Amy Nahwegahbow

Amy Nahwegahbow joined FNIGC in 2018, and she is responsible for leading and supporting strategic research initiatives and guiding the development of research proposals, as well as fostering collaboration and communicating research findings to a wide range of stakeholders.

With more than 26 years of experience in research and policy at national Indigenous organizations, Amy is committed to advancing ethical research practices, evidence-based decision making, and First Nations sovereignty in research and data governance. She currently contributes her expertise to shaping national public health policy as a board member of the Canadian Public Health Association. Her professional, volunteer, and educational journey reflects her dedication to addressing the unique health challenges facing First Nations, through community-led research, health promotion and culturally relevant interventions.

An Anishinaabe member of Whitefish River First Nation in Ontario, Amy holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Waterloo and is pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health Sciences. In 2024, she was awarded a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her research in environmental influences on health, focusing on assessing environmental exposures, socio-cultural vulnerabilities and health impacts of contaminants from industrial pollution in northern First Nations communities.