Meet the Teams

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Illuminative Brigade

Disa Crow Chief, Teya Rabbit Carrier, and Sherry Woods

Siksika Nation, AB

Description

The vision of the Illuminative Brigade is to provide a safe and nurturing space for energy education in Siksika First Nation. The youth-led initiative will facilitate workshops on clean energy, which will turn into mentorship programs led by the team to instill a purpose for sustainability within the community. The engagement will also assist in the plans to build a clean-energy powered greenhouse, which will be implemented at the Siksika Outreach school and where elders can help educate on plants and medicines grown in the greenhouse.

Oki, my English name is Disa Crow Chief and my Blackfoot name is itspinaomahka. I am from Siksika, which is one of four Blackfoot tribes that make up the Blackfoot Confederacy. I co-founded Sevengen in 2017. Since then, I have been passionate about traveling, learning, and decolonizing perspectives centered around environmental & humanitarian issues. I hope to use the knowledge I have gained to benefit my people and Canada. I strive to get involved and educated on both sides of the argument around renewable energy in order to move forward and get projects started in my community. I make it a personal goal of mine to educate, engage, and empower the youth around me by sharing and celebrating their stories, and learning what it means to be a future ancestor. 

Oki, Teya Rabbit Carrier’s Blackfoot name is Amoahstahkiiahkii (Victory Woman), and she is a Blackfoot Woman in Treaty 7, Siksika Nation. Teya is 24 years old and a mother to two children. She loves to learn and experience new things. Teya is very outgoing, friendly, and is very well knowledgeable in her Blackfoot ways, although she doesn’t yet speak her language fluently, she is in the process of learning it.

Anatakiikowaan is my traditional Blackfoot name. Sherry Woods is my English name. I am from Siksika Nation, part of the Blackfoot confederacy. I attend Mount Royal University, Journalism is my major and my minor is Indigenous studies. I currently work at the Glenbow Museum, in Indigenous Engagement and Reconciliation as an intern student.  I’ve started my clean energy passion in 2022, I am brand new to the team. Disa took me on and believed that my abilities and talent could contribute to the team. My passion is writing and putting Indigenous voices at the forefront, just as I believe Indigenous people need to be at the forefront of the environment. I am excited to embark on this new journey!

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Kokom Organizations

Mathieu Katekiashka Germain-Goodman

Description

The purpose of the Kokom Organizations ImaGENation project is to build dialogue on sustainable energy and traditional living through a film documentary. By visiting Indigenous communities both rural and urban, the dialogue is being filmed to share inspiration for Indigenous youth and future generations. The documentary follows Mathieu building relationships through first-hand experiences and storytelling about land-based livelihoods, traditional teachings, hunting, sustainable living practices, and Elder-youth wisdom and connection. Through filming real day-to-day living, the documentary will showcase ideas about food sovereignty, affordable housing, and how we can live sustainably with the land.

Mathieu Germain-Goodman is a strong, passionate Montagnais man who grew up on Anishinaabe territory. As founder of Kokum Donations, Mathieu has organized donation runs in Wemotaci providing necessities to single mothers. With an extensive background in carpentry, Mathieu’s dream is to create tiny home blueprints that are accessible to Indigenous communities.

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GBFN Green Generation

Jayden Fisher

Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek (Gull Bay First Nation), ON

Description

The purpose of the GBFN Green Generation project is to promote and educate on the topic of recycling to the community of Gull Bay First Nation (GBFN). Through awareness, engagement, and learning, the GBFN Green Generation hopes to reclaim the community’s role as stewards of the land for current and future generations. The project will facilitate engagement through school curriculum, youth-led presentations, and workshops led by experts in recycling to guide a waste audit and recycling plan that tackle issues currently affecting the environment.

Jayden is a member of Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek (Gull Bay First Nation), an Ojibway Community, located on the Western Shoreline of Lake Nipigon in Northwestern Ontario, signatory to the Robinson Superior Treaty. Jayden is a Teaching Assistant in her community as well as a freelance Designer and Animator with an Advanced Diploma in Interactive Media Development from Confederation College. From a young age, Jayden has been very passionate about living sustainably and engaging her peers to live more eco-conscious. From starting up a greenhouse and recycling program while in high school and recently working on a food security project in Gull Bay consisting of a community garden, greenhouse, and local food market, she is always up to the opportunity to create experiential and meaningful connections for her community.  Jayden believes in building strong relationships between young people and their communities. Connected, cherished, and confident teens will choose a healthy life now and in the future. When she isn’t busy working, her hobbies include writing, painting and bingeing on many tv shows and movies. She’s a person of few words, but beneath that calm exterior beats the heart of a very passionate individual. Jayden is creative, works hard, learns quickly and constantly strives to grow through new experiences.  

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The Clean Boating Project

Mitchell Souliere-Lamb

Wikwemikong First Nation, ON

Description

The Clean Boating Project will explore the potential to utilize solar energy to power a boat with either panels on the boat or a charging station to power the boat. Models for the boat will also be explore, either being a pontoon boat or an aluminum fishing boat. The end goal is to utilize the prototype to teach Indigenous youth and community members of Wikwemikong about clean energy, electrical, and mechanical systems by integrating the knowledge learned in school curriculum and/or presentations.

Mitchell Souliere-Lamb is a First Nation student in his second year of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto. He is originally from Wikwemikong on Manitoulin Island. Mitchell noticed a lack of indigenous students in STEM and hopes that he can be a model for Indigenous youth. He would like to design and build things in his career to benefit society and bring justice to all Indigenous people in Canada.

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imakGen

Brian Pottle

Nunatsiavut, NL

Description

imakGen seeks to research and develop a non-mechanical water-powered electric generator, which contrasts contemporary water turbine designs. imakGen will explore a new way to deliver electricity to remote and coastal communities, a NOVEL electric generator for use in salinated ocean water, simulation software to streamline the design process, and develop proof of concept for a potentially sustainable, low cost, and low maintenance source of energy.

Brian Pottle is an Inuk from the communities of Postville & Rigolet in Nunatsiavut, Labrador. While Brian’s background is in electrical engineering, he is directing a non-profit based out of Nunavut which is endeavouring to create makerspaces across the territory in hopes of empowering youth in Nunavut, especially Inuit youth, to pursue their dreams.

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Treaty 6 Sustainable Tiny House

Gabrielle Fourstar

Wahpeton Dakota First Nation, SK

Description

The purpose of this project is to design and build an off-grid sustainable tiny house that incorporates recycled materials, energy efficiency, and clean energy systems in Wahpeton Dakota First Nation. The learnings gathered throughout the design and build process will be shared through a website and intends to set an example of sustainable living to homebuilders and housing organizations in Saskatchewan. Once built, the prototype can be used as a showcase for those who wish to learn more about environmentally-friendly living.

Gabrielle Dawn Fourstar (They/She) is a Dakota-Cree, Scottish, French person with heritage from Mistawasis Cree Nation and a member of Wahpeton Dakota Nation. They reside on Treaty 6 Territory in Saskatoon Saskatchewan. Gabrielle is currently working on a degree in Psychology and Indigenous Studies at the University of Saskatchewan. They hope to start a counselling practice one day, targeting those dealing with trauma and addictions. Gabrielle is passionate about the environment and strives to live a zero-waste lifestyle. With the fruition of their tiny house, they also hope to live a zero-carbon lifestyle.

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Sagkeeng Youth Group

Sara Fontaine and Tikkan Morrisseau

Sagkeeng First Nation, MB

Description

The Sagkeeng Youth team is advancing the build of a sustainable greenhouse in Sagkeeng First Nation. The project is launched with the support of Sagkeeng Anicinabe Highschool, where the greenhouse will offer sustainability curriculum, work experience, and quality nutrition to Indigenous high school students. Sara and Tikkan have taken a leadership role to drive this project forward according to their community values, keeping kinship as the center of the project. The project plan is informed by community engagement sessions, incorporating youth voices and feedback, building relations with high school staff, visiting local food producers to share knowledge, and engaging with elders to reclaim Indigenous teachings and nutrition.

Sara Fontaine is an Anishinabe Ikwe from Sagkeeng First Nation, Treaty 1 Territory in Manidooba, Kanata. She has participated in Canada World Youth, a youth exchange program, where she facilitated a drop-in where she supported disadvantaged youth in a village in Kenya for three months. She graduated locally in 2015 and did an education upgrade at Native Education College in Vancouver, BC, where her passion for environmental protection began. Sara is currently a representative for Sagkeeng Youth Group, a grassroots initiative within her community focused on youth empowerment and community betterment. Her goal within this group is to introduce food security along with recycling, composting, and clean energy projects that ensure sustainability. She wishes to create a life-skills based land program that is introduced to the school curriculum to ensure longevity of knowledge and land-based skills. Sara has participated in Motivate Canada’s VIAYouth Summit, CANDO’s Youth Summit, as well as economic development related programming. She has taken part in the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations Youth Forum and Training and the “Building your Bundle” training from the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women. Sara is on the path to making her vision a reality for a sustainable future for Sagkeeng.

Tikkan is an Ojibwe woman who was born and raised in Sagkeeng Mb. Treaty 1 Territory, where she currently resides and works with elementary children as an Education Assistant. She, along with fellow Indigenous youth from her community, had initiated a garden project in 2017 and donated the year’s harvest to the community schools. It was from this project she was inspired and since then, she hopes to create a sustainable environment for future relations and beings, and to empower and encourage those she meets along the way. She is excited and thankful to be a part of ImaGENation’s first cohort and for the opportunity to learn and work with fellow Indigenous youth and knowledge keepers.

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The Nimkii Youth Collective

Quinn Meawasige and Taryn Bobiwash

Serpent River First Nation, ON

Description

The Nimkii Youth Collective is bringing solar and wind power to an off-grid, year-round cultural land camp on the territory of Serpent River First Nation. The clean energy will provide electricity to a structure that provides space for cultural activities and teachings, water pumps for a garden, and possibly replace a diesel generator that will be used for back-up only. The goal of the Nimkii Youth Collective is to revitalize language and culture in a sustainable path. The land camp is a youth-led initiative to reclaim ancestral knowledge, offering traditional teachings through gardening, hide tanning, medicines, Elders circles, and Ceremonies.

Quinn Meawasige is 28 years old and is Ojibwe from Serpent River First Nation. His community is located along the North Shore of Lake Huron and is a signatory of the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850. Quinn graduated from Algoma University with a Bachelor of Arts in Community Economic and Social Development (Honours) and a Certificate in Anishinaabemowin from Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig. Upon graduation, Quinn was a founding member of the Nimkii Youth Collective, an Anishinaabe youth, language, culture and arts collective whose goal is Anishinaabe land-based language and cultural revitalization. He lives at Nimkii Aazhibikoong, an off-grid, year-round, lands-based language and culture camp in his territory. Quinn works towards the realization of food sovereignty for his community as a pathway to land restitution and reclamation.  He is an active land user through subsistence harvesting and by navigating the ancient waterways of his peoples who came before him.

Taryn Bobiwash is an Odawa and Ojibwe member of the turtle clan from Serpent River First Nation. She is an amateur hide tanner, full spectrum doula, Indigenous breastfeeding councilor, multi disciplinary visual artist, and graduate of Algoma University with a BA in Anishinaabemowin and Psychology. She is dedicated to reclaiming Anishinaabemowin and the traditional artforms and birthing practices of her nation. She is passionate about reproductive education, soil health, and learning with and from the land.

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SOMBO Energy

Bohdana Innes

Métis Nation of Alberta

Description

Sombo Energy is an Indigenous-owned, not-for-profit renewable energy development organization, with a vision of accelerating the energy transition and catalyzing reconciliation. The project aims to develop a 100MW Solar and BESS facility in Alberta. The funds generated from the sale of electricity will help SOMBO serve its mission to educate youth, reclaim land, and support other Indigenous-owned clean energy projects.

Austin is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and holds his heritage in high regard. In his free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors, which often includes rock climbing, backcountry hiking, multi-day canoe trips, and snowboarding. Austin is a registered E.I.T. with APEGA after completing his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta as well as his M.Eng in Sustainable Energy Engineering at Carleton University. Through these programs, Austin has developed a strong understanding of a broad range of topics related to sustainability, climate change, and clean energy. Austin has gained experience from working in government, academia, consulting, industry, and with NGOs. He serves on the board of directors at Foundation for Environmental Stewardship, a national charity focused on sustainability education and supporting grassroots organizations. Currently, he works with SunGrid as a Business Development Associate where he supports the development of grid-scale energy storage projects.

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Healing Our Home: mînawâcihiwewi-ne-wîkiwnan

Bohdana Innes

Moose Cree First Nation, ON

Description

With the Healing Our Home project, Bohdana aims to design a prototype home and housing development plan in Moose Cree First Nation, reflecting community needs, values, and traditional knowledge.

The project is informed by community engagement with the Moose Cree First Nation and honours the way of living in the Mushkegowuk Territory.  In partnership with the Child & Family Services department, the project will address a critical need for housing in the community and provide a home for children in foster care.

The purpose of the project is to empower Moose Cree First Nation and other Indigenous communities to build homes that reflect their community and their land by integrating design knowledge with Indigenous knowledge.

Bohdana Innes is Cree from Moose Cree First Nation of Moose Factory. Born in Moose Factory and raised in Wawa Ontario, Bohdana is proud of her mixed heritage background of Cree, Ukrainian, and Scottish. She currently lives in Sudbury, on Anishinabek Territory, as she completes her Master’s degree in architecture at the McEwen School of Architecture. Bohdana holds a Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in Indigenous Studies. She is currently in her final year of her Master’s program at the McEwen School of Architecture. Along with studying at McEwen, she is pursuing her Passive House Design certification. Bohdana’s Indigenous heritage has been a driving force in her interest in researching Indigenous cultures across Canada, which led her to pursue her passion in Indigenous architectural design. She has worked continuously throughout her professional career to gain knowledge in the Indigenous process and design. Bohdana is also interested in sustainable design strategies and modern construction methods, which will allow her to bring different expertise to future projects with First Nation communities.

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Ziigwan Gitigaan

Shane Monague

Beausoleil First Nation, ON

Description

Shane’s ImaGENation project aims to create a cultural space that will reconnect community members with traditions, language, and promote community heritage to visitors of Beausoleil First Nation. The project aims to empower local indigenous community capacity in addressing food insecurity within Beausoleil First Nation with the construction of year-round greenhouses to grow and distribute traditional medicines and food staples to community members. The project will provide community members and local knowledge keepers a dedicated space to hold ceremonies and gatherings which are integral to the healthy development of the community. Working with Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous community members and a passion for community, Shane hopes to help alleviate household expenses for families while promoting community self-sufficiency and Anishinaabe cultural wisdom. The Gitigaan (“Garden” in Anishinaabemowin) will be a space for and by community.

Shane is a proud Anishinaabenini from Beausoleil First Nation. He has spent the last decade utilizing personal experiences and skills working in various capacities within the broader indigenous community. Shane advocates for and works to advance the health and well-being of our environment and indigenous youth with an Indigenous Assets-Based Community Development (IABCD) approach. He has completed a 1-year internship within the energy sector as part of the Generation Power program through ICE. Currently he is working within his community both professionally and as a volunteer with a focus in decolonized community building, language revitalization, cultural integration, and sustainable development.

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Soaring Prairies

Jana Sasakamoose

Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, SK

Description

Soaring Prairies aims to create an energy-efficient year-round greenhouse to promote food and energy sovereignty in the community and at the school within Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. The vision for the project is to reclaim ancestral knowledge by offering traditional teachings through gardening, hide tanning, medicines, Elders’ circles, and Ceremonies. Soaring Prairies will incorporate hydroponics and additional clean energy and energy efficiency options will be looked at to help grow healthy foods and medicines. The Soaring Prairies project will offer a sustainability curriculum, work experience, and quality nutrition to Indigenous students of all grades. Jana will be working alongside an elder who has space and has been offering teachings at the school, with plans to provide lunch for students such as traditional soups and other foods for students to take home.

Jana is a proud mother of 6 and stepmom to 2, hailing from the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation. She is currently completing her Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Mathematics and Statistics, Geographics, and Social Justice. Jana is one of the first First Nation women accepted into the Math and Stats Graduate program at the University of Regina, and has been breaking down barriers as an Indigenous mother through her entire education journey, raising her children without ever stopping her work and learning. Jana is open about her story of overcoming adversity and experiencing generational trauma and colonialism that impact her life, her family, and her loved ones. She has vowed to use her education and ambition to ensure her children never face the same hardships and despite all that she has gone through, Jana always finds a way to give back. Whether it is volunteering or paying it forward to others by donating each time she receives a scholarship, Jana plans to uplift her community and break the cycles of trauma to create a better future for all Indigenous people.

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The Bee & Berry Café

Marley Bob

Ochapowace Cree Nation, Treaty 4 Territory, SK

Description

The Bee & Berry Café project is a solar powered food truck focused on providing organic, and/or local, and/or Indigenous products to people throughout the powwow trail in Saskatchewan. The business will be sustainable and healthy with the goals to support local organic and Indigenous businesses in the area. The menu will include items such as smoothies, porridge, toast with honey and almond butter, soups, muffins, cupcakes, and medicine drinks such as tea with honey. Bee & Berry will explore clean energy options to power the operations of the business to demonstrate and inspire sustainable practices within community.

Marley Bob (She/Her) is a Nehiyaw woman belonging to Ochapowace Cree Nation, Treaty 4 Territory. She currently resides in Tkaronto (Toronto, ON) Treaty 13 Territory. Marley holds a diploma in General Carpentry from The Skilled Trades College of Canada and is currently studying Architectural Technology at George Brown College. Previously, she received a diploma in General Arts & Science and a certificate in Pre-Health from Mohawk College in Hamilton, ON. A career and community driven person, Marley’s goal is to obtain a Master of Architecture where she can utilize her education and knowledge to help First Nations by creating healthier communities, environments, and buildings that are safe, sustainable, self-sufficient, and can self-identify with culturally. Marley has worked diligently throughout her professional and academic career to gain knowledge of contemporary and traditional(vernacular) construction methods, natural building materials, and community engagement practices. Marley has participated in several Ontario architectural projects located in Toronto, Ottawa, Sault. Ste. Marie, and Kingston.

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The Cowessess First Nation ImaGENation Team

Ashleigh Dawn, Daphne Kay, Kyrah Delorme, and Shayla Wing

Cowessess First Nation, Treaty 4, SK

Description

The Cowessess First Nation (CFN) ImaGENation team is advancing the design and construction of an an energy efficient greenhouse to promote food and energy sovereignty in the community. Solar will be a major component of the greenhouse and additional clean energy and energy efficiency options will be explored, such as passive-solar, geothermal, and grow lights to replace winter sunlight. The goal is to automate as much of the operation as possible, with temperature control and automatic water pumps to help grow healthy foods and medicines as part of a sustainability and food equity initiative. The CFN ImaGENation Team intends to provide purpose to the community through gardening and nutrition, and also hopes to utilize the structure as a prototype that can be scaled up and built in other Indigenous communities.

Ashleigh is from Cowessess First Nation, a small yet strong community located in Treaty 4 Saskatchewan. She is currently working in the field as a solar installer and is quite the go-getter with aspirations to design and share plans for a solar-powered and self-sufficient greenhouse for Indigenous communities.

Daphne Kay is a proud Anishinaabe Ikwe from the Cowessess First Nation, Treaty 4 Territory, and is currently the Community Energy Specialist for her Nation working within their ec. dev. co., Cowessess Ventures Ltd. In her position, Daphne oversees existing renewable energy initiatives and assets, and examines new energy opportunities that can be implemented by Cowessess First Nation. She is also responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing community engagement sessions, training programs, public events, and educations days for Cowessess citizens. Daphne is a current participant in the 2020 Catalyst Program, as well as a team member of the CFN Team in the ImaGENation Program – both Programs of the ICE Network. Daphne is a life-long learner and has studied Political Science at the University of Regina and Land Management at the University of Saskatchewan.  She has always been passionate about sustainable living and protecting the land. In her spare time, Daphne likes to read, bead, sew and dance.

Kyrah Delorme (she/her) is a Plains Cree and Saulteaux woman from Cowessess First Nation. Kyrah was born and raised in Treaty 4 Territory, TheAncestral lands of the Anishinabe̅k, Nehiyawak, and Oceti Sakowin Nations as well as the homeland of the Métis. Kyrah holds an Undergraduate Bachelors Degree in Kinesiology and Health Studies Majoring in Health Studies from the University of Regina and the First Nations University of Canada. Kyrah has worked with various Research Labs focused on Indigenous peoples’ health. Has background in grant writing, training development, land-based teachings, and working with various Indigenous communities. 

Shayla Wing is a member of the Cowessess First Nation on Treaty 4 Territory, where she created memories growing up on her homelands. Keeping close to her community, Shayla now works as an Administrative Assistant at the Cowessess First Nation Urban Office. To extend her involvement within the Indigenous community, Shayla will be returning to school to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Indigenous Social Work. Shayla’s passions include hiking and new adventures while always willing to learn new things.