Karhiio is my family’s original Mohawk name; its literal translation is “tall beautiful forest.”
My three times great grandfather was a Mohawk voyageur named the Sun Traveller who ventured west from unceeded territory, Kahnawá:ke near Montreal, in the hopes of returning to a more traditional way of life. A skilled navigator, canoeist, trapper and hunter, Louis Kwarakwante Callihoo was but one of a large group of Mohawk men to move westward. He later served as a guide to David Thompson, who remarked on the daring and skill of the Mohawks he travelled with. Louis settled around Manito Sahkahigan (Spirit Lake, now known as Lac Ste Anne), marrying into a local Cree family to start what became the Michel First Nation. His son Michel signed Treaty in 1878.
What was to follow for our band is a familiar story for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
A century and a half of government policy ruled every aspect of our band’s lives. It is only recently that Canadians have come to learn more about this – not being legally allowed to leave the reserve without permission from the Indian agent; generations of children forced to attend residential schools and the spiritual, linguistic and cultural destruction that that brought; the theft of land; no right to assemble or to legal counsel; and, countless broken promises with the government, among many, many others. This culminated in the band being collectively disenfranchised in 1958 by an Order in Council. The way in which the Michel Band lost its land is still in dispute.
Throughout this, band members have constantly worked to renegotiate a fair relationship with the state and to reassert inherent rights. Felix Calihoo was one of the founders of the Métis Association of Alberta and John Callihoo a founder of the Indian Association of Alberta. So many others have worked to build a better future for their children. To this day, there is ongoing work on behalf of the nation led by current band members.
The strength of the people that came before me is both an honor and a responsibility. I hope to be able to share these experiences, the traditional teachings I have received and to bring understanding to the bridge the gaps we see today.
Karhiio is my family’s original Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (Mohawk) name—its literal translation is “tall beautiful forest.”
My three times great grandfather was a voyageur named the Sun Traveller who ventured west from unceeded territory, Kahnawá:ke near Montreal, in the hopes of returning to a more traditional way of life. A skilled navigator, canoeist, trapper and hunter, Louis Kwarakwante Callihoo was but one of a large group of men to move westward. He later served as a guide to David Thompson, who remarked on the daring and skill of the voyageurs he travelled with. Louis settled around Manito Sahkahigan (Spirit Lake, now known as Lac Ste Anne), marrying into a local Nêhiyâwak (Cree) family to start what became the Michel First Nation. His son Michel signed Treaty in 1878.
I am a Métis woman and member of the Michel First Nation. For the past twenty years, I’ve worked in Government Relations, Community Relations and Indigenous specific administration. I bring the skills I have learned in my professional life: research, strategic planning, and engagement, and the teachings I have received in community into Karhiio.
I am known for relationship building and problem-solving and work to create solutions for complex challenges through collaboration and creativity. There is much to be learned from each other: having meaningful discussions can result in meaningful actions when intent and skill meet.
In a landscape where respect is paramount, I hope to bring kindness to the projects I am a part of. I established Karhiio as a way to provide consulting services that respect and advocate for Indigenous sovereignty.
Traditional consultation models focus on information sharing or limited collaboration, only then moving along the continuum to greater power sharing.
Karhiio’s goal is to upend that model, facilitating understanding, discussing opportunities and collectively designing frameworks that centre Indigenous self-determination for positive outcomes.
Facilitate understanding — helping clients to share their vision for their communities.
Identify processes — help craft innovative, Indigenous-centered solutions.
Craft products — briefings, strategic plans, consultation frameworks and communications materials - that synthesize information for effective implementation.
Evaluate inputs — distill the contributions of community members and partner organizations to create impactful outcomes.
Discover the impact of Karhiio’s services through the words of those we’ve partnered with
We’re experts in Strategic Planning, Communications, Reconciliation Action Plans, Community Consultation and Cultural Competency Training.