Moderator

Jackie Wong

Jackie Wong is the Community Strategic Initiatives Associate of SFU's Community-Engaged Research Initiative (CERi).

Speakers

Lyana Patrick (she/her)
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, SFU
Researcher-in-Residence, CERi, SFU

Lyana Patrick is an Indigenous scholar and practitioner from the Stellat’en First Nation and Acadian/Scottish. She has worked as an education specialist for over two decades, developing curriculum, managing education programs and evaluating Indigenous health and education initiatives. She has also worked as a community planner, most recently for the City of Vancouver helping design community engagement for a municipal poverty reduction strategy. Patrick works together with communities to develop Indigenous-focused, collaborative research models that can transform Indigenous experiences of health, planning and justice. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University where her work focuses on the intersection of community planning, health and justice.

William Thomas (he/him)
Elder

William Thomas is a member of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. The name he was given by Creator and Creators’ Helpers is Chief Red Bear. He has been taught for 27 years by several Cree Elders in Sweat Lodge, Night Lodge, and Shaking Tent. He has been part of the Smoke House for 19 winters. William is currently employed by Fraser Health, Aboriginal Health as the Elder for clients and their families, as well as the Elder for staff and their family members. He works at the Indigenous Primary Health and Wellness Clinic in Surrey, BC.

Jeska Slater (she/her)
Facilitator
MBA candidate, Indigenous Business Leadership

Jeska Slater is a Nehiyah Iskwew (Cree woman) whose mother is from Ochekwi Sipi Cree Nations in Treaty 5. She has been facilitating in and for Indigenous communities for 10 years. Jeska is currently the Indigenous Social Innovation Coordinator for Skookum Lab in Surrey BC which is one of the first Indigenous-led Social Innovation Labs on Turtle Island. Jeska has developed a facilitation practice based on creativity, honouring diverse Indigenous world-views and community building to solve complex issues. She is currently pursuing a MBA in Indigenous Business Leadership at SFU’s Beedie School of Business. Jeska is a mother to a 6-year old boy named Johann Waseskwan. Her work aims to model accountability and transparency for the next generations.