Connie Walker

Truth Before Reconciliation

Named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Connie Walker has been at the forefront of covering Indigenous stories for over 20 years. Her award-winning investigations into the crisis of violence in Indigenous communities and the legacy of residential schools help audiences make the connections required to better understand the truth and impact of our colonial history.

Walker’s powerful presentation draws on her Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award-winning podcast to help audiences understand why it’s crucial to uncover the truth for meaningful reconciliation.

Chief Perry Bellegarde

Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples: A Leader’s Look at the Past, Present, and Future

While there’s much being said about reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, a crucial question remains unanswered — how do we turn this shared aspiration into meaningful action?

Having dedicated his life to championing the rights and well-being of First Nations, Chief Perry Bellegarde provides audiences with a roadmap to answering this vital question. He shares insights into our rapidly changing political and legal landscape while exploring the First Nations values and principles that could guide our shared future.

Tanya Talaga

Can Canada Move Towards Reconciliation?

Tanya Talaga is an award-winning Anishinaabe journalist and author. Through her bestselling books, including her most recent, The Knowing; acclaimed documentaries and podcasts; regular columns with the Globe and Mail, and powerful keynotes, Tanya is amplifying Indigenous voices and stories across Canada and the world. 

A born storyteller, Tanya walks audiences through Canada’s history from an Indigenous lens, exploring how we arrived here and what we can do to achieve a more equitable future for all.

The Hon. Jody Wilson Raybould

True Reconciliation: How to Be a Force for Change

There is one question Canadians have asked the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould more than any other — what can I do to help advance reconciliation?

Drawing from her bestselling book, True Reconciliation, Jody explores the difference between performative and symbolic reconciliation vs. actions that are truly impactful. She shows audiences how together we can build transformed patterns of just and harmonious relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and why it’s crucial this work is done by all.

Duncan McCue

Beyond Land Acknowledgements: Working with Indigenous Peoples

An award-winning broadcaster, author, and professor, Duncan McCue is a masterful storyteller and celebrated leader in decolonizing journalism.

Having trained journalists across Canada and the world on how to build respectful relationships with Indigenous communities, his engaging and personal presentations distill lessons learned from over two decades of efforts to reform media organizations into helpful, informative approaches toward reconciliation in Canada and sparking social change.

Dr. Alika Lafontaine

What Brought You Here, Won’t Take You There

Growing up, Dr. Alika Lafontaine was told by school officials that he would never amount to much of anything due to his diagnosis of developmental delay with speech impediment and difficulty reading. Today, Alika is an award-winning physician, social innovator, and the first Indigenous physician to lead the Canadian Medical Association in its 156-year history.

Through deeply vulnerable storytelling, Alika illustrates how early challenges can drive us and shows audiences why we must let go of the past to become what the present needs us to be.

Jennifer Ménard-Shand

Moving Reconciliation Forward

In this powerful and deeply personal keynote, Jennifer Ménard-Shand shares her lived experience as a First Nations Ojibwe and French-Canadian woman.

This keynote underscores a critical message: we must understand and honour our history — not to dwell in the past, but to ensure we never repeat it. Jennifer offers a practical and uplifting path forward, illustrating how individuals, organizations, and communities can use their unique gifts to build bridges, break harmful cycles, and participate meaningfully in the reconciliation journey. 

Kendal Netmaker

Miyo-Wîcêhtowin: “Living in Harmony with Everyone”

In Plains Cree culture, the word miyo-wîcêhtowin means living in harmony with everyone. Throughout history, First Nations people followed a specific set of principles to live and prosper together. Kendal Netmaker takes you into the worldview of miyo-wîcêhtowin and how we can all learn to lead and live in harmony with one another.

Through the art of Indigenous storytelling, Kendal shares lessons that have been passed down from First Nations elders that can help anyone from all walks of life to live in harmony with each other.

Susan Aglukark

Songs and Stories

Combining both original songs and compelling stories, Susan Aglukark brings audiences on a profound exploration of her professional and personal journey over the last 25 years. She speaks to growing up in small town Nunavut to becoming a household name across, relating stories of her culture and its continuing impact on her life.

Drawing from her new book, Kihiani: A Memoir of Healing, Susan shares stories of empowerment, highlighting the importance of self-respect and respecting others to leading a healthy and happy life.