According to my sqilx^w ways, personal introductions come before any other words.   

Wai, iskwis (my name is) Percy Lezard. I am outma sqilx^w, and my relations are the Lezards in Sn’penkton, the Krugers from Arrow Lakes and the Baptistes from Chopka. As part of my sqilx^w cultural practice, I want to begin my introduction with an acknowledgement of my positionality and responsibilities, in an era across the Academic Industrial complex of race shifters and pretendians its important to identify "who I am, who are my people and who claims me."  

I am the child of Valerie Lezard and Moses Baptiste.  

My maternal grandparents are twi pl̓wic̓ia naʔł stiʔulaʕxʷ.  

My paternal grandparents are twiʔ Katherine Baptiste (Alec) naʔł twiʔ George Baptiste.  

We are all full status members and registered members under the Indian Act to the Penticton Indian Band.  As a registered member of the Penticton Indian Band and my people, the sqilx^w, have lived on the territory known as the Okanagan Valley since the beginning of people on those lands. My traditional territories stretch from Mica Creek, just north of modern-day Revelstoke, BC and east to Kootenay Lake, south to Washington state and west into the Nicola Valley. 

I continue to live as a guest on the lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples for the past twenty plus years and am responsible to upholding the Dish with One Spoon treaty in my nation-to-nation relations with the caretakers of these territories. 

I received my collaborative Ph.D. from OISE/UT in SJE and WGIS in 2021, my collabrative masters from University of Toronto in 2006. Before joining the Laurier community in 2020, I was an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at University of Manitoba.

My research orientation is always towards community. It is my responsibility as an Indigenous researcher and Indigenous thinker to disrupt mainstream models of knowledge exraction. I work to re-center Indigenous ways of knowing and being and harness the existing strengths and leadership from Indigenous community members. As a result, I prioritize community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) over single-author papers, and always strive to involve myself in research that has tangible impacts. I have worked as a principle researcher and contributor on many CBPAR projects with social agencies that provide health and service support to Indigenous and 2LGBTQ communities.

The scope of my current research agenda includes First Nations, Metis, Inuit, 2 Spirit, Trans, sex-worker, youth, Deaf/Hard of hearing and houseless communities. Research in these areas is increasingly salient, as resources within healthcare must be tailored to fit the unique needs of these communities by service providers. 

Projects

• 2 Spirit Council works with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to impliment MMIWG2SLGBTTQQOA+ National Action Plan: Final Report
• WAGE grant of 394K for Transgender Health
• Culturally safe harm reduction for Mental Health workers

• 2020 Merit Award for Promoting Indigenous Achievement, Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic), University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, MB
• 2017 Aboriginal Affairs Award, Access, Equity & Human Rights Awards, City of Toronto – Toronto, ON
• 2008 The Lillian McGregor Award of Excellence, University of Toronto – Toronto, ON
• 2008 Nominee, Premiers Award, College Compensation & Appointments Council – Toronto, ON

I bring with me an extensive teaching portfolio at a number of post-secondary institutions, where I have been instrumental in supporting students in all capacities of student life. My focus on relationship development with multiple stakeholders; both within and outside of institutions; is basis of my approach. I centre Indigenous worldviews, self-determination, resilience and promote sustainable social change. My strong ties with numerous Indigenous social service agencies and communities in Toronto, across Canada and the South Pacific reflect the strength of our highly respectful relationships. This is underscored by how often I am sought out to work with communities, including in an advisory capacity in projects, co-investigator and consultancy roles.

I have teaching interests that include an approach that is anti-colonial, 2 spirit affirming, and trauma informed perspectives. I also train, supervise and build capacity among emerging scholars/learners who are entering the field of holistic health, harm reduction, 2SLGBTTQIA+ research and community relations/relationsips.

Lezard, P., Prefontaine, N., Cederwall, D-M., Sparrow, C., Maracle, S., Beck. A., & McLeod. A (April 2021). 2SLGBTTQIA+ Sub-Working Group. MMIWG2SLGBTTQIA+ National Action: Final Report. OFIFC: Toronto

https://https://mmiwg2splus-nationalactionplan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2SLGBTQQIA-Report-Final.pdf

Lezard, P (2021). Monumental Erasures. In B. Carlson, & T. Farrely. (Ed), Global Reckonings: Disrupting Colonial Commemorations. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillian (In negotiation)

• Indigenous-Settler Relations - ID360BR
• Gender, Sexuality & Social Justice – SOJE 370
• Introduction to Indigenous Studies – ID120BR2
• Indigenous Children and Family – ID302BR1
• Indigenous Community Organizing – ID375BR
• Indigenous Allyship & Kinship – ID401BR2

• 2021 Moderator, "2SLGBTQQIA+ during Covid" Indiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Indigenous Studies Program, Wilfrid Laurier University - Brantford, ON
• 2021 Moderator, "Indigenize Trans Day of Remembrance" Indiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Indigenous Studies Program, Wilfrid Laurier University - Brantford, ON
• 2022 Moderator, "2SLGBTQQIA+ on MMIWG" Indiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Indigenous Studies Program, Wilfrid Laurier University - Brantford, ON
• 2021 Moderator, "2SLGBTQQIA+ Orange Shirt" Indiqueer and Gender Diverse Speakers Series, Indigenous Studies Program, Wilfrid Laurier University - Brantford, ON
• 2021 Keynote Speaker, MMIWG2SLGBTTQIA+national action plan: final report - Saskatchewan Polytechnic Indigenous Students - Saskatchewan, SK
• 2021 Panelist, Women & Gender Equity Learning Event: "Gender Diversity & Inclusivity: What We Need to Know." City of Ottawa - Ottawa, ON
• 2021 Panelist, Panelist, “What is your best strategy for Indigenous resurgence in academia and why?”  X University - Toronto, ON
• 2021 Panelist, Panelists addressing Transgender Day of Visibility and the question how do you ensure inclusion in your academic spaces? X University – Toronto, ON
• 2021 Panelist, “What is the most pressing issue in your academic field or community?" X University - Toronto, ON
• 2021 Panelist, “What does being an Indigenous Intellectual mean to you??” X University - Toronto, ON
• 2020 R Panelist, “Inclusion and access: Indigenous 2 Spirit, Trans, Non-binary Relatives reclaiming Our place in the circle.” 90th Anniversary of School of Social Work International Symposium on Social Justice and Social Care – University of British Columba – Vancouver, BC
• 2019 Panelist, “The Lived Realities of 2SLGBTTQIA” Fierté Canada Pride conference – Regina, SK
• 2019 R Panelist, “Tending to the Fire, Stoking the Flames as Responsibility: A 2 Spirit Indigenous Ontology of Healing and Decolonial Social Work Practice” Holding Social Work Accountable: Resistance, Challenge and Change – Social Work Stream, SAANZ Conference 2019, University of Auckland – Auckland NZ
• 2019 R Panelist, “2 Spirit Smoke Signals: Addressing gaps of current smoking cessation plans of care & access to traditional uses of tobacco.” 5th International Indigenous Voices in Social Work Conference: Healing, Reconciliation & Transformation: Approaches to Promoting Indigenous Well-Being – Hualien, Taiwan
• 2019 Presenter, 2LGB, N2S Youth Wellness Gathering, Enowkin Center – Penticton, BC
• 2019 R Community Facilitator, Symposium 8 “ Elders teach and youth reach”: Indigenous conversations on sexual health, Aboriginal Health Elders Advisory Council at Vancouver Coast Health, STI & HIV 2019 World Congress – Vancouver, BC
• 2018 R Panelist, "Why Do You Get to Call Yourself Crazy & I Can't?" White Madness as Disability Identity & the De-legitimatizing of 2QTPOC Sanism, WPC, Ryerson University – Toronto, ON
• 2016 Panelist, A Focus on 2LGBT Public Health, City of Toronto – Toronto, ON
• 2015 R Keynote, Sovereignties and Colonialisms: Resisting Racism, Extraction and Dispossession, York University – Toronto, ON
• 2015 R Presenter, Creating a Culture of Healing: A 2Spirit Syilx Woman’s Journey of Dis(man)tling the Master’s house of Learning, Indigenous Women’s Symposium, Trent University – Peterborough,ON
• 2013 R Presenter, 9th Annual Indigenous and American Studies Storyteller’s Conference, University at Buffalo The State University of New York – Buffalo, NY
• 2013 R Panelist, Opportunities and challenges for peer based Interventions in the HIV prevention, engagement & treatment cascade, Ontario HIV Treatment Network, Toronto, ON

• Fall 2022 Panelist, "Two Spirit Virtual Gathering" Community Based Research Center (CBRC)
• Fall 2022 Panelist, "Decolonizing Methodologies and Gender Webinar." Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto - Toronto, ON
• Fall 2019 Presenter, “Inclusion & Access: 2 Spirit, Trans, Non-Binary Relatives reclaiming our place in the circle. Indigenous Scholars Speakers Series, University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, MB
• Fall 2019 Presenter, “The lived realities of 2LGBT” Fireside Chats, University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, MB
• Fall 2019 Presenter, “2 Spirit, Trans & Non-Binary Brave Spaces for Indigenous Youth!” Rec n’ Read, Kinesiology, University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, MB
• Fall 2019 Presenter, “2 Spirit: how to welcome young learners into the circle, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, MB
• Fall 2019 Presenter, “Current Social Movements: 2 Spirit Resurgence & Futurities” UML Indigenous Cultural Competency Training (ICT), Turtle Lodge – University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, MB
• Fall 2019 Presenter, “Historic Trauma & Microaggressions” Teach-In for Reconciliation, Department Of Native Studies, University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, MB
• Winter 2019 Keynote Speaker, Indigenous Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Minwaashin Lodge & Tungasuvvingat Inuit – Ottawa, ON
• Fall 2016 Presenter, 2 Spirit health & wellness, Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance – Toronto, ON
• Winter 2015 Presenter, 2LGBT History, health needs & cultural safety for health providers, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Thunder Bay ON