Indigenous Disability Canada (IDC/BCANDS) and DAWN Canada are pleased to announce the cross-appointment of Evelyn Huntjens as the new Director of Indigenous Initiatives. This appointment will allow DAWN Canada to continue to expand the leadership voices of Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people with disabilities in partnership with IDC/BCANDS. This is an affirmation of the long-standing partnership between DAWN Canada and IDC/BCANDS and our shared commitment to disability justice.
This appointment follows DAWN Canada’s announcement in December 2022 of our shared offices in Ottawa with IDC/BCANDS, Inclusion Canada, and the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW).

About Evelyn Huntjens and the Director of Indigenous Initiatives role

Evelyn Huntjens joins DAWN Canada to assist the organization with amplifying the voices of Indigenous women, girls and gender-diver people with disabilities. She will continue as the Program Coordinator for Indigenous Disability Canada (IDC/BCANDS), where she has worked since 2016. 

Evelyn brings over seven years of leadership experience within the Indigenous disability sector, with a focus on coordinating and developing peer support navigation services for Indigenous persons living with disabilities. She brings passion and commitment to the work she has accomplished and she strives to advocate and break down barriers to support individuals and their families.

Evelyn was one of the very first individuals to open RDSPs in British Columbia and she recognized the need for financial resource support in the disability community. Since then, she has taken the lead on developing and managing IDC/BCANDS’ award-winning Indigenous RDSP Navigator Program, which secures financial resources for Indigenous individuals living with disabilities and their families. The program's poverty-reduction focus ensures that individuals and their families receive the financial benefits they need and are entitled to.

Currently, Evelyn is completing her Masters Certificate in Project Management at the Gustavson School of Business in Victoria, BC. Previously, she has worked as a personal financial planner within the financial services sector, focusing on financial education and mentoring.

Evelyn is First Nations and resides on Vancouver Island, BC. Since 2003, she has lived within the ancestral territory of the Quw’utsun First Nation. Evelyn Huntjens is a member of the Xeni Gwet’in – Tsilhqot’in People of the Nemiah Nation located in the heart of B.C., and she has ancestry from the Montreal Lake Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan.