Angelina Adams

Angelina Adams is a member of Taku River Tlingit First Nation. Through work, school, and her family she has expanded her cultural connection, knowledge, and learnings. Focusing on her future goal of research in Indigenous healthcare focusing on addiction and mental health. Angelina graduated from the University of Lethbridge in 2023 with a Bachelor of Community Health Sciences specializing in Addictions Counseling.  She has been working on a few research projects for the University of Calgary for just over 2 years. Angelina is currently completing her Master of Science, in Community Health Sciences with a specialization in population/public health. She is expected to graduate in 2025. Angelina explains that she has found a passion in research which is something she never thought she would. Angelina’s favorite part about research is the connection you make to participants and listening to the amazing stories that are shared. She hopes to focus her research on enhancing programs and interventions for Indigenous peoples who may be struggling with addiction. When Angelina is not at school or doing research, she will be on a walk with her dog Fernie or exploring with her family. Gunalchéesh (Thank you with respect) 

Angie Tucker

Angie Tucker is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation and Métis Nation of Alberta and a Ph.D. Candidate in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. As a BA and MA in social anthropology, her work continues to critique the role of power found in discourse and the effects that this has on the social fabric of Canadian society. Angie is currently focused on collecting oral stories about the everyday experiences of contemporary Métis women in Southwestern Manitoba to uncover how they and their families navigated and responded to the ever-changing social, political and economic pressures of 1940-1990. As a Métis Studies scholar, her areas of specialization include presenting and publishing on topics such as land, identity, representation, gender and sexuality, traditional adoption practices, community-based research practices, and the importance of visiting, memory and storytelling.

Ashley Cornect-Benoit

Ashley is Mi’kmaq, French, Irish - her family and ancestors are from the Port au Port (Payun Aqq Payunji'j) peninsula in Newfoundland (Ktaqmkuk). Ashley is a PhD student in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary, specializing in Population and Publication Health. Through her role as a student and Indigenous health advocate, Ashley is committed to developing relationships with Indigenous communities to bring forth communally driven initiatives that nurture intergenerational relationships to address health inequities experienced by Indigenous peoples. Ashley is currently working with Shkaabe Makwa at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health supporting the development of the research portfolio as Manager of Research and Knowledge Mobilization and also coordinates the continued growth of SAGE (Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement) UCalgary.

Cindy Myo

My name is Cindy Myo from Saskatchewan which is a part of Treaty 6 Territory. My Cree name is First Thundering Woman. I am of Cree and Anishinabe decent. I am currently in my Master’s of Nursing program here at the University of Calgary. I am a Registered Nurse and have been working in Edmonton, AB for the past 18 years. I am currently using my Stackable Graduate Certificates in Addictions and Mental Health & Innovations in Teaching and Learning to develop staff in-services on my unit. I have grown passionate on educating others on Truth and Reconciliation and the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. I enjoy educating others on my Indigenous culture, which has lead me down the road of getting my Master’s degree. I am currently advocating for my Indigenous patients to receive holistic care while in hospital, as there is still barriers to overcome at my worksite. I want to be an advocate and promote societal change with my new acquired knowledge here at the U of C.      

Dustin Walter

My name is Dustin Walter. My Blackfoot name is Mistukii Ksistukii (Mountain Beaver). I am Ampskapii Pikunii (South Peigan), located in Montana USA and is one of the four tribes from the Blackfoot Confederacy. I have a B.Sc. in Nursing and Master’s in Educational Research from the University of Calgary. I am a second-year Doctoral student in Community Health Sciences, specializing in Population/Public Health at the Cummings School of Medicine University of Calgary. My research focus is centered on Indigenous healing trauma strategies and the implementation of these strategies in addiction treatment and whole individual wellness. As cultural competency consultant my interests include Innovative Initiatives where First Nations, Métis and Inuit healing strategies are reinforced alongside western healing to wellness practices.

Eileen Clearsky

As a descent of mixed Anishinaabe (Saulteaux-Métis) originally from Waywayseecappo First Nation, I have lived experience as an Indigenous person working in post-secondary education. I come from Treaty 4 territory. My people are part of the Ojibway (Anishinaabe) Nation. I am of Métis and Saulteaux (Anishinaabe) descent. My journey of identity reclamation remains at the forefront of my learning, as it has shaped my teaching philosophy. My development as an educational leader is shaped by my relationship to myself and the process of reclaiming my identity as an Indigenous woman. Ceremony is at the center of the teachings because it nurtures both communities and individuals through building trust with each other. My leadership is rooted in my understanding of ceremony and traditional protocols that is about equality, about bringing community members up and sharing knowledge with others. I am part of a cycle of mutual respect and reciprocity. As I was taught by Elders and other Knowledge Keepers, prayer and smudging allow you to call on the ancestors to guide and direct you. You can ask for help from living and non-living spirit, and your prayers will be answered. Leadership to me means listening to what community wants and supporting the community to meet their own needs. I am a leader because I have won the trust of community by sharing the knowledge and following the desires of community.

My current work has been in collaboration with First Nations communities and universities to build alliances for developing and designing meaningful programming for community. The end goal is to include a more diverse, equitable and inclusive voice that fosters underrepresented members in post- secondary curriculum. As a researcher, my academic focus is on revisiting curriculum and policy with an aim to develop best practices for Indigenization. My expertise in Indigenous education and pedagogy is demonstrated through my work in cross-campus disciplines, revisiting curriculum and educational policy.

My personal experiences as an Indigenous researcher, community work and lived experience of a racialized member has given me the strength to move the pendulum towards best practices for equal opportunities within policy. I rely on the teachings of my Elders and the philosophy of Mino-bimadizwin to guide my work and advocate for positive change.

Elliott Young

Elliott Young is a member of Ermineskin Cree Nation; which is one of the four First Nations that make up Maskwacis. His father is from Ermineskin and he has family from Louis Bull Tribe and Samson Cree Nation. His mother is from Tsuut’ina Nation; which is located just west of Calgary. Tsuut’ina is a Dene nation and Elliott is related to the Starlight family. He is a husband, a father of two children, and has been calling Edmonton home for the past 18 years.

Elliott is a PhD student in the Health Services and Policy Research program at the School of Public Health, University of Alberta. His research will explore the development of an Indigenous evaluation framework along with contributing to the existing literature on Indigenous determinants of health, specifically through a Nehiyaw epistemology. Elliott has 13 years of experience in Indigenous relations, community engagement, and policy development within government, non-profit and education. He is passionate about ensuring marginalized voices are heard by policymakers and leaders. Elliott was selected as a Top 40 Under 40 by Edify Magazine in 2020.

Grant Bruno

Grant is Nehiyaw (Plains Cree) from Maskawcis, Alberta, a PhD candidate in Medical Science in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta, and a father to autistic children. His PhD research explores autism in First Nations communities through a Nehiyaw lens and is exploring ways to develop culturally informed services and supports in the community. 

Keith King

Keith King (He/They) is a proud Michif Ayahkwew (Ah-yah-kway-oh or Two Spirit) Registered Nurse from Notikewin, Alberta, in Treaty 8 territory. They are of mixed English & Russian settler and Métis descent and live in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta), where they are a PhD candidate and researcher with the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. Here, they are working with the Métis Nation of Alberta to explore HPV-related cancer prevention across the homeland. They are also a sessional instructor at MacEwan University, and practicing Public Health Nurse in the sexual health field. Keith an oskapiew (ah-skap-ee-oh) to Dr. Elder Grandmother Doreen Spence, from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, a member of Lii Taab Otapisimiwak (Oh-tah-pem-see-wak), and works closely with the Health Department at the Métis Nation of Alberta. Keith also volunteers with a number of communities, including the Métis Nation of Alberta, the Métis Nation of Ontario, the Manitoba Métis Federation, the Edmonton 2Spirit Society, and various charities. Keith is a co-founder of the Alberta Pain Strategy, inviting diverse community voices to the field of pain and bringing a trauma-informed, recovery-oriented perspective in his work in Indigenous and Queer health, mental health, and sexual health.

Kelsey Dokis-Jansen

Kelsey Dokis-Jansen is Anishinaabekwe and affiliates with Dokis First Nation. She is an acknowledged member of Foothills Ojibway First Nation based in Hinton, Alberta through traditional adoption. Kelsey was raised in Hinton and spent her summers at Dokis, becoming grounded in these two Anishinaabeg homelands. Driven by a desire to know more about the environment and live up to deeply held beliefs about caring for the land, Kelsey first pursued her Diploma in Environmental Technology (2005), her BSc in Environmental and Conservation Sciences (2011) and her MSc in Risk and Community Resilience (2015). Her masters research was a collaborative, community-engaged research project with Lutsel K’e Dene First Nations, in Denendeh focused on caribou monitoring. Kelsey’s PhD is focused on relational governance in the protection and care of sacred sites in the foothills and mountains of Alberta and the connections between healing our relationships with the land as central to healing at the individual and community levels. Her PhD research is grounded in a community engaged approach which will also supports program and capacity development with Foothills Ojibway First Nation.

Kienan Williams

Kienan is a member of the Sandy Lake First Nation in Ontario, with a Master’s in Public Health specializing in Public Health Policy and Management. He completed a Hons Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto. Over a span of more than 15 years, he’s worked with First Nation communities across Canada as a project manager and senior analyst. He currently works at Alberta Health Services (AHS) on the Indigenous Wellness Core's leadership team as the Program Lead, Innovation and Research. Kienan has demonstrated skills and knowledge to improve the quality of care with Indigenous people through several innovation and research initiatives in his work at AHS.

Leeann Hilsen

Leeann Hilsen is cîpwêyân nêhiyawiskwêwiw otipemisiwak (Dene Cree Métis woman) from nîpisiysâkahikan (Willow Lake, also known as Anzac), in Treaty 8 territory, Métis district 17.  She does her best to live a good life with her best friend and spouse, in namêwak sîpiy, (St. Albert) in Treaty 6 territory, Métis region 11. Leeann is a Phd student in the Faculty of Social Work, at the University of Calgary.  Her area of interest is in maternal child health and the integration of Indigenous culture within healthcare settings.  She aims to better understand caregiver grief, efficacy, healing, and resilience, specifically in relation to acute pediatric care.  Leeann currently teaches at a post-secondary level and hopes to further effect change in the healthcare system by amalgamating culturally relevant paradigms and practices, as well as service user voice, into healthcare education and clinical practice. Leeann is the proud mother of 3 daughters, is a registered and active member of the Métis Nation of Alberta.  She has lived and worked alongside diverse Indigenous people in rural Northern Alberta and large urban centers for several decades.

Meghan Eaker

Meghan Eaker (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, mixed nehiyaw & white amiskwaciywaskahikan based poet and member of the Woodland Cree First Nation. They are a PhD student in Indigenous Studies at the University of Alberta studying nehiyaw storytelling as a creative practice towards miyo pimatisiwin (a good life).

Mila Tucker

Mila Tucker is a Metis graduate student at the University of Calgary with roots in Winnipeg and Calgary. As a dedicated member of the Metis nation of Alberta and the Manitoba Metis Federation, she remains deeply rooted in her cultural heritage. In the academic realm, Mila is a committed master's student at the University of Calgary. Simultaneously, she serves as a Graduate Research Assistant for the One Child Every Child Indigenous Pathway Research Hub at the University of Calgary. The hub's mission revolves around providing essential support to Indigenous youth across Alberta, with a focus on empowerment and resilience. Her masters research further builds on Indigenous mental health outcomes by employing Indigenous methodologies to create a more gender-inclusive space within bodybuilding gyms.

Shayla Scott Claringbold

I am mixed Indigenous, a member of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation with Cree-Métis and Inuit ancestry as well as mixed Danish and English European ancestry. I am an Honours Graduate from Western University (Medical Biophysics) with efforts focused on supporting positive change in health systems. I am currently immersed in sexual and reproductive health research and advocacy while pursuing a Masters in Community Health Sciences (Population/Public Health Specialization).

Stephanie Tipple

Stephanie Tipple (Kitpu E'pit) is a Mi'kmaw woman from the Bay of Islands, Newfoundland. She is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Counselling Psychology at the University of Calgary. Stephanie's clinical work and research specializes in Indigenous approaches to healing and wellness, specifically Indigenous Focusing-Oriented Therapy, and Indigenous research methodologies.  

Terri Cardinal

Terri E. Cardinal is from Saddle Lake Cree Nation and she is currently the Director of Indigenous Initiatives at MacEwan University and is a sessional instructor. She received her first two degrees at University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills. Last year Terri returned home and agreed for one year to lead an Indian Residential School Project with University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills for the search for unmarked grave sites.  She has focused her PhD studies on Indigenous end-of-life practices, ceremony and healing, and nêhiyaw trauma informed practices. Terri is also the co-creator and co-host of “2 Crees in a Pod”, a podcast that amplifies Indigenous voices.

Grant Bruno

Grant Bruno is nehiyawak (Plains Cree) and a registered member of nipsihkopahk (Samson Cree Nation), one of the reserves that makes up maskwacis (Bear Hills), Alberta. He is a PhD in Medical Sciences - Pediatrics student at the University of Alberta. Grant Bruno is a father, two of his children are on the autism spectrum. His PhD research will explore redefining autism from a nehiyaw lens, gathering stories with families and individuals who have experiences with autism using a strength-based approach, as well as gathering data on the perspectives of autism in Maskwacis. 

Keith King

Keith King (He/They) is a Michif Ayahkwew (Two Spirit) from Notikewin, Alberta in Treaty 8 territory. They are currently living in Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta) where they are enrolled in the PhD program with the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. Here, they are working with the Metis Nation of Alberta to explore HPV related cancer prevention across the homeland. They are also an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta, and a sessional instructor at MacEwan University. Keith an oskapiew to Dr. Elder Grandmother Doreen Spence, from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, a member of Lii Taab Otapisimiwak, and works closely with the Health Department at the Metis Nation of Alberta. Keith also volunteers with a number of communities including the Metis Nation of Alberta, Metis Nation of Ontario, Manitoba Metis Federation, the Edmonton 2Spirit Society, and various charities.

Michelle Scott

Michelle Scott, Anaatsa'poopaki (Pretty Plume Woman), is the Director of Indigenous Initiatives at St. Mary’s University, and a doctoral candidate at the Werklund School of Education, at the University of Calgary. She is a proud L’nu (Mi’kmaw) and Irish/English woman whose ancestral home is Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). She is committed to opening up spaces within the Western Academy to center Indigenous Voices and Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. To bring community together to learn alongside each other at the fire of all of our relations about the historical and ongoing legacy of colonization in what we now know as Canada. To provide the space at this fire for people to begin to understand themselves, their world, and the future they want to create together, in a good way, on the path of reconciliation.

Nadia Green

Nadia Green is a Saulteaux First Nations Registered Nurse, from Berens River First Nation. Her community is remotely located on the east side of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. She is a third year PhD student in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta, focusing on Indigenous health and digital health technologies. She earned her Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Manitoba (U of M) and her Master of Nursing from the University of Toronto (U of T). Her research interests include Indigenous health, mental health, digital health technologies, and health promotion, health services, and policy change in relation to Indigenous People and communities. Her research and teaching experience in Indigenous health and nursing draws on her expertise in knowledge translation and health informatics. Nadia is dedicating her career to improving Indigenous health and wellbeing in Canada through health system education and policy change.

Andrew Stewart - Metis Nation of Alberta

Andrew Stewart is a PhD candidate and medical student at the University of Calgary who is completing his studies in the Department of Community Health Sciences as a member of the Cumming School of Medicine’s Leaders in Medicine Program. Andrew’s specialization is in epidemiology studying the healthcare resource utilization patterns of Albertan patients with schizophrenia.

Andrew is a member of the Metis Nation of Alberta. His Metis heritage comes from his father’s side of the family who come from Manitoba’s Red River valley. As most of his Metis roots are in Manitoba Andrew is actively working to establish new connections to the Metis community in Alberta. Outside of academics Andrew can be found in the garage working on all manner of mechanical projects, training at the Glenmore reservoir with the Calgary Rowing Club, or out hiking in the back country as he works to create a deeper connection with nature and advance his skills in his newly found passion for back-country hiking and hunting.

Ashley Cornect-Benoit - Mi’kmaq, French and Irish - Port au Port Payun Aqq Payunji'j, Newfoundland Ktaqamk

Ashley is a fourth-year PhD student in the Community Health Sciences program specializing in Population and Public Health at the University of Calgary. Ashley achieved her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Health while attending Laurentian University, located in the traditional territory of Atikameksheng Anishnaabeg.

Ashley’s understanding of wholistic health and Western medicine has guided her lifelong career goals and has aided in the development of the current community health project she is a part of in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. As an Indigenous health advocate, Ashley is committed to developing relationships with Indigenous communities across Canada to bring forth communally determined health initiatives that nurture intergenerational relationships to address health inequities faced by Indigenous people including mental health, notions of well-being and brain aging with First Nations youth and older adults.

Ashley is currently the program coordinator for Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement (SAGE) UCalgary and continues to collaborate with the AIM-HI and IPHCPR Network mentors and students.

Nadia Green - Saulteaux First Nations originally from Berens River First Nation in Manitoba

Nadia is a Registered Nurse and she is in the second year of her PhD Program in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. She earned her Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Manitoba and Master of Nursing from the University of Toronto. Her research interests include Indigenous health, mental health, digital health technologies, health informatics, older adult care, and health promotion, services, and policy. Nadia has previous research and teaching experience related to Indigenous health and nursing, and is knowledgeable in knowledge translation, implementation science, and health informatics. Her main goal is becoming an Indigenous Nurse Professor and Researcher. Growing up in an isolated Indigenous community, experiencing firsthand and learning about the health disparities that persist for Indigenous People, has motivated Nadia to work towards improving the health of Indigenous People in Canada.

Paulette Dahiseide - Michif from Cold Lake, Alberta, citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta Region 2

Paulette attained both her Diploma in Dental Hygiene in 1994 and her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene in 2014 from the University of Alberta.  Her independent dental hygiene practice, Providence Dental Hygiene, has been serving the people of Cold Lake and Bonnyville and the Indigenous communities of Elizabeth and Fishing Lake Métis Settlements, Frog Lake First Nation and Cold Lake First Nation in the province of Alberta since 2011.  Her storefront and mobile practice is committed to accessibility and delivering care to clients in their communities, schools, health centers, long-term care facilities, and homes.  In January 2021 she began her Master of Science Dental Hygiene program at the University of Alberta.  Her research will be centered on Métis experiences of oral health and oral healthcare delivery in Alberta. 

Andrew Stewart - Metis Nation of Alberta

Andrew Stewart is a PhD candidate and medical student at the University of Calgary who is completing his studies in the Department of Community Health Sciences as a member of the Cumming School of Medicine’s Leaders in Medicine Program. Andrew’s specialization is in epidemiology studying the healthcare resource utilization patterns of Albertan patients with schizophrenia.

Andrew is a member of the Metis Nation of Alberta. His Metis heritage comes from his father’s side of the family who come from Manitoba’s Red River valley. As most of his Metis roots are in Manitoba Andrew is actively working to establish new connections to the Metis community in Alberta. Outside of academics Andrew can be found in the garage working on all manner of mechanical projects, training at the Glenmore reservoir with the Calgary Rowing Club, or out hiking in the back country as he works to create a deeper connection with nature and advance his skills in his newly found passion for back-country hiking and hunting.

Ashley Cornect-Benoit - Mi’kmaq, French and Irish - Port au Port Payun Aqq Payunji'j, Newfoundland Ktaqamk

Ashley is a fourth-year PhD student in the Community Health Sciences program specializing in Population and Public Health at the University of Calgary. Ashley achieved her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Health while attending Laurentian University, located in the traditional territory of Atikameksheng Anishnaabeg.

Ashley’s understanding of wholistic health and Western medicine has guided her lifelong career goals and has aided in the development of the current community health project she is a part of in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. As an Indigenous health advocate, Ashley is committed to developing relationships with Indigenous communities across Canada to bring forth communally determined health initiatives that nurture intergenerational relationships to address health inequities faced by Indigenous people including mental health, notions of well-being and brain aging with First Nations youth and older adults.
Ashley is currently the program coordinator for Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement (SAGE) UCalgary and continues to collaborate with the AIM-HI and IPHCPR Network mentors and students.

Keith King - Métis Nation of Alberta

Keith is an English settler on his father’s side and Russian settler/Métis on his mother’s side, and a citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta. He is also a Registered Nurse and Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. He grew up on a farm near Manning, Alberta, in Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) Region Six of the homeland, and Neheyewak, Dene Suliné, and Dane-zaa territory under Treaty 8. He is currently living in Amiskwacî-wâskahikan (Edmonton), in MNA Region Four, on the traditional lands and meeting place of the Dene Suliné, Nehiyiwak or Cree, Nakota Sioux, Haudenosaunee or Iriquois, Saulteaux, Siksikaitsitapi or Blackfoot, Anishinaabe, Inuit and other distinct peoples. His proposed Ph.D. research will look at community needs, vaccination coverage, and the experiences of Métis people, their families, and communities with vaccinations against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a common infection that increases the risk of several types of cancer. He hopes to continue his work with his community and the MNA, developing Métis ways of knowing and doing research, to deepen his connection with his kin and lands, and to support contemporary action to continue to assert Métis sovereignty and self-determination in health, education, and research.