2025 BMO Lecture: Economic and Social Well-being of Indigenous Children

Location: Room 1400-1430, Segal Centre at Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street

Time: Doors open at 6:00pm, lecture at 6:30pm

Lecture followed by reception with light refreshments.

This lecture is offered in partnership with SFU Public Square.

ABSTRACT

In this talk, Randall Akee, UCLA professor of Public Policy and American Indian Studies will share an overview of recent research that seeks to answer these questions. Focusing on American Indian and other Indigenous Peoples children, the research used a combination of administrative and survey-based data.

Dr. Akee will also examine how intergenerational mobility differs for American Indians and other groups in the U.S and summarize some data on differences in mortality for First Nations’ children and that of non-natives in Canada.

SPEAKER

Randall Akee is a Professor in the Department of Public Policy and American Indian Studies at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles). Dr. Akee completed his doctorate at Harvard University in June 2006, is an applied microeconomist, and has worked in the areas of Labor Economics, Economic Development and Migration. He spent several years working for the State of Hawaii Office of Hawaiian Affairs Economic Development Division. Previously, he served as a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution and has served on the University of California Office of the President’s Native American Advisory Council. Dr. Akee also served on the National Advisory Council on Race, Ethnic, and Other Populations at the US Census Bureau. For the year 2022-2023, Dr. Akee served as a Senior Economist in the Council of Economic Advisers in the Office of the White House working on Labor and Social Inclusion topics. Dr. Akee also conducted work for the US Census Bureau focusing on the Statistical Products First initiative. Currently, Dr. Akee is a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in Labor Studies and the Children’s Groups.