Announcing the new Lee Wu Kee Ming Chair in Indigenous Social Work, Dr. Michael Yellow Bird

The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is thrilled to announce that Indigenous scholar Professor Michael Yellow Bird will be joining FIFSW as the inaugural Lee Wu Kee Ming Chair in Indigenous Social Work starting July 1, 2027.  

A seasoned academic and researcher, and an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) Nation (also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes) in North Dakota, Dr. Yellow Bird will bring a wealth of experience in community-engaged research, leadership, teaching, and outreach to this new role. 

The Lee Wu Kee Ming Chair in Indigenous Social Work was established to provide visionary leadership in advancing Indigenous social work and social work with Indigenous peoples. The Chair serves as a catalyst for the development, dissemination, and mobilization of Indigenous knowledge, and for the creation of leading practices and policies that strengthen social work with Indigenous individuals, families, and communities.  

“Dr. Yellow Bird’s appointment will elevate our Faculty’s research and leadership on issues of vital importance to Indigenous communities,” says Charmaine Williams, Dean of FIFSW. “The deep knowledge that he brings to this position will also enable our Faculty to foster stronger connections to Indigenous worldviews, bolster Indigenous-centred practices, and enhance our education and outreach activities.” 

Professor Yellow Bird was Dean of the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba from 2019 to 2024. Prior to taking on that position, he was a Professor of Sociology and Director of Indigenous Tribal Studies at North Dakota State University. He has also held academic appointments at Cal Poly Humbolt, the University of Kansas, Arizona State University, and the University of British Columbia. 

Dr. Yellow Bird’s main body of research focuses on topics related to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples, including both colonization and methods of decolonization. In 2025, Dr. Yellow Bird and Dr. Hai Lou published a new conceptual framework: The Decolonization Equation. Combining six key factors prevalent in decolonization literature, the formula they created helps track the progress of undoing colonial legacies.  

“My research highlights the systemic disparities affecting Indigenous Peoples but also advocates for culturally responsive interventions to empower Indigenous sovereignty, self-determination, and human, cultural, and land rights,” he says. 

The evidence-based interventions that Dr. Yellow Bird studies and practices include trauma-informed mindfulness, contemplative science, ancestral health, and neurodecolonization — another model he developed, which integrates traditional Indigenous approaches with Western science. Holistic and interdisciplinary methods are central to his work. His studies incorporate neuroscience, AI, nutrition, physical exercise, laughter, and more. 

A strength-based approach is central to Dr. Yellow Bird’s research. He employs an Appreciative Inquiry approach that examines the “cultural strengths and capacities that drive the success and resilience of tribes.” His research is also collaborative. He has worked closely with Indigenous communities, including leaders, elders, allies and organizations across Turtle Island. As an educator, he has mentored numerous graduate students and early career faculty members. 

Dr. Yellow Bird has practiced mindfulness meditation for over 50 years, is a certified mindfulness professional and a member of the International Mindfulness Teachers Association. In his research, he examines how mindfulness and traditional Indigenous contemplative practices can help change negative patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour. 

Recent books by Dr. Yellow Bird include Decolonizing Pathways towards Integrative Healing in Social Work (2021) and Decolonizing Social Work Education: Memory, Haunting and Critical Hope in the Nordics (2025). His most recent scholarly article is The Decolonization Equation: A Conceptual Framework, published in the Wicazo Sa Journal, University of Minnesota Press. 

The Lee Wu Kee Ming Chair in Indigenous Social Work will proactively collaborate with communities, government groups, and agencies serving Indigenous peoples. This collaboration aims to influence policy and enhance Indigenous well-being, fostering innovative solutions to reduce the significant inequities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.  

FIFSW looks forward to officially welcoming Dr. Yellow Bird to the Faculty in 2027.