2024 Program
Subject to change.
Program Streams:
Residential and Day Schools
Land Back
Language and Culture
Sharing Stories
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Breakfast
8:30 AM - 8:45 AM
Opening Remarks
Claudette Commanda, CEO, First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres
Stephanie Scott, Executive Director, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
8:45 AM - 10:00 AM
Keynote: Storytellers in Dialogue
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Connie Walker and award winning author Tanya Talaga will discuss the remarkable stories they have shared through various mediums, including media, film, and literature.
Connie Walker, Journalist, Host of Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s
Tanya Talaga, Author, Journalist, President of Makwa Creative
Facilitated by Duncan McCue, Award-winning Canadian Journalist
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Break - Visit Exhibitors and Artists
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Concurrent Sessions:
Records and Remembrance
Panelists will discuss how to access and share archival documents related to Residential and Day Schools. They will also speak about powerful commemorative projects they have created.
Sarah Hurford, Project Lead, Day Schools Project, Government Record Branch, Library and Archives Canada
Jimmy Fournier, General Director of Technologies, National Film Board of Canada
Wayne D. Garnons-Williams, B.A., J.D., MPA, LL.M Acting CEO – National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada
Sharing Stories
Protecting Family Legacies
Learn about the continuous efforts aimed at preserving and sharing family and community histories. Learn about multifaceted strategies and initiatives dedicated to preserving legacies for future generations.
Elaine Uppahuak, Director, PhD Candidate, Sivumuaqatigiit Inuit Employment
Jennifer David, Chapleau Cree First Nation
Sharing Stories
Sharing Truth through Creative Mediums
A panel of Indigenous artists and authors will examine how different forms of expression can be used as powerful tools for storytelling.
Paul Seesequasis, Author of Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun
Jason Brennan, President, Nish Media
Matt LeMay, Co-Founder and CEO, Indigenous Geographic
Crystal Martin, Co-Founder and CAO, Indigenous Geographic
Sharing Stories
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Concurrent Sessions:
Land Back – Sharing the Stories
Panelists will delve into some ongoing efforts by First Nations people to reclaim ancestral lands, and explore the complexities and challenges they face in the struggle to restore the integrity of their Nations’ homelands.
Pam Palmater, Mi’kmaw lawyer and Chair in Indigenous Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University
Taiaiake Alfred, Kahnawà:ke Governance Project & Senior Advisor on Indigenous Initiatives, McGill University
Land Back
Creating Meaningful Exhibits
During this panel, curators and artist will discuss the process of creating powerful exhibitions that share history and culture.
Andrea Walsh, Associate Professor and Smyth Chair in Arts & Engagement, University of Victoria
Jenna Bower, Manager & Cultural Coordinator of the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery
Patrick Mitsuing, Powwow Times
Marissa Mitsuing, Powwow Times, Guest Curator Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery
Language and Culture
The History and Legacy of Day Schools
Join Claudette Commanda for an in-depth discussion about the history of the day school system and its generational impacts.
Claudette Commanda, CEO, First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres
Residential and Day Schools
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Break - Visit Exhibitors and Artists
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Keynote - Survivor's Panel
Maata Evaluardjuk-Palmer, Inuit
Eugene Arcand, Muskeg Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan
Florence Paynter, Sandy Bay First Nation and Norway House Cree Nation
Facilitated by Raymond Frogner, Senior Director of Research and Head of Archives, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Closing Remarks
Ryan Shackleton, Director, Know History
Claudette Commanda, CEO, First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres