Scholarship recipient pursues passion to have Inuit voices heard

Growing up near Toronto, Paige Kimiksana Kreps felt removed from her Inuvialuit culture. As a teenager, she began reconnecting with the Inuit community, and eventually working in Toronto and across Ontario, helping to build programs and services for urban Inuit.

After completing a business degree, Paige was feeling disconnected from her work and wanted a career aligned with her values. Then she discovered the Public Administration and Indigenous Governance program run by the Yellowhead Institute and the Department of Politics and Public Administration at TMU, and everything shifted.

“I really wanted to move towards somewhere where you can do more research, focus on policy work, and hopefully ensure there are Inuit voices in these rooms.”

A gift that opens doors

Scholarship support from the Johnson Scholarship Foundation is helping make that possible. In 2025, the Johnson Scholarship Foundation made a three-year investment to strengthen the Public Administration and Indigenous Governance program, a partnership between Yellowhead Institute and the First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI). The program is training the next generation of Indigenous leaders through culturally grounded, academically rigorous learning, leading to university degrees, and stronger governance capacity and self-determination in Indigenous communities.

This builds on the foundation’s Indigenous Student Excellence Scholarship program at TMU, launched in 2020, which supports five Indigenous students each year with peer mentoring, career development and renewable financial support.

Removing barriers with the Vernon Yellowhead Zhooniya

The 2025 investment created a new fund called the Vernon Yellowhead Zhooniya (external link) , named for the advocate of environmental stewardship and Indigenous knowledge from Rama First Nation. The fund helps cover practical costs like travel, child care and technology – barriers that can prevent students from completing post-secondary programs.

The investment also allows Yellowhead to continue developing an Indigenous-centred curriculum, co-designed with students, faculty and Indigenous communities.

“This collaboration with Johnson Scholarship Foundation will result in sustainability for the Public Administration and Indigenous Governance program and much needed support for students,” says Hayden King, executive director of the Yellowhead Institute.

“The Johnson Scholarship Foundation is proud to continue partnering with Toronto Metropolitan University by expanding access to higher education for Indigenous students,” says Bobby Krause, chief executive officer of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation. “By supporting the Vernon Yellowhead Zhooniya, we can empower even more Indigenous students to lead and strengthen the communities they serve across Canada.”

Leading from a place of strength

For Paige, the goal is clear. She looks up to national organizations like Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Inuit Circumpolar Council – and wants to work with them.

“I want to be working in one of these organizations where I can effect change and spend time with politicians, leaders and make sure that voices are heard,” she says. “I am really grateful to the Johnson Scholarship Foundation and Yellowhead for supporting this program and students.”