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Our Staff |
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Commissioner McKnight was born in Elrose, Saskatchewan. He served in the Parliament of Canada as Minister of Agriculture, Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Western Diversification, National Defence (during Gulf War I), Energy, Mines and Resources, and Labour, and also served as the Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. He is a Honourary Chief of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation.
Harry Lafond
Executive Director
Harry has worked extensively in the area of education including as the Director of Education, and earlier as principal of the kihiw waciston School at Muskeg Lake. Harry’s academic education includes three degrees: B.A., B.Ed. and an M.Ed. He was appointed to serve on the Senate of the University of Saskatchewan (1995-2002), and was also appointed to the national Federal Task Force on Education (2003). Family is a priority and Harry spends many hours with his children and grandchildren teaching them about being Cree.
Ken Horsman
Director of Educational Programs
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Ken has been a teacher and a central office administrator in Saskatchewan. He has also held several positions with the Department of Education, including the position of Associate Deputy Minister.
Ken is currently the Director of Educational Programs with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner. During this time, he has supported a number of projects including the implementation of the Teaching Treaties in the Classroom Program, and the development of the K- 6 component of the Teaching Treaties program and the Treaty Essential Learnings document.
Debra Laliberte
Director of Office Administration
Debra has worked in various First Nations governments since 1990 and was employed at the First Nations University of Canada for 11 years as the Executive Assistant to the Dean and the Assistant Registrar. Debra took classes part time at the FNUC and the College of Commerce and graduated in 2003 in Business Administration. Since then she has held various positions with the Indigenous Gaming Regulators, Stats Canada and most recently First Nations Agricultural Council of Saskatchewan (FNACS). In August of 2007, the OTC seconded Debra from her position at FNACS. Debra enjoys gardening, golfing and spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Rhonda Gordon
Administrative Assistant
Jennifer Heimbecker
Director of Speaker's Bureau
As Coordinator of the Speaker's Bureau, Jennifer is steadily involved with setting up presentations for organizations, businesses and schools. Since inheriting the Speaker's Bureau program in October of 2008, the members of the Speaker's Bureau have reached over 2000 Saskatchewan residents.
Jennifer has been involved in a number of projects including the Treaty Essential Learnings document (TELs) and the CTV Vignettes. This required many hours of research and a close working relationship with CTV as well as the Meadow Lake Tribal Council, Saskatoon Tribal Council, Graham Construction and Athabasca Basin Development Limited Partnership.
Milton Tootoosis BA, PAED
Livelihood/Economic Independence Coordinator
Milton is grounded in his Cree culture and the community teachings of the Poundmaker Cree Nation. Milton received his Bachelor of Indigenous Studies from the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (now the First Nations University of Canada)/U of R, has studied public administration and taken numerous professional development courses. He was granted his Professional Aboriginal Economic Developer Certificate from the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers in 2009.
Milton is married to Shelly and has three grown children, all residing in Treaty Six Territory/Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Susan Beaudin
Treaty Learning Network Coordinator
Susan is a Plains Cree/Saulteaux woman from the Cowessess First Nation in southeastern Saskatchewan. She has a Bachelor of Education, Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Administration and a Master of Education degree. She has worked in the area of education for over thirty years as an elementary primary teacher, special education teacher, superintendent, director and assistant professor at the university level. She taught in provincial and First Nations schools in Saskatchewan. She has experience in developing local First Nations curricula based on the Cree and Saulteaux cultures. She has spent many years listening to and learning from First Nations Elders. She is the primary author of the Grades 7–12 Treaty Resource Guide and K – Grade 6 Units based on the Saskatchewan Treaties. She continues to work with educators in developing curriculum for schools based on the First Nations and Metis cultures. Susan is self employed as an education consultant for her business Circle of Learning Consulting. Susan is currently working with the OTC as a facilitator for the K – Grade 12 Teaching Treaties in the Classroom workshops. Susan is a mother of two wonderful children Erica and Aaron and a proud Kokum to Jules, Brandon, Jaida, Taylor and Jackson.
Kristine Dreaver-Charles
eTeacher
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Kristine Dreaver-Charles is from Prince Albert and a member of the Mistawasis First Nation. She graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a B.Ed. in 1996 and spent 9 years teaching high school courses in Northern Saskatchewan. In 2005, she moved home to Prince Albert and began teaching online high school courses at the Credenda Virtual High School. Kristine was seconded by the Office of the Treaty Commissioner in 2009 to assist with their technology initiatives. Her main focus has been to design PowerPoint and SMART Board activities for educators to use in their classrooms. In December 2009, Kristine completed her Master of Science in Education in Instructional Media degree through Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, which focused on educational technology.
