD Candidate, Materials Engineering.

James Tatum is a member of the Metis Nation of Alberta born and raised in Fort McMurray. James completed both a BSc in Mechanical Engineering (2018) and a MSc in Mechanical Engineering (2021) at the University of Alberta. James is also a member of the Indigenous in STEM Students Association (ISSA) that supports Indigenous students in STEM programs at the University of Alberta. In his free time he enjoys biking, playing board games, walking his goldendoodle, and spending time with his wife and daughter. James can also often be found volunteering at Metis events in Alberta.

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Echo Keizer (They/He)
Master of Science in Epidemiology

Echo is a Transmasculine mixed-Inuk ancestrally from Nunatsiavut (Labrador). As an Indigiqueer person with many years of volunteer work in municipal equity spaces, they have a passion for true representation and uplifting equity-deserving voices at decision-making tables and within the field of public health.

Echo is in their first year of their Master of Science in Epidemiology with The School of Public Health. His research area sits at the intersection of social determinants of health and how politics and legislation impacts the health and wellness of marginalized communities.

When he is not busy studying or volunteering, you can often find him at the bouldering gym or at martial arts training! They also enjoy creating art and modern versions of traditional Inuit garments and crafts.

Emma Villeneuve (She/they)
1st Year Masters of Library and Information Studies

Emma was born and raised in central Alberta and is a registered member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. Their family also has Woods Cree heritage from northern Saskatchewan (Green Lake area) as well as many, many relatives in Meadow Lake, SK and Fort St. John, BC. Her grandfather did not pass down his native tongue of Nehiyawewin to his children, but Emma hopes to reclaim that skill (when she isn’t taking so many classes).

Their undergrad degree was in literature and languages, and she is excited to work in a field that promotes cultural preservation, celebrates all types of knowledge, and protects Indigenous communities by preserving cultural and linguistic memory. Their current studies are focused on implementing community-led, Indigenous research praxis and policies into libraries and archives across Canada. These spaces have historically harmed our communities, but listening to our elders and having our voices heard may show us a better path forward. Emma is passionate about indigenizing colonial spaces through representation, and is very much looking forward to being involved with the IGSA and discovering the ways their knowledge and experience can contribute to all Indigenous grad students.

In their free time, Emma can be found reading (of course), watching terrible horror movies from the 80’s, or testing their patience with beadwork. They share three cats with their best friend, and CANNOT WAIT until the day she can get a dog. She is also a big astrophysics nerd and could talk about space all day!

CO-PRESIDENTS

Benjamin Kucher (He/Him)
Master's of Arts Student in Anthropology

Benjamin Kucher (he/him) is a Métis graduate student and Co-President of the Indigenous Graduate Students’ Association (IGSA) at the University of Alberta. He is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta and a descendant of the Michel First Nation.

Benjamin is completing a Master of Arts in Anthropology, with academic interests in Indigenous archaeology, legal anthropology, material culture, and community-based research. His work focuses on trade beads and beadwork as forms of cultural expression, knowledge transmission, and identity. Benjamin also works with Indigenous communities across Canada to help locate and protect unmarked graves related to residential schools.

Outside of his academic and advocacy work, Benjamin enjoys writing, creative projects, spending time on the land, and finding moments of rest and reflection with community. He is deeply committed to supporting Indigenous graduate students through care-based leadership, accountability, and collective advocacy.

VICE-PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS

Claire Settee (She/Her)
Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS)

Claire is from Winnipeg, the intersection of the Red and Assininboine Rivers. Like the rivers she grew up on, Claire lives at the confluence of her mother’s Hollow Water First Nation Anishinaabeg roots, and her father's ties to Swampy Cree communities across Manitoba. She is a proud member of Fisher River Cree Nation. Claire is in her second year of her MLIS, and third year of the University of Manitoba’s Indigenous Librarian Intern program. She loves baking, reading, and spending time with her cat Lily. Claire is excited to share and uplift the voices of Indigenous graduate students and the IGSA.

Indigenous Graduate Students' Association

Meet the 2024-25 Executive Team

CO-PRESIDENTS

Benjamin Kucher (He/Him) Master's of Arts Student in Anthropology

Benjamin Kucher (He/Him)
Master's of Arts Student in Anthropology