Name
10. Jana Sasakamoose (she/her)
Location
Ahtahkahkoop Cree Nation
Description
Jana is a mother of five and stepmom to two. She is completing her Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Mathematics and Statistics, Geographics and Social Justice at the University of Regina.
Jana is the first-ever First Nations woman accepted into the Math and Stats Graduate program. She has been breaking down barriers as an Indigenous mother through her entire education journey, and careers.
Hailing from Ahtahkahkoop First Nation, she has vowed to use her education and ambition to ensure her kids never face the same hardships. Despite all she has gone through, she always finds a way to give back – whether it is volunteering or paying it forward to others by donating each time she receives a scholarship. She plans to uplift her community and break the cycles of trauma to create a better future for all Indigenous Peoples. Her thesis involves the ratio of food and utility expenses over household income in First Nations communities and compares this number with the provincial and federal average. She is 29 years old and is currently in three different clean energy programs to solve some of the issues found in her research: the ImaGENation program – which includes a solar-powered greenhouse in her First Nations Community; the Project Accelerator program – retrofits on houses to make them more energy efficient for the elderly, families and the sick; and the Student Energy Fellowship to learn more about clean energy projects around the world.
She is currently on Maternity Leave from her position at the Indigenous Peoples Health Research Centre as an Indigenous Engagement & Research Specialist. She completed her Bachelor of Administration Degree at the First Nations University of Canada along with three other certificates and business diplomas.