Reconciliation & Indigenous Engagement
Our Acknowledgement
AAISA is committed to reconciliation. Our commitment starts with acknowledging our honour and privilege to live and work within the Treaty 7 territory. We acknowledge the traditional and ancestral territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy, which includes the Siksika Nation, the North and South Piikani Nations and the Kainai Nation.
We also acknowledge the other members of Treaty 7 First Nations, the Tsuut’ina and Ĩyãħé Nakoda (Stoney Nakoda) which include Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley First Nations. In addition, the City of Calgary is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Region 3).
In everything we do, AAISA strives to create a space for reconciliation and inclusion. We are committed to ongoing learning, supporting Indigenous led initiatives, and working collaboratively to build equitable futures for all peoples who call Alberta home.
Learning Tools & Resources
Explore a curated collection of Indigenous and newcomer-focused resources designed to support learning, relationship-building, and meaningful action toward truth and reconciliation. From directories of Indigenous-led organizations across Alberta to AAISA’s Anti-Racism Blueprint for organizational change, these tools can be utilized to deepen understanding, strengthen community connections, and advance equitable practices.
Indigenous Rights, Land Acknowledgements, & Newcomer Relations
AAISA is committed to advancing truth and reconciliation by supporting learning, dialogue, and meaningful relationships between Indigenous and newcomer communities.
Explore key resources on Indigenous rights, land acknowledgements, and newcomer sector learning for reconciliation.
If you have any resources to add please email us at research@aaisa.ca
Explore the Indigenous & Newcomer Resources HereAlberta based Indigenous Cultural Programs & Partnership Opportunities
This directory highlights Indigenous-led organizations, cultural centers and community initiatives across Alberta including in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and province-wide that offer cultural programming, community services, youth support, and opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration.
Find Cultural Events and Indigenous Organization in Alberta HereThe Anti-Racism Blueprint: Action Planning Toolkit for Organizations
AAISA’s Anti-Racism Blueprint is a practical action-planning resource designed to support newcomer-serving organizations in advancing equity and addressing systemic racism. It includes tools, frameworks, and checklists aligned with national standards to move from commitment to sustainable action.
Explore the Anti-Racism Planning Toolkit HereWalking Together Series
AAISA aims to strengthen its reconciliation efforts by building stronger connections between newcomer-serving organizations and Indigenous communities across Alberta.
These relationships are especially vital in the face of growing systemic inequities, public discourse challenges, and limited sector capacity.
Through the Walking Together series, AAISA aims to:
1. Foster collaboration between communities
2. Create intentional, non-tokenistic dialogue
3. Support ongoing relational and reconciliation-based work
Session 1: Deepening Dialogue, Solidarity, & Shared Stories (Nov 12, 2025)
On November 12, 2025, AAISA in collaboration with three indigenous speakers hosted the first Walking Together: Indigenous Truth & Reconciliation & the Newcomer Sector Session.
The session focused on building Solidarity through shared stories, reflection, and deeper understanding of Indigenous knowledge and experiences. Speakers highlighted the importance of truth-telling, cultural protocols, and long-term relationship building based on respect and reciprocity. Participants explored how newcomer-serving organizations can create culturally informed spaces, engage with Indigenous partners meaningfully, and support reconciliation through ongoing learning and collaboration.
Speakers
Anita Crowshoe
Senior Indigenous Engagement Advisor, Heritage Park | Member of Piikani Nation
acrshoe5@gmail.com
Anita blends traditional Blackfoot knowledge with western education, holding a B.Sc. in Elementary Education from the University of Montana Western. A cultural knowledge holder with transfers including the tipi design “Napi and the Buffalo” and rites to the Okan (Sundance), she is recognized for her leadership in reconciliation, cross-cultural learning, and relationship-building. Anita’s work strengthens community connections while upholding Piikani protocols and teachings. Survivors Circle, Piikani Nation, Heritage Park
Cheryl Whiskeyjack
Executive Director, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society
Cwhiskeyjack@bentarrow.ca
With over 25 years of leadership, Cheryl oversees programs supporting Indigenous families and youth in Edmonton. She holds the MacEwan Distinguished Alumni Award and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Alberta. Cheryl serves on multiple boards and advisory groups and is widely respected for her collaborative approach and commitment to Indigenous-led community impact. Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society
Mari Jo Vanidour
Leadership Team, Stop Hate AB | Mohawk of the Grand River
MariJo.Vanidour@cssalberta.ca
Mari Jo brings 35+ years of experience across settlement, anti-racism, Indigenous services, and community development. A skilled facilitator and storyteller, she works to strengthen dialogue and reconciliation between Newcomers, Settlers, and Indigenous Peoples. Her leadership at Stop Hate AB is rooted in truth-telling, creative communication, and building equitable, inclusive communities. Stop Hate AB
Recording
Missed the event or want to revisit the session? Click below to access the event recording.
Session 1 Recording – Walking Together: Indigenous Truth & Reconciliation & the Newcomer Sector
We thank all our attendees, speakers, and partners for contributing to this important conversation and for helping build thriving, inclusive communities across the Alberta region.
Session 2: Upcoming In-Person 2026
Upcoming – Email us to participate at fkaleem@aaisa.ca or Join our Community of Practice list to get updates
Indigenous Awareness Group – FireSide Chats
AAISA’s Indigenous Awareness Group is an internal learning circle for AAISA staff, created to support ongoing education, reflection, and awareness around Indigenous histories, experiences, and perspectives. As well host FireSide Chat events in collaboration with the regions.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - Sep 30, 2025
In alignment with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, the group organized the PNT Fireside Chat as an opportunity for our team and our partners across the PNT region to deepen understanding, honor survivors, and strengthen our commitment to reconciliation in our work and relationships.
Click here to view the PNT Fire Side Chat SessionFrom Many Places to One Circle - Jan 26, 2026
From Many Places to One Circle
AAISA, in partnership with SAISIA and MANSO, hosted the Prairie and Northern Territories Indigenous Awareness Group Fireside Chat: From Many Places to One Circle—a virtual relational learning space bringing together Indigenous speakers, settlement sector practitioners, and community partners to deepen understanding, connection, and shared responsibility.
Speakers shared teachings, stories, and lived experiences focused on Indigenous wellness, cultural medicines, spirituality, community healing, and Indigenous–newcomer relationships within colonial systems. The session invited participants to reflect on Indigenous ways of knowing as a way of life, the impacts of colonization on identity and spirit, and the importance of remembering, relationship, and reciprocity as pathways toward reconciliation.
This Fireside Chat created space for listening, reflection, and dialogue, while encouraging participants to continue learning through provided resources and to carry these teachings into their personal, organizational, and community practices.
Speakers / Hosts – Contact Information
Several participants asked how to stay in touch with the speakers. With their permission, please find their contact information below:
Mari Jo Vanidour – Host | Indigenous Storyteller, Public Speaker, and Reconciliation Advocate (Mohawk of the Grand River, non-status) | Works across Settlement, Indigenous Services, and Community Development sectors
van.mj6@gmail.comJudy Pelly – Indigenous Wellness Educator & Cultural Advisor (Anishinaabe-Saulteaux, Cote First Nation, Treaty 4) | Cultural Advisor, Saskatchewan Health Authority – Mental Health & Addictions (Saskatchewan)
judypelly@gmail.comDebbie Parker – Community Support Worker, Portage la Prairie Friendship Centre (Anishinaabe ikwe, originally from Sandy Bay First Nation, MB) | Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
mukweikwe1@gmail.comJeanna Anthony – Community Worker, Portage la Prairie Friendship Centre (Anishinaabe ikwe, Sandy Bay First Nation) | Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
jeannaward72@gmail.com- Melissa Monzon – Community Engagement & Program Coordinator, Four Directions Department, Red Deer Native Friendship Society | Red Deer, Alberta (Originally from Lima, Peru)
melissa@rdnfs.com
During the chat, several excellent resource recommendations were shared. These can serve as a great starting point for to learn about the history and culture of Indigenous peoples in Canada:
- Ally is a Verb – Rose LeMay Strong book recommendation by host as it explores different ways to enter community and build meaningful connection. The book offers practical guidance on allyship, understanding true history, responding to racism, and supporting equity and inclusion in workplaces and communities very relevant in newcomer sector work.
- Ancestral Mathematics To be born you needed 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, and so on—honouring all the struggles, love, resilience, and choices that make each of us possible. This reflection invites consideration of how many lives and stories came together for us to be here today, and what responsibilities we carry because of that. Powerful prompt for self-reflection on gratitude, interconnectedness, and how we show up for others and future generations.
- Traditional Métis Medicines and Healing – Lawrence J. Barkwell Tobacco (offerings), Sweetgrass, Sage
- Trick or Treaty? by Alanis Obomsawin. Succinctly and powerfully portrays one community’s attempts to enforce their treaty rights and protect their lands, while also revealing the complexities of contemporary treaty agreements.
- 2018 Parliament | Jim Dumont Addresses the Indigenous Peoples’ Assembly Creation Story. Mari Jo shared an origin teaching about how Indigenous peoples were created carrying all the colours of the Earth, symbolizing a unique and enduring spiritual connection to the Creator and to all of creation. She reflected on how this connection was targeted through colonization, and how healing today is about remembering that spiritual power and supporting our brothers and sisters in finding the way back home.