Jan Beaver is a storyteller, author of 6 children’s books, educational consultant and a co-facilitator at Northern Edge Algonquin. Her cultural background as a member of the Alderville First Nation (Anishinaabe) has provided a solid foundation and many opportunities for bringing these traditions and values to her work in education and spiritual practice.
Over the years, Jan has been a Water Scientist with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, a classroom teacher, an outdoor education teacher with the Toronto District School Board and the Senior Education Advisor for Ogemawahj Tribal Council in Rama. Her work with the Aboriginal Education Committees of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation opened the door for Jan to be part of the CTF delegation to the 3rd World Congress of Education International in Jomtien, Thailand and then in later years to address the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations.
Jan was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 in recognition of her work in education. She has always felt the deepest commitment to the improvement of education for the First Peoples of Canada and raising the level of awareness and understanding of all Canadians to the rights, history, culture and traditions of . In that the First Peoples.
Many years ago, Jan read the book Black Elk Speaks by John Neihardt. In that book was a vision experienced by Hehaka Sapa, Black Elk, when he was very sick at the age of 9. He saw a Tree of Life in the centre of a circle of all of the nations and he understood that this was the sacred hoop of the Earth. It was broken and needed mending. This vision inspired Jan to explore how to bring all of the nations together in one circle to work with various spiritual tools based on universal wisdom. These practices help people deepen their understanding of themselves, each other and strengthen their connection to Mother Earth. In 2021 Jan co-authoured a book with a team from Northern Edge Algonquin entitled “The Way of the Circle” to explore the principles and elements of the circle as a transformational tool for human evolution. Jan’s Grandmother work is very much rooted in the Way of the Circle.
