Carlotta Ellison

Carlotta Ellison, the new Manager of Indigenous Initiatives at Lakehead University – Orillia campus, brings over 20 years of experience in education, community work, and child welfare to the position. Carlotta has most recently been employed as a faculty member in the Indigenous Community and Social Development Program at Georgian College, blending wholistic cultural teachings with two-eyed seeing approaches that encourage students to appreciate both Indigenous and Western knowledge systems.
A qualified teacher and graduate of Queen’s Indigenous Teacher Education Program, Carlotta gained experience in both mainstream and First Nations schools. She went on to work in the urban Indigenous community of Barrie and Simcoe County, working with children, youth and families as a community advocate and program coordinator. Her work within the child welfare sector has included holding leadership positions within both mainstream and Indigenous-led child well-being agencies. Within these contexts, Carlotta has helped to build capacity in service delivery to Indigenous populations, promoting anti-oppressive practice, and strengthening relationships with many First Nation communities throughout Ontario.

Carlotta obtained her Master of Social Work in Indigenous Trauma and Resiliency from the University of Toronto and is registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. Her social work practice and community advocacy highlights her passion for community-based services, Indigenous-led healing methods, strength-based and trauma-informed approaches, and social justice initiatives that empower Indigenous peoples in self-determination and resiliency. She is a member of Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation in Manitoba, but has called different regions of Ontario her home for many years. Through an inclusive approach, Carlotta promotes and incorporates cultural teachings, ceremony, and Indigenous wholistic practice and worldview in all that she does. She is very excited to share her diverse leadership style and experience in this new role and welcomes collaborations and increased relationship building with faculty, students, stakeholders, and the community at large.