Tannis Nielsen is a Metis of Cree, Sohto and Danish descent. As a practicing professional Indigenous artist and academic, Tannis has focused her research interests upon the examinations of an anti-colonial, Fourth World / Indigenous paradigm, as well as the Western / Euro-centric paradigm, Tannis locates herself within the praxis of a critical method of instruction that places emphasis towards the ideas of political, cultural, spiritual, social and environmental justice.
As an artist Tannis has exhibited her works at such galleries as the Glenbow Museum in Calgary and has co-curated exhibitions such as the Enacting Emancipation show at A-Space Gallery, with Vicky Moufawad Paul.
Tannis has also written a number of articles on arts and culture, some of which include "Re-materializing the Matriarchy" and "The Conundrum of Critical pedagogy in Community Arts Education" for Spirit Magazine.