Rob Cardinal 

President

Co-Director for Community Connections

Partnership in Community - Exec Chair

Rob Cardinal is Blackfoot from Siksika First Nation.  He is an astrophysicist and currently working as Science Advisor, Siksika Board of Education.  Rob has served as both an advisor and youth mentor for Power to Choose.  Rob is the founder of First Light Initiative and co-founder of IndigeSTEAM.   

Photo by: Colleen De Neve

Treasurer

Power to Choose advisor

Wendy Hutchins is an ally from settler/immigrant roots.  She is a microbiologist and immunologist.  Wendy has been doing STEM outreach with Power to Choose since its inception 2010 and other groups prior.  She was part of the founding board, bringing her experiences from other outreach organizations to IndigeSTEAM.

Executive Director

Sheila is Cree Metis and came to connect with IndigeSTEAM through her sons coming to Power to Choose camp and robotics programs.  Sheila is working on organizing a parent volunteer program and is a great fundraiser.  She is also Executive Director for Colouring It Forward Reconciliation Society - an IndigeSTEAM partner organization. 

Sheila has blessed IndigeSTEAM with articles that belonged to her father.   

Director at Large

Anita Lafferty is a PhD student at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Secondary Education. She is of Dene and Cree descent and a member of the Liidlii Kue First Nation in the NWT. Her research examines approaches of Indigenous Curriculum Perspectives that focus on Indigenous Science in STEAM and the relations with land-based learning. 

Steve Saddleback

Advisory Board

Steve is a Treaty 6 member from the Samson Cree Nation of Maskwacis, Alberta, and living in Treaty 7, Calgary.  He brings his expertise in business as Director of the National Energy Business Centre of Excellence at the Indian Resource Council of Canada.  He shares with IndigeSTEAM his passion for change for the future of his children and all children.

Listen to Steve talk about his story via Clean Resource Innovation Network chat. 

Isaac Ward

Board - Education Committee

Isaac is currently at teacher at Siksika Board of Education.  He is an experienced multidisciplinary research scientist with a specific background in neuroscience, synthetic biology and biochemistry.  He has been doing some teacher PD about Indigenous STEM content and is looking forward to helping IndigeSTEAM do more teacher PD and advising on curriculum.  

Power to Choose Camp Coordinator

Reem Ghaleb is a BEd./BSc. graduate and has been working with IndigeSTEAM for many years as camp staff and coordinator.  She has also been doing STEAM outreach with Let's Talk Science for Indigenous youth in multiple locations in western Canada.  Reem was teaching Grade 1 online 2020 - 2021 and Grade 2 for 2021-2022.  She doesn't have as much time, but is always a resource in education for IndigeSTEAM. 

Deanna Burgart

Advisory Board Member

Past Co-President

Deanna Burgart is Cree/Dene from Fond du Lac First Nation.  She is an engineer (Indigeneer!) and Senior Instructor, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary.  Deanna served as advisor for Power to Choose and became one of IndigeSTEAM's founding board.  She is also a board member of AISES. 

Advisory Board member

Past Co-President

Jessica is from the Assumption Cree First Nation.  She is newly appointed as Assistant Dean (Outreach) and Industry Professor - Indigenous Engineering, both for the Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta. She is currently serving as the Chair of CIAC for AISES