04/22/2026
Please welcome our new Indigenous Writer in Residence, Katłįà Lafferty.
Katłįà is a Yellowknives Dene First Nation woman from Sǫ̀mbak’è, Dënéndeh (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories). She spends half or her time in her home territory and the other half of her time living and working on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples as well as the neighboring W̱SÁNEĆ nations.
Katłįà holds a law degree in Indigenous Legal Orders through the University of Victoria and is an award-winning writer who has written 5 books. Her latest book is entitled “Mother Earth Is Our Elder” a northern Indigenous reflection on the climate crisis published with Penguin Random House and Harper Collins.
In her work, Katłįà aims to honor her role as an Indigenous storyteller by continuing to create visually compelling narratives that reflect her cultural background, upbringing and connection to community—crafting impactful stories through a lens rooted in Indigenous value systems and laws.
Aside from her work, Katłįà is a mother, grandmother, and daughter of the Dene.
Katłįà is available for in-class visits, events, as well as student, faculty and staff engagements. If you would like to schedule an online consultation or invite her to attend a class or event, please email [email protected].
