Day 1: Opening Prayer and Opening Remarks with Steve DeRoy

Speakers for this event

• Reila Bird

  Reila Bird

  Director, Indigenous Continuing Education Centre (ICEC)

  Reila is a member of George Gordon First Nation and was raised in Regina. She is a graduate of the Indian Teachers Education Program from the University of Saskatchewan and completed her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Regina. Throughout her career, Reila has had numerous opportunities to grow and learn in education from urban and rural perspectives. She was a K-12 classroom teacher for the Regina Public School Division and Prairie Valley School Division. She also held the position of First Nations and Métis Education Coordinator with Prairie Valley School Division and a Sessional Instructor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina. She is a council member of the Saskatchewan Provincial Education Council that provides oversight to the provincial education plan’s development, implementation, and governance from a strategic perspective. Reila is also Co-Secretary to the National Indigenous Accreditation Board of Directors. Reila served as Senior Strategic Analyst for the past two years and as a Sessional Instructor at the First Nations University of Canada.

  Director, Indigenous Continuing Education Centre (ICEC)

• Steve DeRoy

  Steve DeRoy

  Director, Firelight

  Steve is from the buffalo clan, is Anishinaabe/Saulteaux and a member of the Ebb and Flow First Nation from Manitoba. He is the co-founder, director and past president of the Firelight Group. Steve founded the annual Indigenous Mapping Workshop. Steve is an award-winning Anishinaabe professional and entrepreneur with expertise in mapping and geographic information sciences, business development, natural resources management, and project management. He has applied his expertise to lead traditional knowledge and use studies for numerous Indigenous groups affected by large-scale energy developments. Since 1998, Steve has mentored Indigenous practitioners, conducted risk assessments, built decision-support systems and monitoring tools, supported land claims, developed best practices, established consultation processes, facilitated community engagement and planning approaches, and supported negotiations between Indigenous communities, governments and industries. Steve is an international speaker and has presented at numerous conferences, university lectures and events.

  Director, Firelight