When the ordinary becomes radical: Indigenous participation at the UN

About the speaker
Sheryl Lightfoot is Anishinaabe, a citizen of the Lake Superior Band of Ojibwe, enrolled at the Keweenaw Bay Community. She is currently the North American Member on the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP).

At the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, she is Professor in Political Science and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs as well as a faculty associate in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies. She was Canada Research Chair in Global Indigenous Rights and Politics from 2013 to 2023, and between 2018 and 2023, she served as Senior Advisor on Indigenous Affairs, leading the development and implementation of the Indigenous Strategic Plan across UBC.

As one of the world’s experts in global Indigenous politics, Sheryl’s research specializes in complex questions of Indigenous peoples’ rights and how those rights are being claimed and negotiated. Her work explores both practical and theoretical aspects of implementation of Indigenous rights globally and in domestic contexts. She is the author of Global Indigenous Politics: A Subtle Revolution as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters.

She holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Minnesota as well as a master’s degree from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. Prior to her academic career, she had fifteen years’ volunteer and contract experience with a number of American Indian tribes and community-based organizations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, including nine years as Chair of the Board of the American Indian Policy Center, a research and advocacy group.

As a member of the UN Expert Mechanism Sheryl provides the Human Rights Council with expertise and advice on the implementation of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Mechanism also assists UN Member States in achieving the goals of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She is the first Indigenous woman from Canada to be appointed to this prestigious position.


The Coral Bell School Annual Lecture on Indigenous Diplomacy is the first and only national event in Australia celebrating and exploring First Nations peoples and their contributions to international relations, diplomacy, foreign policy, and political thought. Kindly note this lecture will be recorded. If you require accessibility accommodations or a visitor Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan please contact bell.marketing@anu.edu.au.