Two extraordinary leaders will receive honorary doctorates from Algoma University this spring during its convocation ceremonies in Sault Ste. Marie and Brampton. This is the first time that the University has granted an honorary doctorate at its Brampton convocation. The 2026 recipients are Barbara Ann Nolan and Patricia M. Ningewance Nadeau.
Algoma University recognizes these distinguished individuals for their outstanding achievements, community leadership, and lasting contributions to the preservation of Indigenous languages and the advancement of Indigenous education across Canada.
Algoma University awards honorary degrees to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to:
- Academia and/or society in Canada or internationally, particularly in fields of interest to the University;
- The development of Algoma University and its mission; and
- The betterment of culture, society, or local communities, with a deep respect for the University’s Special Mission to cultivate cross-cultural learning.
Learn more about this spring’s honorary doctorate recipients below.
Barbara Ann Nolan
Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Sault Ste. Marie Ceremony — Saturday, June 13, 2026
In recognition of her lifelong dedication to preserving and teaching Anishinaabemowin, Algoma University will confer an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts upon Barbara Ann Nolan during its spring convocation ceremony held at the Sault Ste. Marie Community Centre on Saturday, June 13, 2026.
A respected language educator, curriculum developer, immersion instructor, and counsellor, Nolan has spent decades advancing Indigenous language learning through accessible educational resources, community leadership, and vital student support. Her innovative work has fundamentally influenced language education initiatives not only across Canada but also internationally. Through rigorous research and compassionate advocacy, Nolan’s efforts have profoundly supported both Indigenous learners and residential school survivors and their families, ensuring that the vibrancy of the Anishinaabe language continues to thrive for generations to come.
A proud Nishnaabe-kwe originally from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and now residing in Garden River First Nation, Nolan is a residential school survivor from Spanish Indian Residential School who successfully resisted systemic attempts to erase her heritage. A vibrant first-speaker of Nishnaabemwin, she is traditionally known as Nesdotmookiid (“Causer of Language Understanding”).
Nolan has spent more than five decades pioneering Indigenous language revitalization. In 1973, she developed the region’s first elementary school Nishnaabemwin curriculum, the success of which prompted Algoma University and Sault College to request her expertise in establishing their own foundational language courses. Appointed as the Language Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation in 2020, Nolan advises 39 First Nations across Ontario on language immersion policy and community wellness. She is also the recipient of the 2021 Ontario Arts Council Indigenous Arts Award.
Patricia M. Ningewance Nadeau
Honorary Doctor of Letters Brampton Ceremony — Wednesday, June 17, 2026
During the Brampton Convocation ceremonies on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Algoma University will confer an Honorary Doctor of Letters upon Patricia M. Ningewance Nadeau, recognizing her historic contributions as an internationally recognized author, educator, publisher, and advocate for Anishinaabemowin. Ningewance Nadeau will become the inaugural honorary degree recipient at Algoma University’s Brampton campus.
A proud member of the Lac Seul First Nation and the Bear Clan, Ningewance Nadeau (Waabi-bizhikiikwe) shares a deeply profound history with Algoma University. As a child, she was forced to attend the Shingwauk Residential School; decades later, she returned to the exact same site as a university professor, occupying a faculty office located just feet from where her childhood dormitory bed once stood.
A Member of the Order of Canada, Ningewance Nadeau has dedicated over 50 years to reclaiming and revitalizing the languages that the residential school system attempted to eradicate. She is the author of Talking Gookom’s Language, Canada’s most widely utilized Anishinaabemowin textbook. In 1998, she founded Mazinaate Publishing to produce accessible Indigenous language infrastructure, authoring over 17 books and pocket guides that have been adapted into Cree, Oji-Cree, Dene, and Inuktitut.
Her trailblazing career spans media and academia. She was the first editor of Wawatay News, Canada’s longest-running national Indigenous publication, and spent decades in university lecture halls, including serving as an Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba. Today, she serves as a “Grandmother for her language” on the Manitoba Aboriginal Languages Strategy’s Grandparents Council. By openly addressing the intergenerational trauma of residential schools and successfully passing the language down to her grandson Aandeg (Muldrew) Ningewance who is also a professor at the University of Winnipeg, Ningewance Nadeau’s life work stands as a monument to resilience, cultural reclamation, and academic excellence.
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