James Bird, a PhD candidate in Architecture, Landscape, and Design, has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of his contributions to Crown-Indigenous relations and his role as Chapel Royal Tobacco Keeper at Massey College. 

The Honorable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, presented Bird with the medal on May 6, 2025, during a ceremony at Queen’s Park. Created to commemorate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III in 2023, the Coronation Medal is the first Canadian commemorative medal to mark a royal coronation. 

At Massey College, Bird is one of three Tobacco Keepers for the Chapel Royal—formally designated by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017 and known in Anishinaabemowin as Gi-Chi Twaa Gimaa Kwe Mississauga Anishinaabek AName Amik (The Queen’s Anishinaabek Sacred Place). A tobacco garden outside the chapel reflects the sacred role of the plant in Indigenous ceremonial life and its enduring significance in Crown-Indigenous diplomacy. 

In his doctoral research, Bird explores the intersection of Dënesųłiné linguistics and shape forming. His work examines how language can serve as an entry point into understanding diverse built forms and architectural strategies. A key premise of his research is the creation of alternative viewpoints that assign agency to the metaphysical elements embedded within Indigenous languages and cultures. By investigating the ontological relationships within language morphemes, Bird seeks to uncover how these linguistic structures inform and inspire Indigenous design practices. 

Through academic research, knowledge keeping and ceremony, Bird continues to deepen understandings of Indigenous sovereignty, language, and the evolving relationship between Indigenous nations and the Crown.