Bob Watts
Board Director
VP of Indigenous Relations and Strategic Programs at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization
Mr. Robert (Bob) Watts is the Vice-President of Indigenous Relations and Strategic Programs at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization and a much sought-after expert in Indigenous policy, negotiations, training, and conflict resolution.
Mr. Watts was the interim Executive Director of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which examined and made recommendations regarding the Indian Residential School era and its legacy. He has served as Chief of Staff to two National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations. In these positions, he helped negotiate the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement in Canada’s history, and played a key role in historic budget allocations and the passage of Bills C-91 and 92 in 2019. His record of public service also includes positions as an Assistant Deputy Minister for the Government of Canada and as a Senior Executive in Ontario.
Mr. Watts is an Adjunct Professor and Distinguished Fellow at Queen’s University, where he developed one of Canada’s first graduate-level courses on Reconciliation. Mr. Watts is a member of Queen’s University’s Board of Trustees, the Consensus Building Institute, and the Indigenous Advanced Education and Skills Council. He is the Chair of the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund and Chair of Reconciliation Canada. He is a recipient of the Indspire Award for Public Service and recently received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from McMaster University. He holds a Master in Public Administration degree from Harvard University.
Mr. Watts is from the Mohawk and Ojibway Nations and resides at Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. He carries and honours his Ojibway spirit name, Kinoozishingwak (Tall Pine), and is a member of the Bear Clan.