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John Lagimodiere Community Builder + Media Communications

Presentations on Demand

Affordable pre-recorded presentations that can be to watched anytime, anywhere.

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“Community is Everyone’s Business”

Recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal and Saskatoon’s Living in Harmony Award, John Lagimodiere is a dedicated educator and entrepreneur. President of ACS Aboriginal Consulting Services and the Editor/Publisher of Eagle Feather News, Lagimodiere is also the recipient of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce ABEX Award Business for Aboriginal Business. John’s enthralling performance as host of the award-winning national show, As If, on CBC Radio serves as another reason why he is a highly sought after keynote speaker, master of ceremonies, and facilitator.

Hailing from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, John Lagimodiere is a proud champion for Indigenous Peoples in Canada. As a member of the Metis Nation, John’s great, great, great, great grandmother, Marie Anne Lagimodiere, was the first white woman to settle in Western Canada and was grandmother to Canadian Metis hero, Louis Riel. 

Throughout his public-school education, John struggled with academics, though it did not stop him from convocating with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Saskatchewan. The irony of the once poor student becoming an educator is not lost on John, and he imagines some of his former teachers might be surprised by his achievements. 

As a business owner and employer of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, John became aware of the challenges faced by both employees and employers in the workplace. It was these experiences that became the driving force for inspiring John to develop his Indigenous awareness training program. Now, more than two decades later, John has delivered his important programming to some of Canada’s most prominent corporations and organizations, including Sasktel, Saskatoon Police Service, Crown Investment Corp., and many more. 

John also operates the largest independent Indigenous newspaper in Saskatchewan, Eagle Feather News, and somehow, he even finds the time to host shows on the CBC. When he does take a break from making the world a better place, you can expect to find him with his wife Deirdra and their two children at Shell Lake. 

  • Indigenous History Is Canadian History: Creating Positive Change and Understanding Truth & Reconciliation

    Using humour and wit, John masterfully walks us through 500 years of contact between Canada and the original inhabitants of this land. Starting with the fur trade and leading into the Indian Act, John’s presentation illustrates how Indigenous Communities were harmed in the process. This presentation will answer questions you didn’t know needed to be asked and will leave you with a comprehensive understanding of our shared history. 

    This presentation will include: 

    • A historical account of Indigenous societies, both prior to, and after contact with settlers. 
    • An explanation of how “Indian Status” is determined by legislation rather than by Indigenous Nations. 
    • Tangible ways in which the lives of Indigenous Peoples in Canada can be positively impacted. 

    Who are the Metis? 

    While tracing his own lineage, John discovered his ancestors were present during the formative moments of the Metis Nation.  John passionately explains the history of the Metis Peoples, providing us with an insider’s look at a Nation that has suffered greatly, but yet, still perseveres today. 

    This presentation will include: 

    • Details on how the Metis Nation was formed. 
    • The story of Louis Riel, protector of the Metis Peoples. 
    • The meaning behind the Metis Infinity Flag. 

    Treaty and Policy: Understanding the Legislative Issues Within Canada 

    John helps us to understand the complicated legislative considerations that are intertwined into Indigenous People’s lives. With the passage of the Royal Proclamation of 1763, Indigenous People came to be increasingly restricted by government legislation. John helps us connect these policies to the ongoing harms caused by the residential school system and the “60’s scoop”. 

    This presentation will include: 

    • An explanation of how and why treaties came to define Indigenous relations in Canada. 
    • A historical record of the policies used to assimilate Indigenous Peoples into the Canadian mainstream. 
    • The legacy of harm caused by successive governments and how those impacts continue even today. 
  • Awards/Highlights 

    • Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce ABEX for Aboriginal Business
    • Saskatchewan Centennial Medal
    • Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
    • Saskatoon Living in Harmony Award
    • Métis Award for Journalism
    • Order of Merit Credit Unions of Saskatchewan
  • Clients

    • The City of Sakatoon
    • Public Service Commission of Canada
    • Sasktel
    • Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
    • Provincial Court Judges
    • Crown Investments Corporation
    • The University of Saskatchewan
    • Saskatoon Police Service
    • The Mosaic Corporation
    • Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan
    • Cameco Corporations

Hailing from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, John Lagimodiere is a proud champion for Indigenous Peoples in Canada. As a member of the Metis Nation, John’s great, great, great, great grandmother, Marie Anne Lagimodiere, was the first white woman to settle in Western Canada and was grandmother to Canadian Metis hero, Louis Riel. 

Throughout his public-school education, John struggled with academics, though it did not stop him from convocating with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Saskatchewan. The irony of the once poor student becoming an educator is not lost on John, and he imagines some of his former teachers might be surprised by his achievements. 

As a business owner and employer of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, John became aware of the challenges faced by both employees and employers in the workplace. It was these experiences that became the driving force for inspiring John to develop his Indigenous awareness training program. Now, more than two decades later, John has delivered his important programming to some of Canada’s most prominent corporations and organizations, including Sasktel, Saskatoon Police Service, Crown Investment Corp., and many more. 

John also operates the largest independent Indigenous newspaper in Saskatchewan, Eagle Feather News, and somehow, he even finds the time to host shows on the CBC. When he does take a break from making the world a better place, you can expect to find him with his wife Deirdra and their two children at Shell Lake. 

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