Loretta Landmesser is Wolf Clan from the Xwémalhkwu (Homalco) First Nation, a Coast
Salish nation known as the People of the Fast-Running Waters. She holds a Bachelor of
Arts from Simon Fraser University (2002) and a Master of Arts from the University of
Guelph (2004), both with a specialization in Canadian Politics. She has worked in the
public service since 1999, where she has held several different roles, including as a
border services officer, program officer and business analyst.
Loretta co-established the Canada Border Services Agency’s Indigenous Affairs
Secretariat (2018), where she recently served as Director leading the implementation of
Shared Action Plan Measure 52 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan on Indigenous border mobility.
Building upon this experience, Loretta joined Justice Canada in October 2024 as
Director General of the United Nations Declaration Act Implementation Secretariat in the
Indigenous Rights & Relations Portfolio. Loretta is the proud recipient of the CBSA
President’s Award (2019) and Justice Canada Deputy Minister’s Award (2026),
reflecting Loretta’s commitment to building deep relationships of trust and amplifying the
voices of Indigenous Peoples in her work.
