Marcia Turner, a Nanaimo-based entrepreneur, has been presented with an award recognizing a University of Victoria alumni for "a significant local impact" as a result of her professional achievements.
Turner was recently presented with the UVic Distinguished Alumni Award.
A Gitxsan woman, and member of the Wolf Clan and Wilp Haijimsxw, Turner founded her consulting firm Daxgedim Haanak' Consulting in 2014, specializing in advancing equity for Indigenous peoples and knowledge systems.
"My vision is that we are free to be Indigenous, this is why I do the work that I do," Turner said in a 2024 TEDx presentation. "I attended a meeting about decolonizing education where the six conditions of change were introduced. Essentially it means looking at things like policy, practice and mental models. I explained that those conditions are not enough to create the change we need to see."
Her past work included developing conducting review of the B.C. government’s response to the 2017 wildfires and impact on Indigenous communities, developing the diploma in Indigenous community development and governance for UVic, as well as developing curricula for the certificate of Aboriginal leadership at North Island College.
Some of her other work included creating an Indigenous visions and reconciliation action plan at Pearson College UWC, modernization of the Royal B.C. Museum's strategic Indigenous engagement plan, and developing the B.C. government’s provincial Aboriginal strategy for domestic violence.
"Indigenous peoples are fierce voices for change," she said. "We see that in grassroots movements like Idle No More, in hundreds of court cases, in commissions and inquiries, and in literature by Indigenous scholars and authors all calling for equity and change."
Turner holds multiple degrees from UVic including a 1996 certificate in administration in Aboriginal governance, a 2005 diploma in public sector management and a 2012 bachelor of arts.
Her company was previously recognized as Indigenous Business of the Year in 2023 by the B.C. Achievement Foundation.
