Lisa Mishibinijima, whose spirit name is Kinew Kwe (Golden Eagle Woman), is a mixed settler and Anishinaabekwe of the Bear Clan and a band member of M’chigeeng First Nation.
She grounds herself first in her relationships as a daughter, sister, mother, wife, cousin, friend, hunter, and helper, which guide how she moves through the world and shows up in community.
Living and working in Sioux Lookout since 2009, Lisa has over 20 years of experience supporting community wellness across youth justice, counselling, shelter services, harm reduction, management, and direct service care. She currently works with the Hepatitis C Program at the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, supporting healing and wellness in First Nations communities.
She also provides private practice psychotherapy grounded in a Two Eyed Seeing approach. Lisa holds a Master of Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University, along with diplomas in Community Justice and Addictions.
Lisa also contributes to interdisciplinary and community led research, including her role on the Branch Study steering committee, where she is helping to guide trauma and violence informed approaches to research with Indigenous communities. She has supported projects related to medevacs and Hepatitis C, including supporting project design, qualitative data collection, Indigenous knowledge gathering, and data interpretation. She also contributed to the Anishininiiwug Ajimoowin Animisewiinan: Health Status Report, which highlights the impacts of intergenerational trauma and socioeconomic factors, including geographic remoteness, contributing to anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and substance use in the Kiiwetinoong region.
Lisa has presented at regional and provincial conferences, including those hosted by Nishnawbe Aski Nation, as well as at CATIE and CAPSA symposiums, highlighting Indigenous harm reduction and substance use health.
She is also a board member of the First Step Women’s Shelter, supporting strategic direction, community engagement, and advocacy for women’s issues. Her work is grounded in decolonizing practice, with a relational and strengths-based approach that centers connection to family, community, and land.