Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 11, 2023
• Invested on: October 07, 2025

Barbara Assiginaak, C.M., O.Ont.
Sucker Lake, Ontario

Composer, musician, educator and midekwe Barbara Assiginaak draws from both the Anishinaabe way of creating songs and classical training in her musical language. Her diverse works, steeped in Indigenous life experiences and perspectives, have been featured at international festivals and performed by prominent orchestras. An assistant professor of composition at Wilfrid Laurier University, she has also worked in outdoor environmental education rooted in Anishinaabeg teachings for more than two decades.