Theresa Hall was born at Attawapiskat First Nation and spent most of her pre-school years on her parents’ trap line. Theresa is a fluent speaker of the Cree language, in which she was raised, and at a young age learned to read and write in Cree syllabics. Theresa holds a BA in Native Studies from Laurentian University.
Theresa is the first Cree woman to be appointed as a presiding Justice of the Province of Ontario and served as the first female elected Chief of the Attawapiskat First Nation where she served two 3-year terms.
Theresa draws on her life and work experiences in her role within the NeeKeeWaNan, “We Are Going Home” group. One of the abilities Theresa has is being one of the Elder Survivors of the NeeKeeWaNan. Theresa draws on her memories of where the locations of the old girls’ camp, the boys camp, and the nuns and priests’ camps in proximity to one another. She hopes this information will assist as the NeeKeeWaNan begin the ground penetrating radar in search of anomalies to be conducted within the St. Anne’s Residential School area and surrounding areas.
As a mother, Grandmother, Auntie, Sister and Community Member, Theresa’s hope for the NeeKeeWaNan group is to locate the unmarked graves of the three students who never made it home. Since the establishment of NeeKeeWaNan, the number of students who went missing and never returned home has risen from three students to twenty-three students. Theresa knows the road will not be an easy one for all those involved, and she hopes by participating and supporting the group, she will invoke healing in herself and for those generations who have been lost.
