Indigenous Sovereignty and Community Leadership w/ Gordon Peters

This episode features Councillor Gordon Peters. Councillor Gordon Peters is a member of the Turtle Clan and is Lunaapeew (Lenape) from Eelünaapéewi Lahkéewiit (Delaware Nation). He currently serves as a Councillor for Eelünaapéewi Lahkéewiit.

Councillor Peters has worked with First Nations in both political and non-political capacities for more than four decades, applying his extensive organizing knowledge to promote and advance Indigenous sovereignty. He formerly served as Deputy Grand Chief, an elected position within the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians (AIAI). He also served as Ontario Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations for 12 years and as head of the AIAI for four years. He is an author and educator and is frequently invited to speak on issues related to First Nations communities, economic development, and cultural development.

In addition to his work with the AIAI and the Assembly of First Nations, Councillor Peters was instrumental in the creation of the Centre for Indigenous Sovereignty, a non-profit corporation that prioritizes the development and implementation of First Nations initiatives focused on rebuilding Indigenous communities.

Through his work at the Centre, Councillor Peters has also played a key role in preserving the Lunaapeew language in the Delaware Nation in southwestern Ontario. Due to the pervasive and ongoing effects of racism and colonialism in Canada, earlier generations were discouraged from passing along this critical component of Lunaapeew culture and identity. Over the past decade, Councillor Peters has worked with Elder Dianne Snake, the last fluent speaker of Lunaapeew, to train a new generation of speakers. Through this collaborative process, Lunaapeew is now taught to youth in Delaware Nation schools.

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