Saul.J.Williams

Director

Saul Williams has 40 years of experience in education and teaching art. This includes position as a student counsellor(4 years), program coordinator for adult education with Northern Nishnawabe Education Council(4 years), Education Director for North Caribou Lake First Nation Education Authority(32 years), self employed doing art and teaching art in his early years and off time in many different communities.

In the summer of 1991 he was hired as Education Director working with a consultant to set up local control of education for North Caribou Lake First Nation band located in Weagamow. He was founder of the Kwayaciiwin Education Resource Centre in Sioux Lookout,Ontrio in 1994.Saul was an integral part of the set ups for Washa Distance Education and the internet high school (KIHS) and two First Nation high schools in Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay because students were sitting home waiting for places to open up in provincial high schools. One of the first challenges he faced as a Education Director was advocating for higher students funding in the Northern Communities with other directors. The differnce between the original and today funding is considerable. Many students need went unmet before the funding. It took 30 years of his advocacy to get the new Kindergarten to Grade 12 school recently completed.

Saul is fluent in Oji-Cree and English and is an excellent translator. He has spent many hours on the land with the studants and family. He is a strong advocate for keeping his language and culture alive and thriving. Saul has worked in many partnerships in education with other organisations throughout Ontario. His life experiences have been a great support and foundation to work in education and he loves to share his knowledge of language, culture and traditional ways with others.