Jenny Gardipy, Senior Policy Analyst – NIHB (Assembly of First Nations)

Jenny Gardipy, a member of the Beardy's and Okemasis Cree Nation in Treaty 6 Territory, is a mother of six and Kokom (grandmother in Cree) of five. Jenny received a bachelor’s and master's degree in Indigenous Studies, (2007 and 2009 respectively), and Public Health (2011) consecutively. Subsequently, Jenny worked in community health-related roles within local and national health organizations, such as a Director of Health for her community and Director of Business Operations for the First Nation and Inuit Health Branch, Saskatchewan Region. In 2019, Jenny began her PhD degree at the University of Saskatchewan with the focus on Indigenous Peoples with physical disabilities. In 2022, Jenny brought her Indigenous health expertise to the Assembly of First Nations as a Senior Policy Analyst – NIHB. Jenny’s dedication to Indigenous health advocacy is deeply rooted in personal experiences, observing challenges faced by her mother, who is visually impaired, and her late father, a survivor of the Indian Residential School system. Her unwavering belief in the inherent capabilities and wisdom of Indigenous communities drives her passion to attain significant Indigenous health outcomes.