Della Anaquod Ms. Anaquod is of Saulteaux, Cree and Dakota ancestry and is a member of the Muscowpetung Saulteaux First Nation. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Administration from the University of Regina, a Bachelor of Arts in Indian Studies and Economics from the First Nations University of Canada (formerly the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College), a Juris Doctor from the University of Saskatchewan, a Masters of Business Administration in Executive Education Administration from Royal Roads University and Mediation, Government of Saskatchewan - Justice. Ms.Anaquod has been working in the education field for over 20 years. Currently, she is the Dean of Basic Education at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST). Previously, she has served as the Dean of Enrolment Management for the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and the Dean of Students at the First Nations University of Canada. Her academic experience includes teaching posts in the business management field and the law course for the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada. Ms.Anaquod also serves as the board president for the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy Network (SALN). Peter D. Carton Mr. Carton resides in Regina and recently retired from a career spanning 30 years with the Royal Bank of Canada. His background includes all areas of retail, commercial and Aboriginal banking. Most recently, he was the Regional Vice President for Commercial Banking covering Saskatchewan, Manitoba and NW Ontario. On the volunteer side, he has just finished a two-year term as Chairman of the Board for Ducks Unlimited Canada. Mr. Carton currently serves as a Commissioner on the Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission. He holds an MBA from Dalhousie University. Page 1
Gladys Christiansen Mrs. Christiansen is a member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, and has spent most of her life in the La Ronge area. She is fluent in her Cree language and is proud of the rich cultural heritage handed down by her grandparents. She has over 30 years experience working in the area of First Nations education, as an educator, administrator and leader. She holds a Bachelor of Education and a Post-graduate Diploma in education. Mrs. Christiansen has previously served on numerous Boards, including the Provincial Literacy Advisory Board, Woodland Cree (Education & Training) Board, and the Northlands Regional College Board. In addition, she has been directly involved in formulating policy on First Nations education as a member of the Shared Standards and Capacity Building Council, the FSIN Directors of Education working group; and as a chairperson and vicechairperson of the PAGC Directors of Education working group. Claudette Commanda Ms. Commanda is a grassroots member of the Algonquin Nation, born and raised in the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg community in Quebec. She is an alumni of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Law, and is a professor for the Faculties of Arts, Social Sciences, Common Law and Education. She has dedicated the last 23 years to promoting First Nations people, history and culture at the university level, as a student, professor and Chair of the Aboriginal Education Council. Currently, Ms. Commanda is the Executive Director of the First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres, a national organization that promotes and protects First Nations culture, languages and traditional knowledge. In addition, she is an educator and orator on traditional knowledge of her people and First Nations history. Ms. Commanda lives and practices her Anishinabeg ceremonies and ancestral teachings, passing this knowledge on to her children and grandchildren. Page 2
Dr. Thomas Dignan Dr. Thomas Dignan, a Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River, has served as a pioneer in the health of Aboriginal people for more than 40 years. An Aboriginal healthcare advocate, he has mentored hundreds of health care professionals. A co-founder of the Native Physicians Association of Canada, he was the first president of the Native Nurses Association of Canada. An acting Community Medicine Specialist, he has worked for Health Canada s First Nations and Inuit Health, Ontario Region for more than 10 years, at times, operating as the region s sole medical support.. Dr. Dignan s pursuit of excellence and his many historic firsts in the medical field have been recognized through numerous awards: from the 2002 Queen s Golden Jubilee Medal; the 2005 National Aboriginal Achievement Award in Medicine; the 2006 Order of Ontario; and the 2012 Queen s Diamond Jubilee. Dr. Dignan directs his energies toward improving the health of First Nations people and drawing on-reserve health issues into public focus. He also continues to contribute towards numerous national committees concerning health care and First Nations health. Dr. Dignan lives in Thunder Bay and Bracebridge in Ontario. Dr. Peter Homenuck Dr. Homenuck, RPP, is a professional planner and has over 30 years of university teaching experience, as well as over 30 years experience consulting with First Nations on a range of strategic, economic and environmental projects. Dr. Homenuck is currently Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University, where he started the Native Canadian Relations Program. In his professional consulting role, Dr. Homenuck is on the Board of DPRA, an international consulting company, as well as a Director of the Professional Skills Development Institute. In addition, Dr. Homenuck is the Chair of the Board of the Silverhill Institute of Environmental Research and Conservation, a Canadian registered charitable foundation. Page 3
John Paul Mr. Paul is the Executive Director of the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Taking direction from the Atlantic Chiefs through frequent All Chiefs Forums and Executive Chiefs Meetings, Mr. Paul provides policy analysis and strategic advice on a wide range of policy issues facing First Nations in Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec. The APC Secretariat s mandate is to research, analyze and develop alternatives to federal policies affecting its member First Nation communities. Mr. Paul has a Bachelor of Arts in Community Studies and received his Master of Public Administration in Financial Management from Halifax s Dalhousie University in 1982. A dedicated advocate for First Nations, Mr. Paul has worked toward positive change for First Nations communities in diverse policy areas for more than 25 years. Mr. Paul plays a strategic role in his efforts to liaise between government and First Nations communities. He provides ongoing policy support and advice on First Nations issues in the areas of social wellbeing, health, housing, education, and economic development. His work includes negotiation and advocacy on measures related to the DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), AANDC (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada), Health Canada, and other federal agencies. In recent years, Mr. Paul was a key First Nations advocate in his role as Treaty Mediator during the implementation of the Marshall decision. Prior to this, Mr. Paul provided consulting and advisory services as Director to the Self Government Secretariat at Health Canada. His current efforts in policy and advocacy are grounded in over ten years community-level governance at the Membertou First Nation, where he worked as a Councillor, Band Planner, and Development Officer. Page 4
David Sharpe Mr. Sharpe is a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Tyendinaga First Nation. He is a lawyer from Toronto and was the President of ROI Capital, an investment management firm. Previously, he was the Chief Compliance Officer and Vice-President, Legal with one of Canada s largest wealth management companies. He attended the Native Law Centre at the University of Saskatchewan and obtained his law degree at Queen s University, both on a Department of Justice Legal Scholarship for Aboriginal People. He has a Master s Degree in Securities Law from Osgoode Hall Law School and an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1997. Jocelyne Wasacase-Merasty Mrs. Wasacase-Merasty is an innovative communications leader with 14 years experience in communications, public relations, marketing and First Nations governance. She is currently the Prairie Regional Manager for the National Centre for First Nations Governance; and her professional experience includes serving as Director of Communications for the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, and the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology. Mrs. Wasacase-Merasty was also the Managing Editor of the Saskatchewan Indian magazine for several years. In the governance area, she is a trained facilitator who delivers community-based workshops that are focused on Nation Building and First Nations governance systems that are based on First Nation Inherent Rights, culture and traditions. Mrs. Wasacase-Merasty has a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Communications from Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC. She is a First Nation member of the Kahkewistahaw First Nation, is married to Robert Merasty, and is the proud mother of four sons. Mrs. Wasacase-Merasty is also a former Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (SIFC) student and a niece of the late Ida Wasacase, the first president of SIFC. Page 5
Elder: (Non-voting Advisor): William Ratfoot from Loon Lake Student Representative: (Non-voting Observer): Chasity Delorme Faculty Representative: (Non-voting Observer): Dr. Linda Goulet University of Regina Representative: (Non-voting Advisor/Observer): Annette Revet Page 6