Bee Calliou Schadeck
Bee Calliou Schadeck is a member of the Michel First Nation, Treaty #6, Alberta. She spent her childhood on a farm and also raised her three children in rural Alberta. Bee’s career began as a laboratory technician and after a project was stalled by First Nation communities, Bee was launched into unfamiliar territory. Bee began a discovery of our country’s history and over time became one of the most sought after Indigenous awareness educators in Alberta. She now draws on over 35 years of experience to enrich her awareness sessions. Bee was formerly the Senior Aboriginal Advisor with Devon Canada. Bee is currently living in Victoria, BC.
Bee saw a need and was a pioneer in more effective communication between industry and communities. Bee has a knack for blending humour with fact to engage her audience. Bee eventually began Center of the Sky to bring Indigenous awareness to a broader audience:
“Having witnessed the profound changes in attitudes from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, I realized that learning more about Indigenous history creates a bridge to understanding and compassion. I feel blessed to be able to share my knowledge to help create peace in this world.”
Allow Bee to guide you on a journey that she herself has taken; she has already touched many lives with her passion for bringing people together.
Doreen Healy
Born and raised on the Blood Reserve, Treaty #7, Southern Alberta, Doreen is a member of the Kainai Nation, Blood Tribe. Doreen and her family have made Calgary their home since the early 1960’s.
Doreen’s career has provided the opportunity to see perspectives from Government agencies, private industry and Indigenous communities. She has worked with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada; worked as a consultant for Treaty #7 First Nations founding the Native Economic Developers Association (NEDA), which, today is the Treaty #7 Tribal Council; worked in the oil and gas industry for Amoco Canada and MEG Energy as an Aborginal Relations consultant; currently working with Alberta Energy Regulator – Aboriginal Engagement group – establishing working relationships with the Indigenous communities in Alberta. In Doreen’s vast experience, she has played many roles which have been instrumental in creating successful working relationships between all sectors.
Doreen’s work with Center of the Sky brings a deeper understanding of Residential School life to our clients. As a survivor of the Residential School system, Doreen openly shares her story and experience and early memories, the scars left by the experience and how the effects have affected her life today. Participants have commented on the “reality” this brings to the plight of today and the compassion it instilled in them.
Violet March
Violet, or “Vi” as we call her, is DeneSuline, a proud member of Cold Lake First Nation, Treaty #6, Alberta. The majority of her career has been in the oil and gas industry. After obtaining a Life Skills Diploma, she has been working with several First Nation communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan. She was employed with Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training which has allowed her to work in many Treaty #6 First Nation communities. Vi was formerly employed by Carya Family Outreach and Resilience Team in the role of Aboriginal resource connector and family support for families requiring urgent family care.
Vi’s open nature and kind heart have lead her to a life of giving to others. Vi inspires her clients to reach for greater heights, and she believes that each interaction with her clients is an opportunity for revelation and change.
As a Residential School survivor, Vi vividly brings the past to life in Center of the Sky sessions. With her personal stories, she shares her experiences growing up in a traditional atmosphere on the trap line. Vi knows that in order to move forward as a country we must first acknowledge our past, and to this end she generously shares her memories of Residential School life. Vi will tell us how her early years in the system have affected her and her family to this day. Vi demonstrates that your past does not have to define you. She teaches us that anybody can move forward with strength, courage and love.