OmniTRAX/Broe Quest Series
Noeline Villebrun
Dene National Chief
Governing Board Member, Centre for Indigenous Peoples Nutrition & Environment (CINE-McGill University)
Arctic Athabaskan Council-Vice Chair International
Dene National Chief Noeline Villebrun was born in Deninu K-ue (Fort Resolution), a community established by the combined influence of Dene interests, the Hudson Bay Company, Roman Catholic missionaries, and Indian Policy of the Federal Government. Chief Villebrun’s family was relocated from Talson River.
She was elected National Chief at the 2003 Dene National Assembly (Aklavik, Denendeh). Before becoming National Chief, Chief Villebrun was the Vice-President of the Northwest Territories (NWT) Native Women’s Association; a Board member since 1998.
Chief Villebrun’s commitment to improve the lives of Native women dates back to 1979, as a founding member of the NWT Women’s coalition. In 1982, Chief Villebrun was elected a councilor in Deninu K-ue where she held the portfolio for Hunters and Trappers.
Chief Villebrun has been involved in other community governments, sitting as a member of the Norman Wells Lands and Planning Committee (1998). Chief Villebrun has worked at many vocations, as a labourer and heavy equipment operator on the Norman Wells Pipeline Project (1983), Constituency Assistant (1991) in the Edmonton North riding (Alberta Legislature), and as a Corrections Officer (Hay River, 1997). Chief Villebrun has been an entrepreneur, is a founding member of the NWT Residential School Interagency (1998) and the Fort Resolution Residential School Society (1998).
Chief Villebrun is deeply committed to maintain Dene history and cultural heritage, which has lead her to found the Yellowknives T’satsotine Society (2000). She has three children and is raising her granddaughter.
As the Dene National Chief she is a Governing Board member, Center for Indigenous Peoples Nutrition and Environment (CINE-McGill University), and is the Arctic Athabaskan Council-Vice Chair International. Chief Villebrun is a survivor of Residential Schools. She has taken courses at Western University (London, 1980), Concordia College (Edmonton, 1990), and Aurora College (Fort Smith, 1994). She completed a Business Management Diploma.
Chief Villebrun attended her first academic conference at Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva Israel presenting both a keynote address on education issues as well as on gender issues. She is collaborating on several academic papers including: N. Villebrun, C. Paci and S. Wooley “Boundaries: Indigenous and State Views of geographic/political divisions” C. Dickson and K.W. (eds.). Northern Aboriginal Governance. Copenhagen: IWGIA. Pp.
Dene National Chief Noeline Villebrun can be reached at cpaci@denenation.com