In recognition of his work to advance Indigenous education in all aspects of academic life, Professor David Newhouse, founding director of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent University, has been named the recipient of the Lee Lorch Award – the highest honour presented by the Council of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).    

“We congratulate Professor David Newhouse on winning the Lee Lorch Award,” said Dr. Michael Khan, provost and vice-president academic at Trent. “His excellence as a teacher and as an educational leader has led to transformative change within educational institutions, creating space for Indigenous peoples, cultures, knowledge and histories." 

The Lee Lorch Award recognizes an academic whose teaching, research, and service have contributed noticeably to the lives of their students, institution, field of study, and community. Prof. Newhouse will be presented with the award at the Spring CAUT Council, where he will also speak about the "emergent, Indigenized university."   

At Trent, Prof. Newhouse has been an active professor, researcher, and administrator for more than 30 years. He served as the chair of the Department of Indigenous Studies at Trent starting in 1994 and was appointed the founding director of the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies in 2017. He has been instrumental in supporting several significant milestones at the University, including launching Canada's first Indigenous Studies Ph.D. program, establishing the First Peoples House of Learning, securing more than $12 million in research funding, and developing Trent’s Indigenous course requirement, ensuring all undergraduate students complete at least one course with an Indigenous focus. Trent is only the third university in Canada to introduce this requirement.  

“I do a little every day and things add up over time, so I was surprised to be awarded the prize,” Prof. Newhouse said. “It's nice to be recognized for my work with faculty, staff, and students in bringing Indigenous Knowledge to Trent University. The award is not just about me, but about the climate of support we've created for Indigenous peoples and their histories.” 

Prof. Newhouse holds several provincial and national leadership positions, co-chairing the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Indigenous Advisory Circle, and acting as science officer for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Peer Review Committee in Aboriginal Peoples' Health. He is also served as chair of CAUT’s Aboriginal Post-Secondary Working Group, before being elected to the Executive Committee as the Representative at Large, Aboriginal in 2018 – a position he holds to this day. Prof. Newhouse is also the founding editor of the CANDO Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development, the first peer-reviewed academic journal devoted to the subject and was the principal investigator for the National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE)..  

Recognized for his committed efforts to enhance the educational experiences of students (Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike) over more than two decades, Prof. Newhouse was awarded Trent University’s Award for Educational Leadership and Innovation in 2016. He was also recognized for his teaching and educational leadership with a 3M National Teaching Fellowship in 2022. 

Currently on sabbatical working to convert a 10-year project into an academic text, Prof. Newhouse’s research is focused on modern Indigenous society and understanding the dynamics shaping Indigenous communities today. He uses literature as a tool to encourage critical thinking, reflective practice, and a deeper understanding by employing Indigenous teaching methods similar to elders' storytelling techniques that encourage interpretation over direct answers. 

His research was the genesis for the Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network (UAKN) that Prof. Newhouse has co-chaired since its inception in 2007. The UAKN is a research network of urban Indigenous peoples engaging in community driven research with the goal of contributing to a better quality of life for urban Indigenous communities. Through the UAKN, he has helped shine a light on how urban Indigenous peoples see cities as home. 

“For more than 30 years, David has been an outstanding teacher, researcher, and leader at Trent and across the country,” said one of the award nominators. “He lives the qualities of the Seven Grandfathers Teachings, and in his commitment to these teachings, he has been a mentor and champion for many people. These are people who might otherwise have been overlooked or passed by and people who were not aware of their own talents and gifts. In that space, David provides people the opportunity to embrace their own responsibilities. Perhaps that is David’s most significant contribution to the classroom and academia.”