Sheila is from western Newfoundland and is a member of Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation. Sheila is a mother and grandmother and has a solid background in Indigenous issues and post-secondary education. Sheila is honoured to hold the role of Traditional Knowledge Holder, and carries many teachings passed down by respected Elders.
Throughout her extensive career as an educator, Sheila has worked as a Communications Instructor with College of the North Atlantic (CNA) in both Newfoundland and Labrador and at CNA’s campus in Doha, Qatar, in the Middle East.
Sheila was employed as Coordinator of Indigenous Student Success at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador from 2017 to 2019 and is currently employed as Coordinator of Indigenous Research and Training with an Indigenous-led consulting firm in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Sheila is the co-author of My Indian (2021) and Suliewey (2023) with Chief Mi’sel Joe, published by Breakwater Books, and Newfoundland Mi’kmaw Resistance and Vibrancy in a History of Erasure (M. Joe, S. O’Neill, J. Thorpe, J. Bound) Canadian Historical Review 103, no. 3.
Sheila holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Education, both from Memorial University.