Person Jean Friesen

Jean Friesen (B.A. McGill, PhD University of British Columbia) is a senior scholar and former Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba where she taught Indigenous history and Public history (1973–2013). She has written on the Tsimshian of northern British Columbia (William Duncan of Metlakatla: A Victorian Missionary in British Columbia, National Museums of Canada, 1974); and on the significance of Indigenous treaty diplomacy (“Magnificent Gifts: The Treaties of Canada with the Indians of the Northwest, 1869–76”, Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, Series 5, vol. 1, 1986). She is the co-editor of 3 books: Essays in B.C. History, Carleton Library Series, edited with H.K. Ralston, 1975; Heritage Preservation in Western Canada, Prairie Forum special edition, edited with A.A. Artibise, 1990; Aboriginal Resource Use in Canada: Historical and Legal Issues, edited with K. Abel, University of Manitoba Press, 1991. She is also the author of 3 biographies for the Dictionary of Canadian Biography: Bishop Modeste Demers (1969); Alexander Morris (1980) and Bishop George Hills (1988). From 2004 to 2013 she served as the academic director of the intern program of the Manitoba Legislature. Her public history practice has included interpretive exhibits at the National Museum of Canada (1967–1973); Heritage planning and interpretation of River Road and Kennedy House sites 1982–84 (Federal-Provincial Agreement on Recreation and Conservation). She was the founding editor of Manitoba History journal (1979–84); Chair of the Manitoba Heritage Council (1982–86), and Chair of the Manitoba Water Council (2010–2016). She has been a governor of the Manitoba Museum (1977–82) and served on the advisory boards of the National Archives of Canada (1989–91), the Hudson’s Bay Company History Foundation (2008–18) and the Governor General’s national award for excellence in Museums (2012–2016). She has worked with the Public Interest Law Centre of Manitoba to provide expert testimony in legal cases dealing with Treaty 1 and with the Grand Union of Treaty 3 to provide written testimony on resource issues. She is currently an active member of the Speakers’ Bureau of the Treaty Commission of Manitoba. Jean Friesen served in the Manitoba Legislature from 1990–2003 and was Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Deputy Premier from 1999–2003.