Michael Yellow Bird, PhD, is Professor and former Dean of the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba. He has held faculty and administrative leadership positions at several universities in the US and Canada. He has served as a Distinguished Visitor at the University of Auckland, New Zealand (2016), a Distinguished Visiting Teaching Scholar at Trent University (2024), and is Faculty Emeritus, Cal Poly Humboldt, Arcata, California. He is a member of the MHA Nation (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) in North Dakota, USA and is a certified, internationally trained mindfulness meditation teacher, professional, and scholar. His mindfulness and contemplative work have been featured on numerous podcasts, websites, magazines, newspapers, and scholarly publications. He is an international thought leader on the effects of colonization, methods of decolonization, Indigenous mindfulness, and the cultural significance of Rez dogs. He is the author of several social work and Indigenous studies scholarly articles, the co-editor of four books, and the co-author of two books. He is nearing completion of two co-authored books: Traditional Arikara Agriculture and Decolonizing the Social Work Curriculum. He is working on three of his own books: The Memoirs of a Mindful Rez Kid; Rez Dog Meditations: Contemplative Practices for Healing Animals, People, and the Planet; and Minding the Indigenous Mind: Stories of brain waves, telomeres, mirror neurons, and healing.

Marlene Orr is a member of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6 territory.  A recipient of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award, Aboriginal Role Model Award for Justice, Native Counselling Services of Alberta’s Sam Laboucan Award, Bissell Centre’s Innovation Award, an Esquao Award, and a Homeward Trust ROOPH award; Marlene has extensive experience developing culturally relevant programs and services to meet the needs of Indigenous people impacted by inter-generational trauma.  Marlene currently sits on the Parole Board of Canada’s Chairperson’s National Indigenous Circle and is co-chair of Trauma Informed Edmonton.

An educational background in business, Marlene has worked to develop innovative supportive housing, career and employment and healing programs for Indigenous people.  Currently the Executive Director of Native Counselling Services of Alberta; Marlene works to ensure Indigenous trauma is understood and addressed in programs of healing that are steeped in the values, culture and ceremony of Indigenous people.

As the child of two French-Canadian educators, Françoise* spent her early years in Nunavik, northern Québec. Growing up in the Arctic had a powerful impact on her view of the world and shaped her social justice lens towards exploring the impact of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and empathic strain on all members of a community.

Before becoming a specialist in organizational stress and traumaexposed work, Françoise worked as a front-line mental health professional. She worked as a crisis counsellor in her community as well as providing employee assistance to members of the Canadian Armed Forces for 10 years. Françoise has been invited to speak to a wide range of multidisciplinary teams across Canada and the United States, including the National Indigenous Circle Against Family Violence, the Aboriginal Shelters of Ontario, Northern Health Authority, BC., and the Métis Nation of Ontario Community Support Services.

Françoise is the Executive Director of TEND, a consulting firm that offers education and training to a broad spectrum of workforces encountering stress and intense workloads. Françoise is a Registered Psychotherapist in the province of Ontario, a founding member of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Consortium, and author of The Compassion Fatigue Workbook as well as numerous articles and publications.

Amanda Balsillie, MSW, RSW is a member with Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and the owner of Four Directions Holistic Counselling, a mental health service that helps strengthen the people that reside on Treaty 6, 7 & 8 lands.  With over 14 years of experience in the social work field, Amanda has worked on becoming a Therapeutic Play Practitioner and is currently a Provisional Clinical Social Worker with Alberta College of Social Workers.  She holds a Master of Social Work, Specialization: Leadership in the Human Services and continues to advocate for the improvement of mental health services for Indigenous people in Canada.

Pronouns: She/Hers/Her

Anita Lafferty, PhD (ts’élî-iskwew) is a proud member of Łı́ı́dlı́ı́ Kṹé́ First Nation in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Guided by Dene ways of knowing and being, her work is rooted in the Land, where knowledge lives, and in the teachings of Elders, matriarchs, and intergenerational wisdom. Anita’s academic journey honours the stories of her ancestors, embodying resistance and resurgence through education and community-based research.

Her PhD in Secondary Education focused on reimagining curriculum through Dene learning from/with the Land, emphasizing the co-creation of knowledge with Elders, youth and the natural world. As a teacher, researcher, and knowledge holder, Anita’s work centers on the relational: relationships with people, the Land, and the stories that shape identity and community. Committed to shifting colonial narratives, Anita’s work amplifies Indigenous voices and leadership while advancing frameworks that honour Indigenous sovereignty and relational accountability. Her journey is a testament to the power of returning to the Land to learn, heal, and lead.

Dr. Saxon Govender is a credentialed professional with extensive expertise across several fields of psychology and education. He holds both a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Alberta and a Psy.D. in Clinical and Behavioral Psychology from California Coast University. In 2021, he furthered his education at the California Institute of Integral Studies, completing a post-doctoral program in Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapies. Dr. Saxon is a fully licensed and Registered Doctoral Psychologist in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Michigan.

With over 35 years of experience, Dr. Saxon has dedicated much of his career to working with individuals, couples, and families, particularly within First Nation communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan. He serves as a First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) provider in these regions. His work also includes significant contributions as a consulting Neuro-Psychologist at Neuro-Restorative in Ann Arbor, Michigan, focusing on Traumatic Brain Injury rehabilitation for the past 26 years.

Dr. Saxon's specialties include Trauma-Informed Therapy, severe developmental trauma, addiction treatment, and DID care, particularly for veterans as a provider for the Veterans Administration (USA). He is a certified brain injury specialist (CBIS), a certified vocational counsellor, and a Brain-spotting Practitioner. Moreover, he is a Master Trainer of Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI), a Trainer of Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NVCI/CPI), and a Trainer of the Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM).

Dr. Saxon’s professional interests, span individual, couples, and family therapy, traumatic brain injury rehabilitation, vocational counselling, special education and learning disabilities, and metacognition. Beyond his clinical roles, he has served as a teacher, Director of Special Education, and Director of Education, demonstrating his commitment to education and psychological well-being.