The newly established Indigenous Dental Association of Canada (IDAC) is one of the most prominent Indigenous-led initiatives addressing inequities in Canada’s oral health delivery. A 2017 report from the country’s auditor general found that First Nations and Inuit populations had nearly twice the rate of dental disease as non-Indigenous Canadians, partly due to geographical barriers, fewer dentist visits, and less access to nutritious food.

How does it work? For John Desjarlais, that question led him to a concentration in mechanical engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. Still, he didn’t come to that decision until several years after high school, so he was 31 by the time he completed his first degree. Desjarlais, Cree-Métis, had already earned a certificate in radiation environmental monitoring and worked professionally. But his childhood interest in the physical world and how things move — how they work — coupled with his enjoyment of math and physics, brought him back to mechanical engineering.

One of the newest advisory councils at AISES, the Canadian Indigenous Advisory Council (CIAC, pronounced “kayak”) supports the Board, staff, councils, and committees with insights about issues important to AISES members, and the entire Indigenous STEM community, in Canada. The council promotes the mission of increasing representation of Indigenous people in STEM across Canada, while helping the organization better serve all Canadian members and maintain relationships with corporate and postsecondary stakeholders.