Every year 20 new exceptional Catalysts from Indigenous communities across Canada join the program and become part of our growing family of Indigenous clean energy leaders.
Shane Bellegarde is a member of Little Black Bear’s First Nation, located in South Eastern Saskatchewan on Treaty 4 Territory. Shane has been a performer for most of his life and is a multi-disciplinary artist with a special love of music, stories, and beadwork. Shane currently works for his home community as the Economic Development Projects Manager, and he sits on the Justice and Community Safety Planning Committees. Prior to his current role, Shane spent a decade working in the social work field as a Youth Care Worker and then as a Family Treatment Leader. Shane is passionate about working for his community, and he is especially excited about growing the food sovereignty and green energy projects within his portfolio.
Serena Mendizabal (she/her) is a Cayuga Wolf Clan Panamanian woman from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Serena is a community-based researcher and grassroots organizer. Serena recently graduated from a Master of Geography & Environment with a focus on Indigenous environmental health governance alongside Pictou Landing First Nation and Tobique First Nation. Serena first began her journey in clean energy when she was 18 working in community engagement and communications at the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation. While working in community engagement, she found gaps in community consent with her community’s clean energy portfolio and went on to further explore what a true ‘just transition’ can look like in a community of over 28,000 members. From there on out, Serena has dedicated her studies and extracurriculars to Indigenous self-determination, climate change, environmental health impact and just clean energy transitions. Serena’s connections to climate advocacy, research, education, and direct action are numerous.
Serena is the Co-Chair of the SevenGen National Indigenous Youth Energy Council, a Subject Matter Expert on Connecting for Climate Change Action, a Youth Action & Environment Fellow with the Lawson Foundation, and an Indigenous consultant with Iron & Earth, a labour-focused clean energy transition organization. Serena also works with Protect the Tract, a Haudenosaunee-led group in her community, Six Nations, focused on enforcing the traditional governance (the Haudenosaunee Confederacy)’s moratorium on development along the Grand River (Haldimand Tract). Serena’s main focus is her role as Program Assistant at Sacred Earth Solar, an organization founded on empowering frontline Indigenous communities with solar energy and healing justice. Serena is passionate about self-determined community development, action, and futures, and believes in a future with Indigenous youth & elders leading; sovereign, healthy nations; and lands and waters back.
Patrick Butler is the Senior Energy & Mines Advisor with Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Negotiation Office. He has been with the organization since August 2020. He previously worked on Sustainable Marine Energy’s demonstration in-stream tidal project in Grand Passage and for his community of Potlotek as a Fishery Guardian. Patrick enjoys hiking, being on the water and spending time with his three nieces and three godsons. He currently resides in Unakma’ki (Which is the Mi’kmaw word for land of fog, also known as Cape Breton).
Michael is Mohawk, Bear Clan with Ancestry in Tyendinaga on his mother’s side and Polish on his father’s side. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Glooscap Ventures, Executive Director, Pictou Landing First Nation, and President, Akwekon Enterprises. Michael is a person of principles, passionate about solving problems, innovation, design and traditional teachings. Michael has a BComm with a focus in Macro Economics from St.Mary’s University, A Master of Management & Innovation from Queen’s University and a certificate in Disruptive Technology. Persistently curious, Michael enjoys attempting to understand the mechanics of human-made systems and how to align them better with nature-made systems and the natural world.
Michael is a member of Frog Lake First Nation. He is a Natural Resource Technology student who has a very passionate heart about making his reservation self-sufficient and independent in the clean energy field. With projects in the; Green hydrogen, solar pannel, hemp, wind, drone mapping and electric vehicles, he hopes to be able to help his reservation become a pioneer in protecting and maintaining a clean environment in Alberta. His number one reason for getting into this field of work is so that generations of generations are able to live and practice their culture on mother earth for centuries to come. He feels it is important as an Indigenous man to protect our earth as our ancestors once did many years ago; being independent and self-sustainable in our communities is one huge step in continuing the hard work our ancestors once did for us.
Changemakers Forum 2025
Register now to hear from Indigenous leaders who are showcasing their community projects and more!
Forum is taking place in Vancouver, BC on November 14th, 2025
