Dr. Mitch Verde
Dr. Mitch Verde, whose Nisga’a name is Baxtaa, currently works as a Chief Executive Officer for an Indigenous community government in British Columbia, Canada. Mitch is a member of the Nisga’a First Nation whose lands are located on the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Mitch earned his undergraduate degree and graduate degrees at the University of Northern British Columbia and was the first person of Indigenous descent to receive a degree from this university. Mitch’s goal in life is to help improve the well-being of Indigenous Peoples evidenced by his careers as a healthcare practitioner, researcher, and administrator, and working in the post-secondary system as a college professor and as an administrator. Now, as an Executive administrator, Mitch has been able to promote both individual and community well-being at a more comprehensive level. Mitch came to believe that improving the well-being of Indigenous People and communities required promoting respect between Indigenous Peoples and the general population, particularly around culturally based knowledge. To reach a larger audience to promote his philosophies, Mitch decided to start writing books about his perspectives, and the unique and extraordinary experiences he has had over his life as a proud Indigenous person in Canada.