Indigenous Women's Leadership | Oct. 1, 2024 | 1:30 - 3PM
Alice Kaquitts
(Yumo tata mani) has worked for decades in her own community in a
management capacity as well as founded and operated Nakoda Services, a
service provider for children in care. Over the last several years she
has been invited to participate and share her knowledge and expertise
from her Stoney Nakoda perspective by numerous Elders Advisory groups
and organizations including Mount Royal University’s Indigenization and
Engagement Strategy, the Elders Guidance Circle with the Calgary Public
Library, the City of Calgary, Spirit Aligned Women’s Leadership, and the
National Gathering of Elders.
Today her
work primarily consists of consulting, advising, conducting ceremonies,
and presenting on traditional parenting, history, culture and the Nakoda
Language. She also does a radio talk show every Saturday morning on
CJWE FM 88.1 an Indigenous radio station owned by Bert Crowfoot, with
Thomas Snow called Conversational Nakoda. Alice is involved in writing a
Nakoda dictionary with Goodstoney First Nation members.
Shalome
Hope is a member of the Thunderchild First Nation with proud Métis
roots. She believes that her purpose is to uplift the community. She
does this in many ways, through formal courses to students, through
children’s theatre, through teaching accurate history and addressing
topics like residential schools, treaties, and the Indian Act. Her
intention is to empower Indigenous students with the brilliance,
courage, and resilience of their ancestors and relatives throughout
history to the present. Shalome is also willing to address situations of
racism, injustice, or violence by calling people in rather than calling
them out. These actions still extract a cost, but Shalome believes they
can create change. She collects a “growing stack of apology letters
from various institutions with commitments to change.” In her role as a
public speaker and performance artist, she leverages the opportunity to
highlight Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations.
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