Convocation 2024 - Harvey McCue - Honorary Degree Recipient
McCue is a distinguished Trent University alumnus and Board of Governors emeritus. He made history in 1969 by co-founding Trent’s Indigenous Studies department – the first of its kind in Canada – and serving as the first acting chair of what was then known as the Indian Eskimo Studies program.
A member of the Order of Canada, McCue is celebrated for a 40-year career as a scholar, administrator, and leader who widely shares his expertise in Indigenous self-government. His diverse roles include serving as director of education at the James Bay Cree School Board in Quebec, executive director of the Mi’kmaq Education Authority in Nova Scotia, and the first Indigenous director general of what is now known as Indigenous Services Canada.
Since 1995, McCue has worked in Ottawa as a highly regarded consultant, collaborating with clients such as the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, Aboriginal Head Start, the Assembly of First Nations, Agriculture Canada, and the Department of Justice Canada. He has made significant contributions to Indigenous educational issues by serving on federal task forces, writing about Indigenous educational matters, and advising Trent University on the development of its Indigenous Bachelor of Education program.