Elders Blessing and Welcome

Theresa Strawberry is an Elder advisor from the O’chiese First Nation. She provides cultural awareness education to the public and shares her personal and professional experience to send a strong message of empowerment. Providing an overall connection to communities with Cultural education, programs and services, she is the founder of the “Kis Sai Wah Toe Tat Towin Society”. She is a very powerful speaker with a wealth of knowledge and was honored with the Culture Award at the 2015 Esquao Awards. Currently, Theresa plays a key role as an Elder Liaison providing counselling, ceremonies for healing, along with other Elder duties at the Edmonton Institution for Women.

Charlie Fox, is a member of Kainai Nation, of the Blackfoot confederacy. Piita tonnistah is an Elder for the tribe’s sacred Horn Society as he was under the tutelage of the late Dan Weasel Moccasin Sr. where he assisted in many sacred pipe bundle ceremonies for over twelve years. Piita tonnistah believes in the revival of the Blackfoot language, traditional indigenous customs, and other aspects of traditional culture and indigenous spirituality. He believes they are to be shared with everyone with strong focus on the youth to aid and assist them with skills and knowledge to assist them throughout their lives.

Leroy Little Bear was born and raised on the Blood Indian Reserve (Kainai First Nation), approximately 70 km west of Lethbridge, Alberta. One of the first Native students to complete a program of study at the University of Lethbridge, Little Bear graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1971. He continued his education at the College of Law, University of Utah, in Salt Lake City, completing a Juris Doctor Degree in 1975. Following his graduation, Little Bear returned to his alma mater as a founding member of Canada’s first Native American Studies department. He remained at the University of Lethbridge as a researcher, faculty member and department chair until his official retirement in 1997.