2019 Speakers

Charlene Bearhead is an education activist with 30 years of regional, national and international experience.  She currently serves as the Education Lead for the Moose Hide Campaign and works as a Program Development Consultant for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR).  Bearhead also serves on the CMHR Indigenous Education Working Group, the National Film Board Education Advisory and was the Education Advisor on the Indigenous Peoples’ Atlas of Canada.  Bearhead maintains her annual volunteer role as the vision keeper for the National Indigenous and Reconciliation Education Network Gathering. Most recently, she served as Education Coordinator for the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women -- directly following her time as the first Education Lead for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Bearhead also coordinated Education Days for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Kevin Chief is vice president at the Business Council of Manitoba. Born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End, he has considerable public sector and community experience. He spent six years as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, representing Point Douglas, and previously worked in the field of education. Growing up, Chief quickly learned to spot people who could see potential where others might only see hardship -- everyday people like teachers, coaches and business owners who helped him see that there are always opportunities to give back, no matter who you are or where you are from.Chief and his wife Melanie have three young sons: Hayden, Kellan, and Daxton.  He is also known as a high steppin’ square dancer as part of the Norman Chief Memorial Dancers.

Dr. Jaime Cidro’s area of research is socio-cultural determinants of Indigenous health. Dr. Cidro is of mixed Anishnawbe and British ancestry. She is the principal investigator in two research projects looking at Indigenous doulas as cultural interventions for First Nations women who travel for birth and a leads a Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research project looking at Indigenous research ethics. Her main areas of teaching and research include Indigenous maternal and child health, social determinants of health, medical anthropology, applied anthropology and Indigenous food sovereignty. Dr. Cidro is a Canada Research Chair in Health and Culture and the Associate Director of Urban Aboriginal Knowledge Network Prairie Research Centre.

Mary Courchene is a residential school survivor. She was born and raised on the Sagkeeng First Nation and moved away in 1971 attaining degrees in Arts and Education from the University of Brandon and the University of Manitoba. Mary’s career journey is extensive, including teaching in elementary and high schools, working as a school counselor and later as a school administrator.  She was an Assistant Superintendent within the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (INAC) and the first Principal of Children of The Earth High School (the first urban Aboriginal high school). She has been active in serving the urban community on various boards such as the Aboriginal Advisory Committee to the Winnipeg Police Service, Board of Directors for the St. Amant Centre and the initial Chair of the Legacy Committee for the 1999 Pan Am Games.  She also was a founding member of Manitoba First Nation Education Resource Centre (MFNERC). She has received many honours and awards including a a YMCA/YWCA Woman of the Year award and was the Aboriginal Community Educator of the Year in 2001. She is an honored grandmother of the Keep the Fires Burning, and was awarded with a sacred shawl with community recognition in 2008. She received the Canadian Teachers’ Federation 2014 Outstanding Aboriginal Educator Award. Mary Courchene was the Dean of Aboriginal Education at Red River College from 2000 until she retired. She is the Elder in Residence for Seven Oaks School Division and has expertise in residential school curricula especially at the middle school and high school levels.  

Aimée Craft is an Indigenous lawyer (Anishinaabe-Métis) and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Common Law at the University of Ottawa. Since 2013, Craft has led research on Anishinaabe water law. Her award-winning 2013 book, Breathing Life Into the Stone Fort Treaty, focuses on understanding and interpreting treaties from an Anishinaabe inaakonigewin (legal) perspective. In 2016, she was voted one of the top 25 most influential lawyers in Canada. Craft is the former Director of Research at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the founding Director of Research at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. In her decade of legal practice at the Public Interest Law Centre, she has worked with many Indigenous peoples on land, resources, human rights and governance issues. She is past chair of the Aboriginal Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association and a member of the Speaker's Bureau of the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba.

Harley Eagle is a well-seasoned facilitator in the field of restorative conflict transformation and issues pertaining to Indigenous Peoples and reconciliation. He also works to train professionals to engage courageously with Indigenous Peoples and raise issues in culturally safe ways. Eagle draws upon over 20 years of experience across several civil society sectors and borders to inform the people he works with about innovative and creative processes that focus on relational best practices. He looks to his Indigenous ancestry to design and facilitate workshops and activities that strive to recall and re-claim Indigenous understandings of life. Currently, he works with clients and organizations that include government social service and advocacy agencies, health care, private-sector companies, faith-based agencies, policing and non-profit organizations. Eagle travels extensively meeting with Indigenous Peoples and is often invited to present nationally and globally at conferences and with organizations pertaining to his work.

Michelle’s experience in public engagement, strategic planning and facilitation is the foundation of Blueprint. Over the past 15 years, she has developed a deep understanding of the dynamics of engagement and paired it with remarkable entrepreneurial vision. She has used this perspective to build a team and business offering unmatched services to serve our clients’ needs.

Michelle designs dynamic and productive processes for stakeholder and public participation that get results by creating understanding, buy-in and dialogue around challenging issues. Her leadership ensures our clients receive standout service, marked by innovative engagement tactics. Her approach is grounded in reality and focused on results—planning, designing and managing projects to engage stakeholders; unpacking complex issues; and improving outcomes around important initiatives. Michelle is the founding chair of the Prairies Chapter of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) and is a practicing member of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) and IAP2.

Christine M’Lot is an Anishinaabe educator from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is currently a teacher at the University of Winnipeg Collegiate, specializing in English Language Arts, Global Issues and Truth and Reconciliation Studies. Christine has experience working with children and youth in multiple capacities including child welfare, children’s disAbility services and Indigenous family programming. She is the co-founder of Red Rising Education, which creates Indigenous educational resources for teachers. Christine is currently pursuing her master’s degree in World Indigenous Studies at Queen’s University and is focusing her research on traditional theories and practices of wellness in Indigenous societies.