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Accountability Statement: Decolonial and Ethical Commitments
According to my sqilxw ways of knowing and being, personal introductions precede all other words. This is not simply a cultural protocol; it is an enactment of relational accountability. It situates who I am, where I come from, who claims me, and the responsibilities I carry in my relationships, scholarship, teaching, and community engagement.
Way’, iskwis (my name is) Percy Lezard. I am xatma sqilxw, held and claimed through my ancestral and kinship relations: the Lezards from Sn’pinkton, the Krugers from Arrow Lakes, and the Baptistes from Chopka. At a time when the academic industrial complex continues to reward racial shifting, Indigeneity by aspiration, and the reproduction of pretendianism, I name myself, my nation, and my kin with intention. This is not merely an assertion of identity; it is an ethical and political commitment to confronting the erasure, appropriation, and fraudulent claims of Indigenous identity that undermine Indigenous sovereignty, distort our knowledge systems, and harm our communities.
I am the adult child of Residential School and Day School Survivors, Valerie Lezard and Moses Baptiste. My maternal grandparents, twiʔ pl̓wíc̓i̓a Elizabeth Lezard (Manual) and twiʔ naʔl stiʔulaʔxʷ Ernest Lezard, survived colonial attempts to sever sqilxw kinship, knowledge transmission, and relationality. My paternal grandparents, twiʔ Katherine Baptiste (Alec) and twiʔ naʔl George Baptiste, were also Residential School Survivors. Their lives, resilience, and enduring relationships to our peoples and territories inform the responsibilities I carry as their descendant.
My family belongs to sn’pinkton through our customary nation membership, and we are registered Status First Nations members of the Penticton Indian Band under the Indian Act. Importantly, my belonging is not constituted by federal legislation or institutional recognition. I am claimed by sqilxw peoples, my relations, and our unceded homelands in what is now colonially known as British Columbia. My accountability rests first with my ancestors, living relatives, community, nation, and territories, and extends outward to the institutions and broader communities in which I live and work.
As a sqilxw scholar, educator, and community member, I understand my academic responsibilities as inseparable from my relational obligations. These responsibilities require me to refuse extractive research practices, challenge the reproduction of colonial authority, uphold Indigenous intellectual and knowledge sovereignty, and ensure that my scholarship contributes to the continuance and flourishing of sqilxw peoples and future generations. My presence within academic institutions is neither neutral nor disconnected from colonial histories and contemporary structures of power. It is grounded in survivance, kinship, self-determination, and a responsibility to interrupt institutional practices that seek to define, contain, appropriate, or rewrite who we are.
For more than twenty-five years, I have lived as an invited guest on the territories of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. I understand this relationship as carrying ongoing responsibilities rather than simply requiring a territorial acknowledgement. In my nation-to-nation relationships with the caretakers of these territories, I remain committed to upholding the principles and responsibilities of the Dish with One Spoon treaty, including reciprocity, respect, shared responsibility, and the ethical obligations of living on lands that are not my ancestral homelands.
My academic training includes a collaborative Ph.D. from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) and a collaborative master's degree from the University of Toronto. These academic credentials reflect formal institutional recognition of my scholarship; however, they do not supersede the intellectual traditions, intergenerational teachings, or relational responsibilities through which I understand my work as a sqilxw person.
Before joining Wilfrid Laurier University in 2020, I held an academic appointment in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba. I am grateful to be part of the Laurier Brantford scholarly community, where I have been supported in advancing my research, teaching, leadership, and community-engaged scholarship.
As a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies, Law and Social Justice, I remain committed to contributing to an academic environment in which Indigenous scholars, students, knowledge systems, and communities can thrive without compromising their identities, intellectual sovereignty, or responsibilities to their peoples.
Ultimately, this statement is not simply an introduction or a declaration of identity. It is an articulation of accountability. My scholarship does not begin or end within the university. It emerges from relationships that precede the institution and will continue long after it. I remain accountable to those relationships, to the peoples and territories that claim me, and to the generations who will inherit the consequences of the work we undertake today.
My research is grounded in sqilxw knowledge systems, Indigenous relational accountability, and a commitment to community-defined priorities, intellectual sovereignty, and self-determination. As a sqilxw, Two-Spirit scholar, I understand research as a relational responsibility rather than an individual academic pursuit. My scholarship seeks to disrupt colonial and extractive models of knowledge production while affirming Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing as living intellectual traditions governed by Indigenous peoples.
Central to my research approach is the understanding that Indigenous communities are not simply research participants or sources of knowledge, but knowledge holders, intellectual leaders, and authorities over their own experiences, histories, and futures. I prioritize community-based participatory action research (CBPAR), Indigenous methodologies, and collaborative research practices that centre reciprocity, collective responsibility, and tangible benefits for communities. Rather than privileging conventional measures of academic productivity, I emphasize research relationships, community-governed knowledge mobilization, policy transformation, and outcomes that strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and collective well-being.
My research program spans Indigenous knowledge systems, Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer pedagogies, gender and sexuality, Indigenous health and holistic wellness, gender-based violence, and the social and structural determinants of health. I work collaboratively with First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Black Indigenous, Afro-Indigenous, Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary, queer, sex-working, Deaf and hard-of-hearing, disabled, unhoused, and youth communities. My scholarship recognizes that these identities and experiences intersect with colonialism, racism, ableism, heteronormativity, cisnormativity, poverty, and institutional violence.
Through longstanding relationships with Indigenous communities, grassroots organizations, health and social service agencies, and national and international research networks, I contribute to projects that challenge systemic inequities and advance community-defined approaches to health, education, safety, and well-being. My work is particularly concerned with transforming institutional systems that have historically marginalized Indigenous and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples, while supporting Indigenous-led solutions grounded in cultural continuity, relational safety, and collective resurgence.
My current and emerging research also examines how educational institutions, health systems, and social services reproduce assumptions about gender, sexuality, family, and belonging. This includes investigating the experiences of 2SLGBTQQIA+ families within early learning and childcare systems, advancing Two-Spirit and Indigenous approaches to violence prevention, and strengthening Indigenous governance within research and policy development.
Recent and Ongoing Research Projects
2026–2030 | Relational Safety in Early Learning Systems: 2SLGBTTQIA+ Families, Childcare Institutions, and Inclusive Futures in Canada
Principal Investigator | SSHRC Insight Grant, Stream B — Application submitted September 2026
This proposed four-year, national research program examines how early learning and childcare institutions recognize, support, and respond to 2SLGBTTQIA+ families, with particular attention to Indigenous families, kinship systems, and diverse family structures. Through community-engaged research with parents, caregivers, and early childhood educators, the project seeks to identify institutional barriers, strengthen relational safety, and develop evidence-informed approaches to inclusive early learning policy and practice.
2025–2026 | Relational Approaches to Addressing Violence Against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+ Peoples
Co-Principal Applicant | Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW) | $26,270
An international Indigenous research collaboration examining relational, culturally grounded approaches to understanding and addressing violence affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+ peoples. The project foregrounds Indigenous methodologies, community accountability, and the intersections of colonial violence, gender, sexuality, and Indigenous self-determination.
2024–2027 | BRANCH Research Project
Indigenous Content Committee Member
A national research initiative to which I contribute Indigenous methodological, ethical, and interpretive perspectives. My responsibilities include supporting Indigenous research governance, culturally responsive engagement, and the meaningful integration of Indigenous knowledge systems into research processes and knowledge mobilization.
2025 | We Are Part of the Circle: Reclaiming 2SLGBTQQIA+ People Who Experience Gender-Based Violence
Principal Applicant | SSHRC Explore Grant | $7,000
This project examines Indigenous and Two-Spirit approaches to responding to gender-based violence, centring community knowledge, relational accountability, cultural resurgence, and pathways toward healing and collective safety.
2023–2024 | Resurgence, Queering and Reclamation of Ceremony
Co-Applicant | SSHRC-funded research | $74,106.60
An Indigenous-led research initiative examining the relationships between Two-Spirit resurgence, ceremonial practices, cultural reclamation, and community-defined approaches to healing. The project advances Indigenous intellectual and ceremonial sovereignty while challenging colonial exclusions of Two-Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse peoples from cultural and institutional spaces.
2024–2025 | Exploring Facilitators, Barriers and Opportunities to HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Access and Use Among Urban Indigenous Peoples in the Greater Toronto Area
Principal Knowledge User | CIHR Catalyst Grant: HIV/AIDS and STBBI Community-Based Research | $96,598
This community-based research project investigates the structural, institutional, and cultural factors influencing access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among urban Indigenous peoples. The research seeks to inform culturally safe, accessible, and community-responsive HIV prevention services while addressing inequities within health systems.
2020–2023 | Black, Indigenous and Racialized Access to Affirming and Culturally Safe Gender-Affirming Care
Research Collaborator | Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), through the Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health | $569,103
A national initiative examining barriers to culturally safe and gender-affirming health care for Black, Indigenous, racialized, trans, and gender-diverse communities. The project contributes to institutional capacity building, health equity, and approaches to care that recognize the intersections of racism, colonialism, gender identity, and systemic discrimination.
2020–2022 | Two-Spirit Sub-Working Group: MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ National Action Plan
Lead Writer and Research Contributor | Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres | $195,000
A national, community-informed initiative documenting the experiences, priorities, and recommendations of Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse Indigenous peoples affected by colonial and gender-based violence. As lead writer of the Sub-Working Group's final report, I contributed to the development of recommendations addressing systemic violence, institutional accountability, cultural safety, and Indigenous self-determination.
2020–2021 | Indigenous Approaches to Harm Reduction
Research Collaborator | Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres | $64,000
A community-grounded initiative examining culturally safe harm reduction approaches within Indigenous mental health and social service settings. The work supported the development of resources and practices that recognize Indigenous understandings of holistic wellness, colonial trauma, substance use, and relational approaches to care.
2019–Present | Two-Spirit Community-Based Research Mentorship
Research Mentor and Community Collaborator | Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC)
An ongoing commitment to strengthening research capacity among emerging Two-Spirit, Indigenous, trans, and gender-diverse researchers. This work emphasizes community-based participatory research, Indigenous ethics, relational accountability, and meaningful participation in the development, implementation, and dissemination of research affecting Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities.
2015–2017 | Research on Tobacco Reduction in Aboriginal Communities (RETRAC)
Peer Researcher | Centre for Research on Inner City Health
A community-based initiative examining tobacco use, smoking cessation, and culturally relevant approaches to tobacco reduction among Indigenous peoples, including Two-Spirit and trans community members. The research recognizes the distinction between commercial tobacco use and the cultural, ceremonial, and medicinal significance of traditional tobacco within Indigenous communities.
Research Commitments and Future Directions
Across these projects, my research is guided by the principle that Indigenous knowledge systems, relationships, and communities must remain central to the governance, interpretation, and application of research. I am committed to advancing Indigenous research sovereignty, strengthening community research capacity, and supporting emerging Indigenous and 2SLGBTQQIA+ scholars.
My broader research agenda seeks to move beyond documenting inequities toward transforming the policies, institutions, and systems that reproduce them. Through Indigenous-led research, international collaborations, community-engaged scholarship, and reciprocal knowledge mobilization, I work toward futures in which Indigenous peoples determine the priorities, processes, and outcomes of research affecting their lives, communities, and territories.
- 2023, 2025 Merit Award, Office of the Provost and Vice-President: Academic, Wilfrid Laurier University - Brantford, ON
- 2020 Merit Award for Promoting Indigenous Achievement, Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic), University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, MB
- 2017 Aboriginal Affairs Award, Access, Equity & Human Rights Awards, City of Toronto – Toronto, ON
- 2008 The Lillian McGregor Award of Excellence, University of Toronto – Toronto, ON
- 2008 Nominee, Premiers Award, College Compensation & Appointments Council – Toronto, ON
Student Opportunities / Research Supervision
My approach to teaching, mentorship, and research supervision is grounded in sqilxw relational accountability, Indigenous knowledge systems, and a commitment to fostering inclusive, culturally safe, and intellectually rigorous learning environments. Drawing on extensive teaching experience across Canadian postsecondary institutions, I support students throughout their academic journeys, recognizing that meaningful learning extends beyond the classroom and is strengthened through relationships, reciprocity, and community engagement.
I centre Indigenous worldviews, self-determination, resurgence, and relational approaches to education while challenging colonial structures within academic institutions. My pedagogical and supervisory practices are informed by anti-colonial, Two-Spirit-affirming, trauma-informed, and intersectional approaches that recognize students as knowledge holders with diverse lived experiences, intellectual traditions, and responsibilities to their communities.
My longstanding relationships with Indigenous communities, social service organizations, and research networks across Toronto, Canada, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the broader South Pacific create opportunities for students to engage in community-accountable scholarship, collaborative research, experiential learning, and knowledge mobilization. These relationships are built on trust, reciprocity, and sustained commitments to Indigenous communities rather than extractive models of academic engagement.
I am particularly committed to mentoring and building research capacity among emerging Indigenous, Two-Spirit, trans, non-binary, queer, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (2QTBIPOC) scholars and learners. My areas of research supervision and mentorship include:
- Indigenous knowledge systems and methodologies: Sqilxw epistemologies, Indigenous research ethics, relational accountability, community-led research, and Indigenous intellectual sovereignty.
- Two-Spirit, Indigiqueer, and gender-diverse scholarship: Indigenous gender and sexuality, Two-Spirit pedagogies, resurgence, and decolonial approaches to gender justice.
- Indigenous health and holistic wellness: Cultural safety, harm reduction, sexual health, HIV/STBBI prevention, mental health, and community-defined approaches to wellness.
- Gender-based and colonial violence: Violence affecting Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse peoples, including MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ and institutional responses to systemic violence.
- Indigenous children, youth, and families: Relational approaches to early learning, child welfare, kinship, family well-being, and inclusive educational systems.
- Community-engaged research and social transformation: Indigenous governance, participatory research, knowledge mobilization, institutional accountability, and anti-colonial social work practice.
Through teaching, supervision, and collaborative research, I seek to create opportunities for students to develop their intellectual contributions, strengthen relationships with communities, and build the methodological, ethical, and professional capacities necessary to undertake meaningful research.
My goal is not simply to prepare students to participate in existing academic and professional systems, but to support emerging scholars in critically examining, challenging, and transforming those systems through Indigenous knowledge, collective responsibility, and community-accountable scholarship.
I welcome inquiries from undergraduate and graduate students whose research interests align with these areas, particularly those committed to Indigenous-led, community-engaged, and socially transformative scholarship. Research supervision and mentorship opportunities are subject to institutional eligibility, supervisory capacity, and available research funding.
Selected Publications and Scholarly Contributions
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Day, M., Lezard, P., Kaur, M., Worrell, T., Barnes, D., Rey, J., Moorehead, A., Roberts, Z., Haua, I., Bakic, T., Farrell, A., Bishop, M., O’Sullivan, S., Carlson, B., Ropeyarn, Y., Smith, D. J., Sams, T. K., Tynan, L., Marek, C., … Keovorabouth, S. T. (2025). Goanna walking: A rubric to measure transformation in Critical Indigenous Studies students. Journal of Global Indigeneity, 9(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.54760/001c.143978
Gwun, D., Snow, B., Potter, E., Walker, R. L., Millman, A. L., Krakowsky, Y., Lorello, G. R., Du Mont, J., Barker, L. C., Lezard, P., Sivagurunathan, M., Urbach, D. R., & Armstrong, K. (2024). The landscape of Medicare policies for gender-affirming surgeries in Canada: An environmental scan. BMC Health Services Research, 24, Article 916. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11361-w
Scholarly Book Chapters
Lee, E. C., Rwigema, M.-J., Cook, F. M., & Lezard, P. (2026). Social work and sexual and gender diversity (Chapter 10). In N. D. Ives, Introduction to social work in Canada. Oxford University Press.
Lezard, P., Day, M., & O’Sullivan, S. (2023). Indigiqueer futures: A conversation between Indigenous non-binary academics. In B. Carlson, T. Kennedy, & M. Day (Eds.), Global networks of Indigeneity: Peoples, sovereignty and futures (pp. 179–202). Manchester University Press. https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526156983.00017
Scholarly Book Reviews
Lezard, P. (2021). Review of As we have always done. TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly. Duke University Press.
Indigenous Community Research Reports and Knowledge Mobilization
Lezard, P., Prefontaine, N., Cederwall, D.-M., Sparrow, C., Maracle, S., Beck, A., & McLeod, A. (2021, April). 2SLGBTTQIA+ Sub-Working Group: MMIWG2SLGBTTQIA+ National Action Plan final report. Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres, Toronto, Ontario. https://scholars.wlu.ca/indg_faculty/1/
Lezard, P. (2021, October). Indigenous harm reduction toolkit. Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres, Toronto, Ontario.
Lezard, P., & Kaur, M. (2017, November 30). Feasibility study and business case for Aboriginal-specific beds at Ashnola at the Crossing (Youth Treatment Facility). Okanagan Nation Alliance, Westbank, British Columbia.
Lezard, P., & Kaur, M. (2017, March 29). Final research report on feasibility study on mental health and wellness for the Penticton Indian Band. Penticton Indian Band, Penticton, British Columbia.
Lezard, P. (2015, October). Final research on tobacco reduction in Aboriginal community: Report for urban Aboriginal community members who identify as Two-Spirit/Trans. 2 Spirited People of the First Nations, Toronto, Ontario.
Recorded Scholarly Presentations, Webinars, and Public Scholarship
2024
Hayes, L., Corbett, S., Heyano, J., Lezard, P., & Lang, E. (2024, February 28). Improving access to services for Two-Spirit people and Native LGBTQIA+ victims of human trafficking [Webinar]. Office for Victims of Crime, Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center. https://youtu.be/CUmoBJeYY_I
2023
Lezard, P., & Davis, C. (2023, June 20). Inspiring conversations: Embracing gender identities [Webinar]. Laurier Alumni, Wilfrid Laurier University. https://youtu.be/scG754e-ANs
Lezard, P. (2023, June 7). niʕáy̓p kʷu aláʔ – We have always been here [Keynote webinar]. National Indigenous Women's Resource Center. https://youtu.be/duf8_Bvu-Rg
Lezard, P. (2023, March 16). Indigenous harm reduction [Recorded presentation]. Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres. https://youtu.be/upl1_HVO_V0
2022
Lezard, P. (2022, November 18). Gender-based violence against Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer people [Webinar]. Learning Network and Knowledge Hub, Western University. https://youtu.be/kQHUqjtIi_k
Lezard, P. (2022, October 27). Sorting out our bundles: The way forward is back to basics [Keynote address]. Summit 2022: Pushing Possibilities, Community-Based Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia. https://youtu.be/2C0d-diT0w0
Lavallee, L., Lezard, P., & DiNova, J. (2022, September 30). Misogyny-Kwil-Miskwaa: A conversation about misogyny within the Indigenous community [Webinar]. Toronto Metropolitan University. https://youtu.be/eNrwmZCwEEQ
cárdenas, m., Lezard, P., & Faye, H. (2022, May). Imagining trans, non-binary, and Two-Spirit futures [Webinar]. Simpson Center for the Humanities, University of Washington. https://youtu.be/RgZufSh2UFA
2021
Lezard, P., & Shawanda, A. (2021, December 20). Decolonizing methodologies series: At the intersection of decolonization and gender equity [Webinar]. Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. https://youtu.be/ApguszGD6N8
Eklund, T., Waters, B., Nair, S., Dryden, O. H., Lezard, P., & Sangha, S. (2021, August 26). Virtual ProPride: Beyond inclusion towards belonging [Webinar]. Pride at Work Canada. https://youtu.be/t-7F4i7nfok
Lezard, P. (2021, May 5). MMIW2SLGBTQQIA+ [Webinar]. Saskatchewan Polytechnic Indigenous Studies. https://youtu.be/tMjr1KRGM20
Lavallee, L., Carlson, B., O’Sullivan, S., Kidman, J., McAllister, T., Moeke-Pickering, T., Naepi, S., & Lezard, P. (2021, April 7). Indigenous resurgence [Webinar]. Faculty of Community Services, Toronto Metropolitan University. https://youtu.be/tfKqvyFbXV0
Other Published Writing
Lezard, P. (2002). Wannabee. In E. Ruth (Ed.), Bent on writing: Contemporary queer tales. Women's Press.
- Indigenous Gender & Sexuality - ID350G
- Internship - UU400
- Indigenous Play & Games - IDYC 208
- Indigenous-Settler Relations - ID360BR
- Gender, Sexuality & Social Justice – SOJE 370
- Introduction to Indigenous Studies – ID120BR2
- Indigenous Children and Family – ID302BR1
- Indigenous Community Organizing – ID375BR
- Indigenous Allyship & Kinship – ID401BR2
Academic Leadership, International Memberships, and Community Service
Dr. Percy Lezard's academic and community leadership is grounded in sqilxw relational accountability, Indigenous intellectual sovereignty, Two-Spirit resurgence, gender justice, and institutional transformation. Their contributions span local, national, and international Indigenous research networks, scholarly collaborations, governance bodies, and community organizations committed to advancing Indigenous self-determination, cultural safety, and the health and well-being of 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples.
International Research Networks and Scholarly Affiliations
Dr. Lezard is a member of the Centre for Global Indigenous Futures at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, where they also held a visiting scholarly appointment in 2024. Their international scholarship contributes to Indigenous-led research on gender, sexuality, relationality, decolonial methodologies, and Indigenous futurities.
They maintain international research collaborations with Indigenous scholars and communities across Canada, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and other global contexts. Their scholarship advances cross-cultural understandings of Two-Spirit, Indigenous queer, trans, and gender-diverse experiences while centring Indigenous sovereignty, community accountability, and relational approaches to knowledge production.
Their international research leadership includes collaborative work with Australia's ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW), examining relational approaches to violence affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+ peoples.
National Governance and Research Leadership
Dr. Lezard serves on the national Board of Directors of Fierté Canada Pride, contributing to national advocacy, organizational governance, and the advancement of Two-Spirit and 2SLGBTQQIA+ rights and inclusion. Their leadership includes a previous term as Co-President of Fierté Canada Pride.
They also serve on the Indigenous Content Committee for the BRANCH Research Project, contributing Indigenous perspectives to research governance, methodological integrity, community engagement, and culturally grounded approaches to research involving Indigenous peoples.
Their previous national leadership includes serving as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of 2 Spirits in Motion, as well as membership on the Steering Committee for the 2021 Transgender Professional Association for Transgender Health (TPATH) Conference.
Indigenous Policy, Advocacy, and Systems Transformation
Dr. Lezard served on the Two-Spirit Sub-Working Group contributing to the National Action Plan on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. As lead writer of the Sub-Working Group's final report, they helped advance community-informed recommendations addressing colonial and gender-based violence, systemic discrimination, and the protection, safety, and self-determination of Two-Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse Indigenous peoples.
Their policy and advisory contributions also include service on the Indigenous Advisory Council of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), where they advanced understandings of housing as a social determinant of health and its intersections with gender-based violence, displacement, poverty, and structural inequities.
Dr. Lezard has additionally contributed to Indigenous health, disability justice, and institutional accountability through advisory roles with the First Nations Health Authority, the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work, and research initiatives addressing Indigenous-specific racism within postsecondary institutions.
Across their international memberships, national governance roles, and community-accountable scholarship, Dr. Lezard works to challenge colonial structures, strengthen Indigenous authority in research and policy, and create institutional conditions in which Indigenous peoples and their knowledge systems can flourish. Their leadership reflects a sustained commitment to Indigenous resurgence, reciprocal relationships, and the collective responsibilities owed to present and future generations.
Media Engagement and Public Commentary
Dr. Lezard contributes to national media conversations concerning Indigenous rights, colonial violence, reconciliation, residential and day school accountability, Two-Spirit and 2SLGBTQQIA+ advocacy, and Indigenous governance. Their public commentary connects contemporary political and policy developments with the continuing impacts of colonialism and the responsibilities of governments and institutions toward Indigenous peoples.
2023
- CTV News (September 3, 2023). Commentary on the first anniversary of the James Smith Cree Nation tragedy. Watch interview.
- CTV News (July 11, 2023). Commentary on the Assembly of First Nations meeting following the removal of National Chief RoseAnne Archibald. Watch interview.
- CTV News (July 1, 2023). Commentary on calls to cancel Canada Day and the continuing impacts of settler colonialism. Watch interview.
- CityNews (January 23, 2023). Commentary on the federal government's announcement of $2.8 billion relating to Indigenous Day School Survivors. Watch interview.
2022
- CityNews (October 20, 2022). Commentary on the Supreme Court of Canada's decision not to hear an appeal involving Survivors of St. Anne's Residential School. Watch interview.
- CityNews (August 20, 2022). Two-Spirit and 2SLGBTQQIA+ perspectives on the discharge of Catholic entities from financial obligations to Indian Residential School Survivors. Watch interview.
- CityNews (August 2, 2022). Two-Spirit and 2SLGBTQQIA+ reflections following Pope Francis's visit to Canada and his apology to Indigenous peoples. Watch interview.
- CityNews (July 25, 2022). Two-Spirit and 2SLGBTQQIA+ perspectives on Pope Francis's visit to Canada. Watch interview.
- CityNews (June 21, 2022). “Talking About the 2S in 2SLGBTQQIA+.” Discussion of Two-Spirit identities, Indigenous gender and sexuality, and the significance of Two-Spirit inclusion. Watch interview.
University and Community Media
2022
- Two-Spirit Sub-Working Group (April 20, 2022). “Two-Spirit Gathering, Day 1: Dr. Percy Lezard.” Recorded community gathering and discussion. Watch recording.
- Wilfrid Laurier University (February 17, 2022). “Celebrating Laurier Achievements: 2SLGBTQQIA+ Final Report.” Recognition of Dr. Lezard's contributions to the National Action Plan addressing violence against Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples. Watch video.
2021
- Wilfrid Laurier University (November 23, 2021). “Get to Know Laurier's Percy Lezard.” Faculty profile featuring Dr. Lezard's academic work and community engagement. Watch video.
Conferences, Invited Scholarly Presentations, and Public Engagements
International and National Conference Presentations
2026
- Conference Presenter (Upcoming). “Resurgence, Queering and Reclaiming Ceremony: Implementing Indigenous Methodologies for Two-Spirit Health Futures.” Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) Summit 2026, Toronto, Ontario.
2025
- Panelist. “Setting a Community-Based Research Agenda By, With, and for 2S/LGBTQ+ Women and Gender Diverse People.” Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC), Montréal, Québec.
2023
- Panelist. “Ungrading as Critical Pedagogy in Indigenous Knowledges.” Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA), 14th Annual Conference, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
- Panelist. “Pleasure in Erotic Chaos: Two-Spirit, Trans, and Queer Intergenerational Relations.” NAISA, 14th Annual Conference, Toronto, Ontario.
- Panelist. “Indigenizing Masculinities: Conceptualizing Our Pasts, Presents and Futures.” Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
2022
- Keynote Speaker. “Sorting Out Our Bundles: The Way Forward Is Back to Basics.” CBRC Summit 2022: Pushing Possibilities, October 27, Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Invited Speaker. “Community Call to Action.” Two-Spirit Symposium, CBRC, Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Panelist. “Decolonizing Board Governance.” National Conference, Enchanté Network and Fierté Canada Pride.
2020
- Panelist. “Inclusion and Access: Indigenous Two-Spirit, Trans, and Non-Binary Relatives Reclaiming Our Place in the Circle.” 90th Anniversary International Symposium on Social Justice and Social Care, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
2019
- Panelist. “Tending to the Fire, Stoking the Flames as Responsibility: A Two-Spirit Indigenous Ontology of Healing and Decolonial Social Work Practice.” Sociological Association of Aotearoa New Zealand Conference, University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Panelist. “Two-Spirit Smoke Signals: Addressing Gaps in Smoking Cessation Plans and Access to Traditional Uses of Tobacco.” 5th International Indigenous Voices in Social Work Conference, Hualien, Taiwan.
- Community Facilitator. “Elders Teach and Youth Reach: Indigenous Conversations on Sexual Health.” STI & HIV 2019 World Congress, Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Presenter. 2LGBT, N2S Youth Wellness Gathering, En’owkin Centre, Penticton, British Columbia.
- Panelist. “The Lived Realities of 2SLGBTTQIA+ Peoples.” Fierté Canada Pride Conference, Regina, Saskatchewan.
2018
- Panelist. “Why Do You Get to Call Yourself Crazy and I Can't? White Madness as Disability Identity and the Delegitimization of 2QTPOC Sanism.” White Privilege Conference, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario.
2016
- Panelist. “A Focus on 2LGBT Public Health.” City of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
2015
- Keynote Speaker. “Sovereignties and Colonialisms: Resisting Racism, Extraction and Dispossession.” York University, Toronto, Ontario.
- Presenter. “Creating a Culture of Healing: A Two-Spirit Syilx Woman's Journey of Dis(man)tling the Master's House of Learning.” Indigenous Women's Symposium, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario.
2013
- Presenter. 9th Annual Indigenous and American Studies Storytellers Conference, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York.
- Panelist. “Opportunities and Challenges for Peer-Based Interventions in the HIV Prevention, Engagement and Treatment Cascade.” Ontario HIV Treatment Network, Toronto, Ontario.
2012
- Panelist. 56th Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2011
- Panelist. 5th Annual Decolonizing the Spirit Conference, Toronto, Ontario.
2010
- Invited Speaker. Wise Practices III, Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, Toronto, Ontario.
- Invited Speaker. Healing Our Spirit Conference, Penticton, British Columbia.
2009
- Plenary Speaker. “Discovering, Defining and Living Our Sexual Diversities in Our Cultural Communities.” Ethnocultural Conference, Montréal, Québec.
- Keynote Speaker. Gai Écoute, 5e Colloque Visibilité lesbienne, McGill University, Montréal, Québec.
2007
- Plenary Speaker. Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, First Annual Capacity Building Community-Based Research Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Plenary Speaker. Ontario Gay Men's HIV Prevention Summit, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Toronto, Ontario.
- Plenary Speaker. “Queer Spaces.” Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
2005
- Plenary Speaker. “Anti-Racist/Anti-Homophobic Education.” Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
- Plenary Speaker. “Aboriginal Diversity: Approach to Aboriginal Awareness.” University Employment Equity Advisory Committee, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario.
Invited Scholarly Lectures, Keynotes, and Presentations
2025
- Invited Panelist. “Fetishized Futures: Reclaiming Erotic Capital and Cultural Identity in the Colonial Gaze.” Canada Excellence Research Chair in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing Speaker Series, Toronto, Ontario.
- Invited Panelist. “Indigenous Gender Identities.” PRIDE Speaker Series, Delaware Sexuality and Gender Collective, Delaware, United States.
2023
- Invited Presenter. “Indigenous Methods and/or Two-Spirit Gender-Based Analysis.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
- Keynote Speaker. “niʕáy̓p kʷu aláʔ – We Have Always Been Here.” National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, Arizona, United States.
- Invited Presenter. “Indigenous Harm Reduction.” Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres, March 16, Toronto, Ontario.
- Panelist. “Queering Our Learnings: Intergenerational 2SLGBTQQIA+ Conversations at Laurier.” Consent Is Golden Initiative, Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford, Ontario.
2022
- Invited Presenter. “Indigenous Methods and/or Two-Spirit Gender-Based Analysis.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
- Keynote Speaker. “Gender-Based Violence Against Two-Spirit People.” Learning Network and Knowledge Hub, Western University, London, Ontario.
- Invited Presenter. “Imagining Trans, Non-Binary, and Two-Spirit Futures.” Simpson Center for the Humanities, University of Washington, Washington, United States.
- Invited Presenter. “Trusted Messenger Training.” Two-Spirit Program, Community-Based Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia.
- Invited Presenter. “Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Gathering.” LGBT YouthLine, Toronto, Ontario.
- Invited Presenter. “Navigating Identity-Based Work.” Trans, Two-Spirit, Non-Binary and Gender Diverse Gathering, LGBT YouthLine, Toronto, Ontario.
- Invited Presenter. “Intersecting Indigeneity and Settler Colonialism.” Martin Luther University College, Waterloo, Ontario.
- Invited Speaker. “Indigenous Holistic Wellness.” School of Disability Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario.
- Invited Panelist. “Two-Spirit Virtual Gathering.” Community-Based Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia.
2019
- Keynote Speaker. Indigenous Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Minwaashin Lodge and Tungasuvvingat Inuit, Ottawa, Ontario.
- Invited Presenter. “Inclusion and Access: Two-Spirit, Trans, and Non-Binary Relatives Reclaiming Our Place in the Circle.” Indigenous Scholars Speakers Series, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Invited Presenter. “The Lived Realities of 2LGBT Peoples.” Fireside Chats, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Invited Presenter. “Two-Spirit, Trans, and Non-Binary Brave Spaces for Indigenous Youth.” Rec n' Read, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Invited Presenter. “Two-Spirit: How to Welcome Young Learners into the Circle.” Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Invited Presenter. “Current Social Movements: Two-Spirit Resurgence and Futurities.” Indigenous Cultural Competency Training, Turtle Lodge, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Invited Presenter. “Historical Trauma and Microaggressions.” Teach-In for Reconciliation, Department of Native Studies, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
2016
- Invited Presenter. “Two-Spirit Health and Wellness.” Gay Men's Sexual Health Alliance, Toronto, Ontario.
2015
- Invited Presenter. “2LGBT History, Health Needs and Cultural Safety for Health Providers.” Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Thunder Bay, Ontario.
- Invited Presenter. 3rd Annual Indigenous Children's Health Symposium, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
- Invited Presenter. “2LGBT Inclusion in First Nations Communities.” Ontario Public Service Positive Space Conference, Toronto, Ontario.
2007
- Keynote Speaker. “The Second Closet: Ending Abuse and Building Healthy 2LBGTTQI Communities.” Interval and Transition Houses, Hamilton, Ontario.
Scholarly Panels and Public Intellectual Engagement
2024
- Panelist. “Improving Access to Services for Two-Spirit People and Native LGBTQIA+ Victims of Human Trafficking.” Office for Victims of Crime, Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center, February 28.
2023
- Panelist. “Fighting Fascism, Racism and Carceral Injustice: Abolition as Practice.” Scholar Strike Canada, Toronto, Ontario.
- Moderator. “niʕáy̓p kʷu aláʔ – We Have Always Been Here: A Moderated Panel of Indigenous 2QTBIPOC Speakers.” Kelowna, British Columbia.
2022
- Panelist. “Misogyny-Kwil-Miskwaa: A Conversation About Misogyny Within the Indigenous Community.” Toronto Metropolitan University, September 30.
- Moderator. “2SLGBTQQIA+ Families.” Indigiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Wilfrid Laurier University.
- Moderator. “2SLGBTQQIA+ Black and Indigenous Kinship.” Indigiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Wilfrid Laurier University.
- Moderator. “2SLGBTQQIA+ Identity.” Indigiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Wilfrid Laurier University.
- Moderator. “2SLGBTQQIA+ and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.” Indigiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Wilfrid Laurier University.
2021
- Panelist. “Virtual ProPride: Beyond Inclusion Towards Belonging.” Pride at Work Canada, August 26.
- Panelist. “Indigenous Resurgence.” Faculty of Community Services, Toronto Metropolitan University, April 7.
- Panelist. “Gender Diversity and Inclusivity: What We Need to Know.” Women and Gender Equity Learning Event, City of Ottawa.
- Panelist. “What Is Your Best Strategy for Indigenous Resurgence in Academia and Why?” Toronto Metropolitan University.
- Panelist. “Transgender Day of Visibility: How Do You Ensure Inclusion in Your Academic Spaces?” Toronto Metropolitan University.
- Panelist. “What Is the Most Pressing Issue in Your Academic Field or Community?” Toronto Metropolitan University.
- Panelist. “What Does Being an Indigenous Intellectual Mean to You?” Toronto Metropolitan University.
- Moderator. “2SLGBTQQIA+ During COVID-19.” Indigiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Wilfrid Laurier University.
- Moderator. “Indigenizing Trans Day of Remembrance.” Indigiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Wilfrid Laurier University.
- Moderator. “2SLGBTQQIA+ and Orange Shirt Day.” Indigiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Wilfrid Laurier University.
- Panelist. “Decolonizing Methodologies: At the Intersection of Decolonization and Gender Equity.” Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.
Scholarly Panel Organization
2015
- Co-organizer. “So You Want to Be an Ally? Unpacking Whiteness, Settler Entitlement and Responsibility in Solidarity Work.” Third Annual Conference of the Critical Ethnic Studies Association, Toronto, Ontario.
Contact Info:
Office location: Virtual Appointments only
Languages spoken: English and American Sign Language (ASL)