Join us for an evening with historian and author Jane Thomas as she discusses her powerful book Wilful Neglect. Drawing from over seventy years of archival records, Thomas reveals how federal health policies, shaped without Indigenous input and rooted in colonial ideologies, allowed tuberculosis to devastate First Nations communities in Canada, even as effective treatments became widely available. This conversation will explore the lasting impact of these policies on Indigenous–settler relationships today and the urgent need to reckon with the legacy of systemic neglect in Canada’s health systems.

Light refreshments will be available. 

Book signing to follow. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. 

 

Before working in the Ontario Public Service (OPS), Jane Thomas completed her Masters and PhD degrees in history. Her research is focused on the impact of residential schools and government medical policies on First Nations. Her book Wilful Neglect will be published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in October 2025. She has previously taught courses in Canadian history, Indigenous studies, and health studies at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Western Ontario.

Jane started working at the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation in 2013. Her home position in the Negotiations and Reconciliation Division is Senior Negotiator where she has led land claim negotiation tables with First Nations in Treaty 9 and the Robinson-Huron and Robinson-Superior Treaty territories. She is proud to have been a part of the teams that have settled the Chapleau Cree, Flying Post and Matachewan Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) claims, and the Land and Larger Land Base (LLLB) agreements with Pays Plat, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg (Pic Mobert), and Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek (Rocky Bay). In October 2024, Jane took on a new management role in her division, and she has enjoyed this leadership role and the opportunity to mentor and coach junior staff.

Jane lives with her husband and three children in Milton.