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   Check out the  First Nations Department Newsletter

  ***Students should check the notices page frequently***

  Dan McDonald is of Métis and Scots heritage, and was raised in the Red River area of Manitoba (Winnipeg). He has a B.P.E. in Outdoor Recreation from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, an M.A. in Recreation and Park Administration from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and is a PhD candidate in Recreation, Park & Leisure Studies at the same university. His main research interests are in aboriginal recreation and sport, the relationships First Nations people have with their natural environment, outdoor recreation resource management by First Nations communities, co-management of recreation resources, racism in outdoor recreation settings, aboriginal tourism, and in changing the unequal distribution of resources in Canadian society. Much of his work has been among the Anishinabe, Cree, and Métis of Manitoba, Northern Ontario and Minnesota. Dan is a former Department Chair of First Nations Studies, and currently holds a joint appointment in First Nations Studies and in Recreation and Tourism. Prior to coming to Vancouver Island University, Dan worked at Douglas College and at Langara College (both in the Lower Mainland of B.C.). He also spent 5 years as a Recreation  Consultant to northern communities for the Province of Manitoba, a year as the Technical Director of the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association-B.C. Division, and several lengthy periods as a wilderness leader for youth-at-risk programs in B.C. and Manitoba.  Dan is currently President of the Faculty Association at VIU. He also has  past involvement with: (1) faculty unions, with stints as a Chief Negotiator, Chief Steward, and as Vice-President; (2) educational governance, with  turns as Chair and Vice-Chair of Malaspina's (VIU's old name) Education Council; (3) recreation professional organizations such as BCRPA, MPRA, and BCTRA; (4) amateur sport both as an athlete playing football, golf, basketball, and soccer, and  later as a coach of the latter two; and (5) the Roman Catholic church as a youth minister, music liturgist and educator. He was elected as President for the Mid-Island Métis Nation (his local community) and is in his 3rd term of office. Dan and his partner Sonia have 3 children (21,18 and 16). He  finds his leisure in time with his family and their shaggy old dog Jake, often on their deck looking out at the ocean. As a family they  camp, travel, play and listen to music, watch movies and ski/snowboard.  All of the family are voracious readers. Every summer (and during some awfully cold winters) the whole family returns to Manitoba , camping along the way (on summer trips), to spend time with extended family. They have in their travels visited every nearly every national park and historic site in Western Canada, as well as many provincial parks.  Dan also enjoys singing and playing guitar, collecting music and books, canoeing, mountaineering, cooking, golf, and coaching & watching soccer.

   

Check out 11th Canadian Congress on Leisure Research which was hosted by Malaspina in May, 2005

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