Riley Yesno (she/her) is a queer Anishinaabe scholar, writer, and commentator, from Eabametoong First Nation and Thunder Bay, Ontario.
She is highly sought after for her words and analysis — called an “Indigenous powerhouse” by the Toronto Star and “one of the brightest young minds in Canada today” by jury members of the Canadian Journalism Foundation — she has been a contributor and commentator for some of the largest media outlets in Canada and the world, including the New York Times, BBC World News, The Globe and Mail, and CBC National News.
Riley has also traveled the globe speaking at internationally renowned institutions and events, including the UN climate negotiations, the Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality, TEDx stages, and many others.
She teaches Indigenous governance at Toronto Metropolitan University, and is completing her PhD at the University of Toronto, where she is studying Indigenous / Canadian politics and is a Vanier Scholar. Riley is at work on the proposal for her first book of nonfiction, which will look critically at reconciliation in Canada, interwoven with her lived experience.
Riley is represented for her writing by Marilyn Biderman and for speaking engagements by Rob Firing.
Welcome to Transatlantic Riley!