Alumna Caroline Mark helps shape a future guided by Cree values

For Caroline Mark, BA 98, MBA 13, director general of the Cree School Board, education goes deeper than academics — it’s a lifelong mission rooted in Cree values and guided by the belief that Eeyou/Eenou Chiskutamaachewin (education) can empower through nation-building, and restore balance through reconciliation.

“For the iiyiyiu / iinuu (Cree people), education is about healing, empowerment and self-determination,” she says. “It’s about knowing who you are.”

Born in Chibougamau, in northern Quebec, and raised on the land by her grandparents, Mark grew up immersed in lessons of hard work, humility and respect for others and the land.

“Those early years grounded me in my iiyihtuuwin /iiyiyuuayimuwin [Cree culture and Cree language] and have shaped the person I am today,” she says. “When I left home to pursue my education, I carried those teachings with me.”

That journey brought her to Concordia, where she earned a BA in Applied Human Sciences in the Faculty of Arts and Science and an MBA at the John Molson School of Business. Mark says she was drawn to the university’s inclusive environment and focus on real-world learning.

“It was a place where I could bring my experiences from the Cree world into the classroom,” she says. “The professors and peers I met there helped me see leadership not only as a management skill but also as a service.”

Leading with ‘empathy, accountability and respect’

Those insights continue to shape her work today as director general of the Cree School Board, which serves students from nine Cree communities in iiyiyiu aschii (Cree Nation). In her role, Mark oversees an organization dedicated to supporting students in the iiyiyiu aschii from early childhood through adult and post-secondary education. Her mandate is clear: to ensure every aspect of learning reflects the Cree language, culture and worldview.

“We follow the Eeyou way of doing things,” she explains. “That means educating the whole person — body, mind, soul and spirit — and making sure what we do is rooted in culture and language.”

Under Mark’s leadership, the school board has introduced initiatives that meet students’ holistic needs — from breakfast programs and working towards the lunch programs and after-school tutoring to extracurricular activities and driver’s education courses — supporting high school students to graduate with practical life skills. Adult and post-secondary learners also receive comprehensive support, including counselling and tuition assistance, as well as childcare and employment connections with Cree employers.

The school board’s structure also reflects this philosophy. It is modelled after a teepee with three “support poles” representing the northern, coastal and southern regions that together uphold the whole nine communities.

After nearly 25 years with the Cree School Board — including roles such as regional coordinator, deputy director general of operations, and now director general — Mark continues to see education as the foundation of nation-building. Her leadership has helped secure funding for new schools and adult-learning centres, tangible symbols of a brighter future for the Cree Nation.

“Concordia taught me to lead with empathy, accountability and respect for others’ wisdom,” she says. “Those lessons guide me every day as we create the conditions for our students to succeed and contribute to their communities with pride.”