Elders Wisdom Council

Marius Paul

English River First Nation

Marius Paul is a person of the Poplar Tree Home Dene from English River First Nation in northern Saskatchewan. He is an accomplished artist whose northern landscapes and geometrical paintings show a deep connection to the beauty of northern Saskatchewan. In recent years he has been carving unique jewellery pieces from moose bone. The moose is a magnificent creature which has taken care of the Dene people since antiquity. Each piece is carved out of respect for the spirit of the moose. He is a natural musician whose music resonates with the peace of the land and lakes and rivers.

As a traditional land-user he built two log homes for his family and lived many years off-grid. This helped to heal him from the effects of colonization he experienced as a child who went through the residential school system.

He has been a teacher for more than 30 years. His experiences within the system led him to develop an indigenous-based pedagogy. In 2002 he founded the Reclaiming Our Youth Home Front School which he operated successfully for 12 years. There he encouraged youth to be life-long learners and land stewards.

He has been involved with creating awareness and disseminating factual information about the dangers of the nuclear industry since the 70’s when the uranium mining companies began to expand into Denesuline territory. He and his wife are members of Committee for Future Generations which has been working to address the risks uranium/nuclear industry are imposing on people in the north and world-wide. Marius has been supportive of many front line actions in Turtle Island over the last 40 years. Most recently he has become a member of the Board for Keepers of the Water.