The alliedFutures Project

 A journey from Truth to Reconciliation and beyond.

The alliedFutures Project

A guided knowledge sharing series led by a community of settlers, Elders and Knowledge Keepers. 

An educational toolkit to get informed, unlearn and unsettle.

As leaders in our community, it is time to unpack what it means to be a settler in Treaty 7 Territory. To move from intent to impact. Values to actions. Settler to Unsettler. Learn how to consciously disrupt your mindset and the spaces you’re in. This series is for leaders and teams across Treaty 7 committed to participating in the journey to Reconciliation. Sign up today!

A portion of the registration fee from the alliedFutures project are donated to the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth, supporting them in their mission to empower Indigenous youth.

The Journey

The alliedFutures toolkit is an interactive digital toolkit provides you with resources and reflections throughout the 5-step journey: Sitting in Truth, Allyship, Accomplice, Decolonization and Indigenization, and Reconciliation. Read and revisit the toolkit and watch the webinars at your own pace.

Speaker Webinars

  • Knowledge Sharing Series Helper

    Espoom tah Roy Bear Chief

    Roy Bear Chief is a residential school survivor from the Siksika Nation. He holds several degrees including a Nursing Assistant certificate, a Social Work diploma from Mount Royal College and both a Bachelor and Masters of Social Work from the University of Calgary. He has previously worked in Siksika Income Support, Siksika Children’s Services, Siksika Health Services and Aboriginal Mental Health. Roy Bear Chief was elected twice into Siksika leadership as a member of Chief and Council and has also served as the Tribal Manager for Siksika Nation administration. Currently, he is serving as the Esproom Tah (Helper) for the Health, Community and Education department at Mount Royal University, and has previous experience as the Elder-In-Residence for the Bissett School of Business.

  • Sitting in Truth

    Jody and Judy Bear

    Jody and Judy Bear are twin motivational speakers with parents that are residential school survivor. Over the years, Jody and Judy have been through 20 foster homes and are 15 - 17 years free of substance use . They actively practice in their Plains Cree culture and are licensed Practical Nurses in their third year of Bachelor of Child Studies at Mount Royal University, where they are on the Dean’s Honour Roll.

  • Allyship

    Anne Harding of Forum Community Relations and Teneya Gwin of Eleven Eleven Consulting.

    Anne is the Owner of Forum Community Relations Inc., a Calgary-based consulting company dedicated to catalyzing better communities through Indigenous relations and community engagement. She cares deeply about the unique stories and experiences that we all bring with us to the relationships we build with one another.

    Teneya Gwin is sixth generation Métis and a member of the Cunningham Clan and descendant from the Michel First Nation. She has worked with almost every First Nation, Métis region and Métis settlement in Alberta. Her experience ranges in multiple different sectors such as; transportation, land use planning, community planning, traditional land use and Indigenous place making.

  • Accomplice

    Annie Korver of Rise Consulting and Mandy Lunn’s of Universal Geomatic Solutions (UGS).

    Annie is a purpose-driven entrepreneur and member of the Métis Nation, dedicated to enriching relationships between Indigenous and corporate communities. Inspired by reconciliation in Canada and her own Métis ancestry, Annie founded Rise in 2013 to respond to the call to reconciliation and advance Indigenous inclusion with a focus on economic development.

    Mandy is the VP Strategic Sustainability UGS, a land surveying firm. Over the years, Mandy has led the development and implementation of an integrated Indigenous Inclusion Program at the company which focuses on building trust and long term, meaningful relationships the organization and its employees.

  • Decolonization & Indigenization

    Tim Fox of the Calgary Foundation.

    Tim Fox is the Vice President of Indigenous Relations & Equity Strategy with Calgary Foundation and a proud member of the Blackfoot Confederacy from the Blood (Kainai) reserve. Through his work, he aims to strengthen and enhance the culture and practice at the Foundation and promote kindness and compassion for all things.

  • ReconciliACTION

    Dion Simon of Mount Royal University.

    Dion Simon is an Indigenous Plains Cree artist and a member of numerous committees. For over a decade, Dion has served as the Medicine Trail Coordinator at Mount Royal University, providing cultural resources for the Iniskim Centre and Mount Royal students.

  • Looking Back, Moving Forward

    WilderFutures and the Mount Royal University Child Studies Capstone Students.

Knowledge Sharing Series

  • Webinar hosted by Jody and Judy Bear

    We begin by looking back. Sitting in Truth takes readers through a brief overview of Canada’s history with Indigenous, First Nations, and Métis peoples, uncovering the uncomfortable and providing important context for the journey ahead. By reflecting on the origins of oppression, we can better understand how to dismantle it.

    Trigger warning: Discussions of childhood trauma and Residential schools. If you or someone you care about are in need of support, please contact the Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society Crisis Line at 1-800-721-0066.

    Truth can hurt. Sometimes, it can be challenging, uncomfortable, and difficult to hear. But when our truths are shared, it has the power to heal.

    Sisters Judy and Jody Bear will lead us through “Sitting in Truth,” sharing the story of their lives. Jody and Judy’s story is one of hardship, but also of resilience. Together, they will reflect on the impact of residential schools and the powerful journey to overcome intergenerational trauma. The lesson here is Ahkameyimok: don’t give up, keep trying and continue persevering.

  • Webinar hosted by Anne Harding of Forum Community Relations and Teneya Gwin of Eleven Elevan Consulting

    Push past the performative into genuine, meaningful allyship. In this phase, you will examine concepts such as privilege, social location, intersectionality, and oppression.

    What does it mean to be an ally in the fight against racism? It begins with understanding how we fit into the world: our social location.

    Espoom tah Roy Bear Chief will begin the webinar by sharing a prayer. His role throughout the session will be to provide support and guidance to our alliedFutures community.

    In this interactive session, Anne Harding and Teneya Gwin will lead groups through a discussion on social location, navigating the complex and multilayered factors that contribute to how we self-identify. Anne and Teneya will create a safe space to reflect on your position and privilege, and for you to leave feeling empowered on your journey towards allyship.

  • Webinar hosted by Annie Korver of Rise Consulting and Mandy Lunn’s of Universal Geomatic Solutions.

    What is the difference between an ally and an accomplice? In Phase 3, we take a closer look at what it means for settlers to actively engage in anti-racism efforts.

    If you want to create change, one cannot only be an ally to traditional marginalized communities. It’s time to leap into action and become an accomplice.

    Espoom tah Roy Bear Chief will begin the webinar by sharing a prayer. His role throughout the session will be to provide support and guidance to our alliedFutures community.

    Annie Korver and Mandy Lunn’s will share steps to take to become an accomplice by working to dismantle the structures that oppress racialized and marginalized people. Annie and Mandy will discuss how to overcome guilt paralysis and tackle racial injustices on an institutional level in order to craft a better future for all.

  • Webinar hosted by Tim Fox of the Calgary Foundation

    Change your mindset, change your perspective, change your world. In this phase, we will explore the terms “Decolonization,” “Indigenization,” and “Edgewalking,” as they relate to the systems that shape our beliefs.

    To counter systemic oppression, we must create systemic change. How does one begin to spark change when oppression has been so deeply ingrained into many of our trusted institutions? Is it possible for allies and accomplices to make a difference?

    Espoom tah Roy Bear Chief will begin the webinar by sharing a prayer. His role throughout the session will be to provide support and guidance to our alliedFutures community.

    Join Tim Fox for “Decolonization & Indigenization,” an engaging discussion on what it takes to reshape and rebuild the spaces where we live, work, and play.

  • Webinar hosted by Dion Simon of Mount Royal University

    Though the toolkit ends at reconciliation, this is an ongoing journey and a lifelong commitment. Let this be the first step in creating a brighter future.

    Truth. Reconciliation. Action. Guest speaker Dion Simon helps us put it all together.

    Espoom tah Roy Bear Chief will begin the webinar by sharing a prayer. His role throughout the session will be to provide support and guidance to our alliedFutures community.

    Dion will discuss ‘what’s next’ on the journey to reconciliation: putting your learning and unlearning into action. Participants will match intent with impact, finding the strength and courage to turn our desire to do good into ongoing, everyday actions.

  • A Community Sharing Circle, hosted by WilderFutures and the Mount Royal University Child Studies Capstone Students

    Come together.

    In this session, the WilderFutures team, Mount Royal Child Studies Capstone Students and alliedFutures participants will engage in a sharing circle to reflect and unpack the last five weeks. In doing this, we will vision and prepare a new path forward, one that honours the work that has been done.

Become an Unsettler

In Partnership with Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth, Mount Royal University and WilderFutures.

The Artists behind the Logo

On behalf of alliedFutures, USAY, and Mount Royal University, we would like to extend a special thank you to artists Keegan Starlight and Amanda Fox.

Keegan and Amanda collaborated with our teams to create an illustrated identity for alliedFutures: A Journey from Truth to Reconciliation and Beyond.

We came together to reflect on and deconstruct our definitions of “Sitting in Truth”, “Allyship”, “Accomplice”, “Decolonization”, “Reconciliation”, and the alliedFutures journey. Keegan and Amanda met our reflections with deeply thoughtful interpretation. Here they have shared with us the meaning of each element in the illustration:

North: The sun shines on the people inside the tipi to show there is always a new day coming. We should have hope for the future and continue moving forward.

South: An older person embraces a younger person inside the tipi, symbolizing support and safety. Connecting with younger generations is incredibly important. This is a form of “Allyship" and requires that we all "Sit in Truth."

East: Two sets of tipis represent a reflection on heritage and how it might feel to walk the edge between present and past.

West: Two buffalos are set on a red background to represent the power and perseverance of culture. In pre-colonial days, the buffalos were our everything; they were food, shelter, tools, and life. To us Indigenous people, the colour red is sacred and holds power. We are still here, still thriving and evolving with our ancestors at our sides. Education and community are our new “buffalo," keeping our culture and language alive.

The illustration is brought full circle with the addition of the feather, a sacred item that has many meanings and blessings to it.