Wanda Wuttunee, PhD

A Professor Emerita at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Wanda Wuttunee is known for her expertise in Canadian Indigenous economic development. She is a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation, Saskatchewan.

Dr. Wuttunee holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Law, and a Master of Business Administration from Calgary, Alberta, and earned her PhD from the University of Manitoba in 2001. She served as a faculty member in the Native Studies department for almost 30 years and was the director of Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) at the Asper School of Business for 20 years.

Her research focuses on Aboriginal issues, including economic development, community economic development, tradition, gender, social responsibility, and the financing of social enterprise. She explores how Indigenous values interact with capitalist values and the role of culture and tradition in business through social enterprises and co-operatives. She is committed to interdisciplinary and collaborative research and publishes widely on Indigenous and associative organizations, Indigenous women’s community economic development, law and culture, and business communication.

Dr. Wuttunee is past editor-in-chief of the Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development. Her publications include books such as Living Rhythms: Lessons in Aboriginal Economic Resilience and Vision and In Business for Ourselves: Northern Entrepreneurs. She is also co-editor of Engraved on Our Nations: Indigenous Economic Tenacity, which highlights the successes of Indigenous economic activity in Canada. Her most recent book is entitled Still Ruffling Feathers: Let us put our minds together and see what we can do for our children and looks at modern Indigenous leadership.

• PhD, University of Manitoba, 2001
• MBA (Management of Financial Resources, Entrepreneurship), University of Calgary, 1988
• LLB, University of Calgary, 1983
• BComm (Organizational Management), University of Calgary, 1980

Research interests

• Indigenous economic tenacity
• Revisiting the Indigenous conversation in Canada

Research affiliations/groups

• Past Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development

Refereed books

• Wuttunee, W. Senior Co-editor, Wien, F Co-editor. (2024) Engraved on our Nations: Indigenous economic tenacity. University of Manitoba Press.
• Wuttunee, W. (2004) Living rhythms: Lessons in Aboriginal economic resilience and vision. Montreal:McGill-Queen’s University Press.
• Wuttunee, W. (1992) In business for ourselves: Northern entrepreneurs. Montreal:McGill Queen's University Press. 

Refereed chapters

• Wuttunee, W., Newhouse, D., Wien, F. (2021), Indigenous economic development with tenacity, in Newhouse, D. Graham, K eds. Sharing the Land, Sharing the Future. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press.
• Wuttunee, W. (2021), Indigenous Community Economic Resilience, Introduction to International Development. NY: Oxford Press, pp 428-447.
• Wuttunee, W. (2018) “Stronger together: First Nation community/municipality collaborations” in Rocan, C. ed. Case Studies in Collaborative Governance. Ottawa: Invenire Books (pp 113-134).
• Wuttunee, W. (2015) Final chapter of Native American Nationalism and Nation-building: Current Perspectives and Cases. SUNY Press
• Wuttunee, W. (2012) “Off Balance: Reflecting on the economic impacts of pregnancy in Aboriginal youth“ International Indigenous Policy Journal.
• Wuttunee, W (2009) “Aboriginal Perspectives on the Social Economy” in McMurtry, JJ (ed) Living Economics: Canadian Perspectives on the Social Economy, Co-operatives, and Community Economic Development. Emond Montgomery Publishers :Toronto.
• Wuttunee, W. (2007) “Shattering Misconceptions.” In Dana, L-P,and Anderson, R. (eds.) International Handbook on Indigenous Entrepreneurship. Northhampton, Mass: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.

• 2018 - Indigenous Faculty Award of Excellence: Trailblazer, University of Manitoba
• 2011 - Named to Canada’s Most Powerful 100 Women, Trailblazers and Trendsetters category, hosted by Women’s Executive Network
• 2010 - Award: Honoring Our Scholars - Aboriginal Education Research Forum, Shawane Dagosiwin
• 2009 - Women of Distinction Award, YM YWCA Education and Training 
• 2009, 2007 - Distinguished Service, Faculty of Arts, University of Manitoba