Board of Directors

Minwaashin Lodge is governed by a dedicated Board of Directors

Velvet Migwans

President

Velvet Migwans is from Prince George, B.C. She has lived in Ottawa for the past twenty years. Velvet has been sitting on Minwaashin’s Board for numerous years and is currently filling the role of Board President. She currently works full time at the Metis Nation of Ontario and works part time teaching at Algonquin College.

Jo McCutcheon

Vice - President

Jo McCutcheon was born in Calgary, raised in Winnipeg and has been in Ottawa studying, volunteering, researching and working. She has served on Minwaashin’s Board for several years as a Director; Treasurer and currently as Vice President. She teaches part time at the University of Ottawa in the Department of History & Canadian and Indigenous Studies and is the Executive Director at the Association of Canadian Archivists.

Pamela Wolfe-Roberge

Director

Pam Wolfe-Roberge is Ojibwe, member of Zhiibaahaasing First Nation in Ontario; and, grew up in Ottawa. Pam has served on Minwaashin Lodge's board since 2014, and as Treasurer from 2017-2021. Pam works at Indigenous Services Canada, in the area of Indigenous health policy and program delivery. Pam is passionate about the work Minwaashin Lodge does and the direct positive impacts it is having for women and families, and the community of Ottawa as a whole.

Lane Bourbonnière

Treasurer

Lane Bourbonnière (She/Her) is a Métis woman, and as of 2021, works for Carleton University at the Centre for Indigenous Support and Community Engagement as the Indigenous Curricula Learning Specialist. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Rights and Social Justice with a minor in Indigenous Studies and History from Carleton University. Lane also completed a Master of Arts in Political Studies specializing in Gender and Politics from Queen’s University. Her thesis topic focused on analyzing the gaps for Métis women and girls within the Ontario justice systems.

Lane has sat on the Board of Directors since 2019 and she is proud to be part of an organization that supports Indigenous women and families through culturally safe practices.

Katelin Peltier

Director

Katelin Peltier (née Gillis) is from Fort Nelson, B.C., and a proud mother of three children and has lived in Ottawa for the past twenty years. Throughout her career, she has worked with various Indigenous organizations and currently works for Indigenous Services Canada in the field of Communications supporting Regional Communications south of 60°. Katelin joined Minwaashin’ s Board in 2019 and is currently filling the role of Member at Large.

Irene Goodwin

Director

Irene Goodwin is an Anisknabe-kwe from the Treaty 3 and Treaty 9 area and grew up in a remote Indigenous community in Northwestern Ontario, before moving to Thunder Bay and later to Ottawa. Irene is a passionate and a lifelong advocate for Indigenous people, women and girls, and survivors of genocidal policy and initiatives such as; the Residential School system and Sixties Scoop. Irene was directly impacted by these policies while attending Indian Day School. Irene is working with the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition as Project Coordinator. She is the proud mother of three children and three grandchildren. She is also a budding screenwriter and author who enjoys nature walks, gardening, and baking. Irene joined the Minwaashin Board in the fall of 2021.