Brenda Wastasecoot is Cree from York Factory First Nation and was born in Churchill, Manitoba. Her teaching career began at Brandon University in the First Nations & Aboriginal Counselling Degree from 2000 – 2008. She came to study at OISE Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and completed her Ph.D. in 2016. Her thesis is titled: Showing and Telling the Story of Nikis: An Arts Based Autoethnographic Journey of a Cree Adult Educator. Brenda invites people into her little house Nikis to show the historic impacts of Canada’s Indian Residential School system. Dr. Wastasecoot teaches Indigenous Studies courses in the Faculty of Arts & Science and is also a consultant for staff and faculty at the University of Toronto.

Kristen is a Port Credit based saxophone player and singer. She has performed with many artists including the Arkells, Canadian legend Andy Kim, Lowest of the Low, My Son the Hurricane, and 4-time Juno nominee Tom Barlow. Kristen is busy doing live performances, writing and producing original music, and doing session recordings.

You can find her on Instagram at @kponsax.

For an extended bio see https://kponsax.com/bio/.

Lila Ntumba was born and raised in Kinshasa, DR of Congo, and has been a Toronto resident for the past 6 years. She has one brother and is the proud auntie of a beautiful niece. Lila currently works in the field of Change Management, and on her spare time enjoys trying different foods and listening to music. One of Lila’s dreams is to travel and discover more about the world.

Sharon-Ann Brown is currently the Chair of the Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum (aka SACHM). Also, the recipient of ‘The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal and Certificate (Saskatchewan).

Sharon-Ann has held the post as Chair of SACHM since 2017 and prior to that time has held other executive positions on the Board of SACHM.

During Sharon-Ann’s tenure with SACHM, she’s been instrumental in the successful planning, organizing and execution of many events. The most notable is the launch of Black History Month in the month of February each year in the Province of Saskatchewan.

An Author of Children’s Books, Sharon-Ann is also a Professional Opera Singer, Voice-Over Artist and Narrator.

The only Chapman Stick performer in Saskatchewan, Brian Baggett showcases masterful original compositions and colorfully arranged standards from various genres. Brian is a 27-year veteran of the 10-stringed, 2-handed tapping instrument. Nominated for “Best Instrumentalist of the Year” (2022) with the Saskatchewan Music Awards, Brian has released 4 recordings to date, including his album Bookmarks (2018) that twice landed on Canada’s Top Ten weekly jazz charts at #7.

Only a few short years after the Occupation of Alcatraz, the Wounded Knee Incident and the Shootout at Pine Ridge Reservation, a boy was conceived.

Born in Seattle, raised on four reservations and in two cities, Jason EagleSpeaker is both Blackfoot and Duwamish.

Author, Illustrator and Founder of Eaglespeaker Publishing, he based in Nova Scotia, Canada. Jason travels extensively, creating endless non-fiction works with Indigenous authors from throughout Turtle Island. His hard-hitting true stories focus on revealing the modern experiences of Indigenous people (the strengths and the struggles).

Mr. Gallivan is a Senior Partner in the Atlantic Canada law firm of Cox & Palmer. He has been the Chief Executive Officer of Cox & Palmer since 2003 and was Managing Partner of the Halifax office from 2003 to 2012. Mr. Gallivan is a member of the Bar Societies for Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1997. Throughout his career he has held leadership roles for a variety of organizations including the Bank of Canada, the Nova Scotia Securities Commission, and BrightPath Early Learning Inc. Mr. Gallivan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola College, and LLB from Dalhousie University Law School, and an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University. He is also a certified corporate director (ICD.D).

Emmanuel Solomon (tenor) is a burgeoning artist honing his artistry in several genres ranging from Classical, Christian, to Afro-western fusion and Popular music. Since living in Halifax, he has had the privilege of featuring in several performances across the city, including recitals at the Government House, as guest soloist with the Symphony Nova Scotia, the Cecilia Concerts among others. Emmanuel completed his bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance as a student of Dr. Betty Allison at the Fountain School of Performing Arts (FSPA), Dalhousie University.

The ScotianAires Chorus is an award-winning women’s a cappella chorus specializing in four-part harmony in the barbershop style. Directed by Sue Kember, its 60+ members are a diverse group of women of all ages from across the Halifax Regional Municipality.

Performing locally for more than 35 years, they continue to entertain a growing community of listeners, and are known for our energy, enthusiasm and beautiful harmonies. Their repertoire is as diverse as their membership, ranging from Broadway melodies to gospel music, from seasonal favourites to 60s pop tunes, and from timeless classics to contemporary hits.

Samuel Crowfoot is a graduate of Utah Valley State College (A.S.), Brigham Young University (B.A.) and the University of Wisconsin Law School (J.D.). Originally from Siksika, Alberta. After a short time in his career, he was promoted to Chief Prosecutor, managed a team of lawyers, and collaborated with various law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and US Attorney’s Office. During his tenure as Chief Judge, Mr. Crowfoot implemented alternatives to incarceration and where possible employed restorative justice practices choosing to focus on recovery, healing, and re-education.

Currently, he is serving his second term as a councillor for the Siksika Nation located in Alberta, Canada, where he works in the areas of health, business, social services, public safety, and land claims. In addition to being an enrolled member of the Siksika Nation, Mr. Crowfoot is also of Oneida, Saulteaux, Akwesasne and Armenian descent. Recently, he was given the name “Night Runner” by his father.