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Keynote Speakers

Marilyn Poitras

L.L.B. (USASK), L.L.M. (Harvard Law) 

May 4, Closing Keynote Address

Marilyn is an ethical space designer, public speaker and positive deviant. She is a lawyer and a student of Indigenous traditional law with Knowledge Keepers and communities from all over the world. Through her expertise in law, her love of family and gifts as a teacher, Marilyn is building an Indigenous language of Design Thinking to bring a strategy to create and reinvent design solutions through traditional teachings on natural law, spiritual law and human law.   

As a lawyer, negotiator, professor, writer, film producer, an editor and as a community builder, Marilyn sees doorways at every step in a design process to practice inclusion. Her gift is to notice who is here and to ask who is missing and asking why. Michif Cree and Irish/Scottish, born and raised in Southern Saskatchewan, Marilyn comes to her work with passion, conviction and focuses her lens on relationship development, for everything.  

Willie Ermine

May 3, Opening Keynote Address

Willie Ermine is from the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan. He is a retired professor from the First Nations University of Canada and now works for his own community in the field of traditional health. He has an extensive history working with Elders and has also published numerous academic articles. He has presented in various conferences nationally and internationally. His continuing work centers on the promotion and creation of the ethical space with the primary interest in the nature of indigenous thought.    

Event Sponsors

Thank you to our event sponsors for their generous support.

CN
Edmonton Police Foundation
Edmonton Community Foundation
The Wolfe Pack Warriors Foundation
Alberta Federation of Labour
The Health Sciences Association of Alberta
Alberta Union of Provincial Employees
Encore
United Nurses of Alberta