Julie Downes is a non-Indigenous educator, facilitator and curriculum designer residing on Yellowknife Chief Drygeese Territory, the home of the Yellowknives Dene and North Slave Metis.

Julie is passionate about being on the land. Upon graduating from Lakehead University’s HBOR and B ed program, she has spent the last decade teaching in a variety of capacities. Her work includes job and pre employment field training for Northerners across all three Territories, and as an Educator with YK1 she prioritized on the land programming at ecole Itlo, and could often be found preparing gah or liwe in the wall tent for a bunch hungry of 8 year olds.

Through her work with the Yellowknife’s Farmers Market and Urban Garden, she has used her entrepreneurial spark to engage with her passion for small business and food systems. She is excited to help support Indigenous Entrepreneurs across the North through innovative curriculum design and programming.