Aboriginal Peoples Television Network

As former Deputy Mayor of Winnipeg, Dan Vandal played an instrumental role in the development of the “First Steps – Municipal Aboriginal Pathways” report which will serve as the City of Winnipeg’s blueprint for future municipal-Aboriginal relations. After his term as Deputy Mayor of Winnipeg,  Mr. Vandal served as the Director of the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement, and was responsible for the funding components of the agreement for the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg. In the fall of 2006, Mr. Vandal was re-elected as a Councillor for the Ward of St. Boniface in Winnipeg and also serves in a variety of volunteer roles such as with the Manitoba Boxing Commission. Mr. Vandal received a Bachelor in Social Work from the University of Manitoba and was employed as a social worker for five years with both Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata and Children’s Home of Winnipeg before becoming a City of Winnipeg Councillor in 1995, where he served for nine years.

Jocelyn Formsma is a member of the Moose Cree First Nation and currently lives in Ottawa, ON. She has been involved in children’s rights and youth engagement for the last 10 years. Jocelyn was involved with the Friendship Centre Movement for six years at the local, regional and national levels as a board member and youth representative. She has also been involved in promoting reconciliation in child welfare and was the recipient of the Canadian Coalition on the Rights of Children's 2009 Child's Rights Award. In her young career, she has already worked for such organizations as the National Aboriginal Health Organization, the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association, the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and the Union of Ontario Indians. While completing her Bachelor of Public Administration at the University of Ottawa, Jocelyn works as an independent consultant, is active within her home territory the Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Chiefs of Ontario, and is a board member of the National Indian Child Welfare Association, based out of Portland, OR.

Chris Robertson is the President of Co‚Se‚Ma Communications, an established and respected consulting practice based in Gibsons Landing on the Sunshine Coast in BC. He has over 17 years of experience specializing in community economic and organizational development, professional management, public and media communications, strategic planning, governance and lands and resources support with First Nation communities, governments and businesses. Chris is currently providing organizational and advisory consulting services to the president of the newly established National Centre for First Nations Governance as well as providing facilitation work to a number of First Nations currently planning and re-establishing components of governance over their respective territories. He is an experienced facilitator with specialized training in Open Space technology and process facilitation that are complementary to the traditional consensus building philosophies of First Nations. Chris is also a director of the board for Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and is a founding member of the Counsel for BC Aboriginal Economic Development.

Brian Smith is a Mi'kmaq from the Glooscap community in Nova Scotia. He is a husband and a father of six children.

Mr. Smith began his career as a financial controller for a Nova Scotia First Nation. He moved on to work with the Royal Bank of Canada, beginning as a Manager of Business Banking, later advancing to the position of Atlantic District Manager for Strategic Markets with a priority on Aboriginal banking. Mr. Smith has maintained a solid, ongoing working relationship with economic development officers in the Atlantic region, building networks and providing support and advice. After returning to school and receiving a degree in Information Technology, Mr. Smith operated a private IT business, conducting surveys on Internet connectivity in First Nations communities in Nova Scotia.

In recent years, Mr. Smith has concentrated his efforts on the non-profit area, opening the first Atlantic office of the Canadian Executive Services Organization and serving as its first Atlantic Regional Manager. In 2005, Mr. Smith again returned to school and received his Executive MBA. He has since joined the executive team of the National Centre for First Nations Governance as its Director of Operations, responsible for five Regional offices across Canada.

Anne Crawford lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut. A lawyer who has practiced both civil and criminal law, Ms. Crawford was called to the bar in 1982. In 2012, Ms. Crawford accepted the position of Principal Secretary for Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, a land claims organization. Currently a sessional Professor at the University of Ottawa, her past positions include Northern Director for the Akitsiraq II Law Program; Chief Executive Officer of the Qulliq Energy Corporation; as well as posts as Deputy Minister of Executive and then Health, within the Government of Nunavut, and three terms as Conflict of Interest Commissioner for the NWT. In 2003 she was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for contributions to Nunavut. Ms. Crawford speaks English, Inuktitut and French.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Missinipi Broadcasting Corporation for the past five years, Deborah-Ann Charles works with the Board of Directors to coordinate the day-to-day operations of the Corporation, which includes administration, funding, community radio development, research development and Human Resources functions. She has been with the Missinipi Broadcasting Corporation for 15 years. Ms. Charles has served on the Board of Directors of Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) for five years and served three of those years as the Governance Committee Chair.

Born and Raised in the Yukon, a name sake to my Great Grandmother Sophie Isaac, Shu kaya (no translation); a proud descendant to the Aishihik Nation, a member of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations. The General Manager of Northern Native Broadcasting, Yukon.

John (JC) Catholique is a Denesoline from the Lutsel K'e First Nation in the Northwest Territories. He has been actively involved in his community and a member of the helping profession for over 25 years. Mr. Catholique is a Child Protection Worker currently residing in Fort Smith, NWT. He has made a difference through his efforts to promote healthy lifestyles and traditional way of life. He helps organize programs for addictions counseling and traditional healing. As a Chipewyan language linguist, Mr. Catholique has worked in the north to preserve and promote language and culture. He was one of the original writers and researchers who developed the Dene Kede curriculum for the schools in the NWT. Mr. Catholique has served on the Board of Television Northern Canada (TVNC) and was a Founding Member and first Chair of the APTN Board. Mr. Catholique has been a Board Director for the Native Communications Society of the Northwest Territories since 1993.

Born and raised in Inuvik, Melinda Gillis from an early age has been involved with the community. She dedicated her time by volunteering at various organizations and institutions at different levels. Through these channels Gillis built a cordial relationship with the youth, thus, allowing her to further partake in community development initiatives. Currently, Gillis works as a Public Outreach Education officer at Park’s Canada where she takes great passion in delivering educational programs to youth and adults on subject matter related to social, land and culture.

Sammy Duncan is a well-respected member of the business community of Kuujjuaq and sits on many committees in this region. Mr. Duncan has served on the Board of Directors of Taqramiut Nipingat Inc. (TNI). Previous to that, he represented the municipality of Kuujjuaq at TNI's Annual Assembly. He has remained with TNI holding the elected positions of Director, President and Vice-President. He was re-elected as Vice-President in October 2003. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Katutjiniq (Nunavik's Regional Development Council), Nunavik Investment Corporation (NIC) and Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).

Raised in Kangirsuk, a small coastal village on the Ungava Bay, Ms. Harriet Keleutak has worked towards the betterment of the Inuit of Nunavik throughout her life. Fluent in Inuktitut, French and English, Ms. Keleutak is a firm believer in preserving the language of the Inuit in order to preserve their identity. Now living in Montreal with her family, Ms. Keleutak is the Secretary General of the Kativik School Board and works closely with the Commissioners and Education Committees in the 14 communities of Nunavik (Northern Quebec). As the head of the Translation and Interpretation Department, Ms. Keleutak also oversees mediation among the employees, and conducts investigations when required.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Keleutak was an Interpreter/Translator for 11 years at the Kativik School Board. Before this time, she worked for the Ministère de la Justice (Quebec Ministry of Justice), Musée de la Civilization (Museum of Civilization), Air Inuit, Saputik Landholding Corporation, and Ungava Hospital. Ms. Keleutak also served one mandate with the Makivik Corporation as a board member and is currently the Kativik School Board’s representative for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.

David McLeod (Ojibway/Metis) is the General Manager of Native Communications Incorporated (NCI), which operates a provincial radio network via 57 transmitters. David's broadcast training includes a two-year broadcast program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technologies (SAIT) in Calgary, Alberta. David also studied television production at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto, Ontario. David has written and directed three series of children's programs for NCI which appeared on CBC Manitoba North. He also hosted both radio and television talk format programs. David has also worked as a television reporter covering stories throughout northern Manitoba for several years. In 2002, he received a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for his contributions in promoting Aboriginal music. He is a member of the Winnipeg Aboriginal Writers Collective and also sits on the Manitoba Audio Recording Industry Association (MARIA) board.

Bert Crowfoot (Siksika/Saulteaux) is founder and CEO of the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society. Mr. Crowfoot has been involved in Aboriginal communications for more than 30 years, beginning his career as a photographer and reporter for The Native People newspaper in 1977. Mr. Crowfoot has been instrumental in the establishment of several industry associations including the National Aboriginal Communications Society, the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association and the Western Association of Aboriginal Broadcasters. He has received numerous awards and recognition, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the province of Alberta; named one of the 50 Most Influential Individuals in Alberta; selected as Venture Magazine's 100 entrepreneurs that built the province in 2005 and was inducted into the Aboriginal Walk of Honour in Edmonton.

A member and former Chief of the Fort Albany First Nation in Northeastern Ontario, Mr. Metatawabin brings with him a strong background in public relations, having been involved in radio and TV journalism for over 13 years. Employed with Debeers Canada as a communications consultant, Mr. Metatawabin also currently serves as the Chairman of the Board and President of the Wawatay Native Communications Society. Fluently bilingual in the Cree language, Mr. Metatawabin has served as a board member for the Mushkegowuk Tribal Council, the Nishnabe-Aski Nation, the Chiefs of Ontario and the Assembly of First Nations. Other appointed positions included president of Five Nations Energy, chairman of the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Services, and chairman of the Weeneebayko Health Authuskaywin. He has served on the board of directors of 3981584 Canada Inc., a community-owned corporation which builds the winter road along the Western James Bay coast each year. Mr. Metatawabin has been involved in addressing regional issues since 1985 through his work with Wawatay and other organizations and has been a member of the APTN Board of Directors since August 2007.

Born in Northern Ontario of Ojibwa-Cree descent, Donna Noonan's 20-plus years of experience in the world of theatre, television and film has earned the bilingual production designer international recognition for her many and varied contributions to the industry. After obtaining her BFA Cum Laude from Concordia University in Theatre Scenography, Noonan began work with the Association for Native Development in the Visual and Performing Arts (ANDVPA), through which she traveled across Ontario and with the theatre group Kematawin to Monaco. Also for the Association, she was the Assistant Director for the Indigenous Theatre Celebration, an international gathering of over 300 delegates of indigenous traditional and contemporary theatre.

She has worked as Head Decorator, Art Director and Production Designer in film and television and was a First Nations consultant for the feature films The Black Robe and Grey Owl. Her accolades include a PACT Best Children's Programme award in the UK for her contributions as the Canadian Art Director for the three-hour mini-series Fungus the Bogeyman; a Golden Sheaf nomination for Best Art Direction for an episode of the television series Bliss titled Nina's Muse (2003); and two Gemini Award nominations for Bliss episodes Voice (2002) and Steph's Life (2004). Noonan previously served a two-year term on the APTN Board of Directors from December 2003 to December 2005.

Ms. Sark is a member of the Lennox Island First Nation and has been employed with Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI since October, 2005. She has a BA in Sociology/Anthropology, with a minor in History from Carleton University. Ms. Sark has also received certifications in several fields, including reality therapy and conflict resolution. As MCPEI’s Director of Health, she is involved in Policy and Program Development at the provincial, regional and national levels.

Ms. Sark has been part of numerous volunteer committees and executive boards where she contributes to the well-being of First Nations in PEI, and throughout the Atlantic Region. At present, she is a member of the Atlantic Aboriginal Health Research Board; Atlantic Aboriginal Health Science Advisory Committee; Atlantic Institute for Safe and Healthy Communities; Provincial Advisory for Health Integration; Lennox Island Membership Committee; Community Consultative Committee on Lennox Island and various working committees at MCPEI. Ms. Sark has recently been re- appointed to the Advisory Council on the Status of Women in PEI, and is an active member of Aboriginal Women’s Association.

Ms. Sark also serves as a Circle Keeper with the Aboriginal Justice Program at MCPEI. She expresses her love of her culture through Mi’kmaq traditional songs and belongs to a women’s hand drum group called, Sunrise Singers.