Dr. John Hupfield

Biography

John Waaseyaabin Hupfield is an Anishinaabe from the Wasauksing Nation. He currently resides in Toronto and is a member of the urban Indigenous community. As an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at York University, Hupfield serves as the Wüléelham Director, overseeing the Waaban Indigenous teacher education program and the Urban Indigenous Masters cohort. His research interests center on the role of powwows and kinship systems within Anishinaabe contexts of education and pedagogy. He has completed both a Master of Education (MEd) and a Doctorate (PhD) at York University. Hupfield’s work is deeply rooted in relationality and the importance of place-based knowledge, placing significant emphasis on storytelling as a key pedagogical tenet. The impact of intergenerational trauma due to the residential school system has shaped his teaching and research focus, particularly in supporting cultural revitalization and advancing the educational needs of the Anishinaabeg nation. His courses include Issues in Indigenous Education and Place Learning. Hupfield brings a wealth of personal experience to his teaching, being a father and an active participant in the powwow circuit, sharing cultural traditions and practices with his family and community.

Research Interests

Courses