Dr. Paulette Tremblay

Cape Breton University is proud to honour the lengthy and distinguished career of Dr. Paulette Tremblay, Ph.D., ICD.D, CAPA, whose contributions to indigenous financing, band administration and educationdsc4146_paulette continue to advance First Nation people.

A Turtle Clan member of the Mohawk Nation from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory of Southern Ontario, Dr. Tremblay has been an educator for more than 30 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology at Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor of Education at Dalhousie and holds both a Master of Arts degree in education and a Doctor of Philosophy in education from the University of Ottawa. Dr. Tremblay is a Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator (CAPA) and received the Institute of Corporate Directors Designation (ICD.D) from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business.

Through her Mohawk treaty affiliation, Dr. Tremblay joined the United States Navy at 18 years old and was assigned to finance and accounting as a disbursing clerk. She turned down an advancement offer after serving three years having witnessed the effects of the Vietnam War and decided it was time to return home.

Since then, Dr. Tremblay has been Vice-President of Education and Training at AFOA Canada (former Aboriginal Financial Officers Association), Chief Executive Officer for the National Aboriginal Health Organization, Director of Education at the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (currently Indspire), Senior Executive Officer for the Six Nations Band Council and a federal government designer and trainer with the Public Service Commission of Canada.

Dr. Tremblay is also very proud to be the former chair of the national advisory committee for Cape Breton University’s Purdy Crawford Chair in Aboriginal Business Studies. She strongly believes education is vital to achieving the goals of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.  Having received the 2015 Indspire Award for Education, Dr. Tremblay was humbled to be honoured by Indigenous people for this most prestigious award for high career achievements in education. Dr. Tremblay remains firmly dedicated to community and family. She delights in learning from and helping to educate her granddaughter and truly believes in connecting education to cultural values.