Tiffany Dionne Prete

Tiffany Dionne Prete is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Lethbridge, with additional appointments as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Alberta and an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. As a member of the Kainai (Blood Tribe) of the Blackfoot Confederacy in Treaty 7 territory, Alberta, her work is deeply rooted in Indigenous perspectives and experiences.

Dr. Prete earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Indigenous Peoples Education from the University of Alberta in 2018, following a Master of Education and Bachelor of Elementary Education specializing in math and science from the same institution. Her academic background informs her research on Indigenous educational policy, colonial school systems, and reconciliation efforts.

Her research interests focus on implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action on the Blood Reserve, Indigenous secondary retention rates, Blackfoot historical research, impacts of colonization, and Indigenous research methodologies. Her work examines multiple colonial schooling models beyond just residential schools, including industrial schools, boarding schools, day schools, and public school systems that operated simultaneously to assimilate Indigenous children.

Recent publications demonstrate her commitment to truth-telling and reconciliation, with articles addressing transportation equity for First Nations communities, Pope Francis's visit to Canada, and exhibits documenting the experiences of Kainai children in colonial school systems. Her work consistently centers Indigenous voices and perspectives while analyzing policy implications.

Dr. Prete has created the traveling museum exhibit 'Stolen Kainai Children: Stories of Survival' at the Galt Museum & Archives in Lethbridge, which presents photographs and stories from Survivors across multiple colonial school systems. She is also part of an Action Canada research fellowship working on transportation equity solutions for First Nations communities.

As a former Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellow and UCalgary's Provost's Postdoctoral for Indigenous Scholars Fellow, Dr. Prete has extensive experience in Indigenous research methodologies and community-engaged scholarship. She has also worked as a sessional instructor for Red Crow Community College on her home reserve, connecting her academic work with community education.