We’re Excited to Welcome Our New CEO and Share the Next Chapter of Our Journey
The Board of the Carold Institute is delighted to announce the appointment of Kahontakwas Diane Longboat as Chief Executive Officer and to share with you the next evolution of our work.
Honouring the Legacy of the Carold Institute
Over four decades ago, the Carold Institute was founded by visionary leaders committed to recognizing and supporting those on the frontlines of change—leaders whose transformative work in advancing citizenship and education was much more than altruism, yet often went unseen, despite its profound impact.
Since 1989, our mandate has been to not only acknowledge these extraordinary leaders, but also to provide them with the time, space, and resources to renew themselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Carold Fellows—many of them women at the frontlines of social and environmental change—were given respite and reflection to generate insights that would ripple outward, contributing to systemic and lasting change.
At its heart, the Carold Institute has always been rooted in the values of care, equity, and reciprocity.
The New Vision & Purpose of Institute for the Study of Spirit
Today, this legacy takes root in a new form: the Institute for the Study of Spirit (ISS)—a national Indigenous women-led charity dedicated to healing, unity, and peace-making.
Under the leadership of Kahontakwas Diane Longboat, ISS emerges as a transformative platform for healing-centered leadership, spiritual training, and systemic metamorphosis for our times. Rooted in Indigenous knowledge and ceremony, ISS serves as a catalyst for a new paradigm—one that heals the wounds of colonization and capitalism, and reorients us toward a compassionate relationship with one another and with Mother Earth.
At its heart is a powerful call:
To cultivate a new mind for a new earth.
We believe in the natural laws of Mother Earth and the sacred wisdom of each religion and the spiritual/cultural ways of Indigenous Nations world-wide. Differences provide an opportunity to learn more and deepen one’s own practices without conversion from one’s faith tradition. All peoples can contribute to a global shift in values to create cultures for peace, unity and healing, founded on our deepest truths to manifest love and justice for all Living Beings.
Through the Soul of the Mother Lodge, the ceremonial arm of ISS, ceremonies and traditional Indigenous teachings will support both personal and organizational resurgence and the training of next generation Healers. In partnership with Planting Seeds of Hope, and its UNESCO designated international pedagogy, ISS is building the spiritual, relational, and physical infrastructure for intergenerational healing and global transformation by connecting children and their families to the land.
A Note from Our New CEO
It is with humility and gratitude that I step into the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for the Study of Spirit. I honour the vision and work of the Carold Institute, whose mandate to nurture, protect, and renew leaders of social and environmental change has left an indelible mark on Canadian civic life and beyond.
As we step into this new chapter, ISS carries forward those enduring values—care, equity, reciprocity—while expanding them into a global spiritual movement. We are centering voices once silenced, uplifting Indigenous wisdom, and aligning networks of spiritual potency that the world urgently needs.
Through ceremony, dialogue, teaching, and healing practices, ISS will walk with communities as we care for Mother Earth and care for one another with love, respect, and compassion.
I warmly invite you to become part of the ISS family, in whatever way you feel called. Together, we will build a future rooted in spirituality, healing, unity and peace for the highest good of all peoples.
With respect and hope,
Kahontakwas Diane Longboat, M.Ed.
Chief Executive Officer
Institute for the Study of Spirit
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Tatiana Fraser
Chair of the Board
Institute for the Study of Spirit