InternationalIndigenousSpeakers Bureau

Jack SaddlebackGender Equality + Education + Identity

Riveting, captivating, real, insightful, grounded, and illuminated, these are just a few words that have been used to describe Jack Saddleback’s presentation of his life as a Cree Two-Spirit Transgender Champion. Saddleback has won numerous awards, including Red Cross’s 2018 SK Young Humanitarian of the Year, CBC’s 2016 Future 40 Under 40, and the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network 2015 Young Eagles Award. Jack’s life story embodies how one person’s spirit can help transform a community, while providing validation to struggling trans youth.

Joseph NaytowhowStoryteller - Wisdom Keeper

Gemini Award winning actor, Joseph Naytowhow is a multitalented Plains/Woodland Cree singer, actor, and storyteller who transforms lives and fills hearts with song, joy, and illumination. Joseph has performed for many dignitaries and world leaders alike. Audiences will leave with their hearts warmed and perspectives expanded as Joseph imparts his truth with incredible vulnerability and piercing insight.

Kathaleen 'Shannon' LoutittMatriarch + Honour Runner + Bridge Builder

"The question is the answer that takes you on the journey."

Titled “Kickass Canadian” alongside the likes of Chris Hadfield and Clara Hughes, Kathaleen 'Shannon' Loutitt has been honoured by Harvard University, the Saskatchewan Legislature, and the Canadian Senate for her passionate acknowledgement of unsung heroes. As an award-winning honour runner and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal Recipient, Kathaleen understands what it means to go the distance to make lasting and meaningful change. Matriarch and Co-Founder of IISB and IISB Productions, Kathaleen has built multiple platforms, championing the voices and perspectives of Indigenous peoples, paving the way for a revolutionized education system for Indigenous knowledges and ways of being and doing.

Kathleen AbsolonIndigenous Research Methodologist + Education

Empowering others to move from Research to “Re-search”; renowned Research Specialist, multi-published author, and trailblazing Academic, Dr. Kathleen Absolon is challenging the world to Reimagine Higher Education. With a Masters of Social Work and Phd in Education, she is a multiple award recipient including the Professional, Academic and University Service Award from Wilfrid Laurier University. Braiding and weaving world views, Kathleen emboldens the academic world to disrupt systems and to expand the circle to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.

Raven SinclairGender Equality + Education + Inclusion

She is one of Canada’s most sought after experts on the ‘60s Scoop’ era, and federally appointed Expert Adviser to the Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation. As Director and Executive Producer of the Film ‘Truth to be Told’, Dr. Raven Sinclair uncovers the atrocious facts of this period in Canadian history. As an author, of ‘Wicihitowin-Aboriginal Social Work in Canada’, Sinclair is creating effective and respectful methods of working with diverse populations specifically Indigenous peoples. As Associate Professor of Social Work and Researcher, this Nehiyaw-Cree Champion of George Gordon First Nation is transforming misconceptions regarding diversity and identity.

'Savvy' Savannah SimonMotivational + Entrepreneur + Visionary

An entrepreneur, activist, and public speaker, ‘Savvy’ Savannah Simon is a born leader with a natural desire to stand up for what she believes in. Living a life with true intention, everything from her professional to her personal life has a meaningful purpose and has contributed to the messages she’s shared with her many different audiences.