Perry Bellegarde
Chief Perry Bellegarde (Little Black Bear First Nation, Treaty 4 Territory) has championed First Nations rights and well-being for 35 years. He served two terms as the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the largest national advocacy organization for 634 First Nations in Canada, from 2014–2021. Chief Bellegarde now serves as the Board Chair of the First Nations Bank of Canada; Special Advisor to the international law firm, Fasken, and Special Advisor to King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiative. He is a graduate of the Director’s College at McMaster University and the Climate Designation Program of Competent Boards. As National Chief, he helped pass key pieces of federal legislation: protecting Indigenous languages and implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. His honors include the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, honorary doctorates from Queen’s and Lakehead universities, and the Empire Club’s Nation Builder of the Year.
The Salata Institute
The Salata Institute supports interdisciplinary research that leads to real-world action, including high-risk/high-reward projects by researchers already working in the climate area and new endeavors that make it easier for Harvard scholars, who have not worked on climate problems, to do so. Faculty interested in the Climate Research Clusters program should note an upcoming deadline for concepts on April 1, 2024.