In 2007, her life took a complete turn when the Algonquin elders offered her a Sacred Pipe. This is a great mark of respect and recognition, commencing a long journey of learning the language, philosophy and traditional medicine of this thousand-year-old people. That is why Marie-Josée – now called Kokom (grandmother) – teaches and travels regularly with Grandfather T8aminik as his female counterpart.

In 2013, she co-founded Kina8at with Elder T8aminik, where she chairs the Board of Directors. Like T8aminik, she is also a counselor and trainer at the Canadian School of Public Service and a consultant and lecturer at Notre-Dame University (Indiana, USA). She sits on various national and international committees, including the Religions for Peace Women of Faith Network and the Ethics in Action committee set up by the Vatican.

Marie-Josée is the author of On nous appelait les Sauvages – in English We were called Savages (Editions Le Jour, 2011) and La Leçon de Sitar ou l’Art de vibrer de toutes ses cordes – in English The Sitar Lesson or the Art of Vibrating with all its Strings (Éditions du Roseau, 2007).