Board Directory

Miawpukek Tourism, Culture and Recreation Director

Colleen is a graduate of the Community Recreation Leadership Program and is now working towards a Tourism Management Degree.

Colleen was hired by the Miawpukek First Nation to build a Recreation Division in 2002. In 2005, she was asked to expand her workload to manage Community Cultural Programs. She also gained Tourism Development responsibilities in 2007, when her Division was renamed the Tourism, Culture, and Recreation (TCR) Division. Colleen grew the Division from one employee in 2002 to 52 fulltime and part time employees by 2022. Her current programs and projects include the Annual Traditional Powwow, other special events, Jipuji’j Campgrounds and Waterpark, community parks and trails, community sports and recreation, cultural revitalization, and Community Indigenous Tourism Development. The TCR Division was recognized by Chief and Council as a Department and was made official in March of 2022.

Colleen has built many strong industry partnerships over the years include Parks Canada, the Provincial Government Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Recreation (TCAR), Recreation Newfoundland & Labrador (RECNL), The Rooms, the Canadian Canoe Museum, the YMCA, and the Qalipu First Nations. Colleen is an active Board member of the Newfoundland & Labrador Indigenous Tourism Association (NLITA), Adventure Central Newfoundland DMO, and the ICH program.

Dave has 20+ years of experience in customer service. He is passionate about the environment and reclaiming his culture through learning and sharing with you on one of our experiences.

Dave has a unique point of view on Indigenous culture as a result of growing up outside the First Nations community due to the “60’s scoop”. This “two-eyed seeing” approach allows him to see both sides of the relationship between Canada and his people and he has a passion to learn as much as he can to help facilitate better relationships between the two Nations as well as reclaiming his own culture.  A self motivator, he feels at home in nature and spends a lot of his time researching and learning about regenerative ecology.  He believes he is a steward of nature and is always looking for technologies and ideologies that further this.

This unique position affords him a point of view that allows him to share his culture and its history from an understanding that is uncommon. Dave is passionate about reclaiming his culture and sharing it with you.

David Daley is a Métis man, and long-time resident of Churchill, Manitoba. David and his wife Valerie have worked hard to become a part of Churchill’s tourism industry including owning and operating the Wapusk General Store (hand-built by Dave) and Wapusk Adventures Dog Sled Camp (paw-built by Dave’s dogs).

Dave serves his community as the Chairman of the Churchill Métis Local, President of the Churchill Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Advisory Committee for the Province of Manitoba.

Born and raised in Chilliwack, British Columbia (BC), Dean has been fishing BC’s lakes and rivers for over 40 years. He became involved in the sport-fishing industry 23 years ago and has been dedicated to the preservation of the White Sturgeon ever since. He is heavily involved in the fishing community and sits on the Board of Directors for the Fraser Valley Salmon Society and the Technical and Community working groups for the Recovery of White Sturgeon. 

Dean actively shares his passion and works with children teaching them to fish and respect the importance of conservation. He is very connected to the river and all the people who share it. He has established solid relationships with many First Nations Bands, including the Yale First Nations who settle along the shores of our rivers. 

Moreover, Dean loves to share days on the rivers with new guests and friends sharing his knowledge about conservation and all our fish species. Ensuring that this resource is here for us to share with our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for many generations is the key to feeling fulfilled.

“The Journey never ends when you share the passion”

– Dean Werk

James is Métis and hails from Tųlı́t’ą, NWT. He has a vast knowledge of the land that comes only from a lifetime of experience. As a young child, he spent most of his time outside, up and down the Great Bear River and the Keele River every chance he got. Learning from the Elders, he acquired a wealth of knowledge from traditions and culture, carried on from thousands of years.

Jamie Thomas is the Director of Culture and Tourism for the Lennox Island First Nation. She has worked diligently to identify the artistic abilities, cultural skills and traditional knowledge throughout the community. She is responsible for assisting in building capacity in and around the community and is responsible for creating strategic plans to ensure that Lennox Island is part of the Indigenous Tourism experience being offered to visitors coming to Prince Edward Island.

Jamie believes that grass-root engagement is fundamental to the success of any and all initiatives she is involved in. She is passionate and committed to the work she does. She approaches things with an open mind and prides herself on being a visionary who believes that any idea is worth exploring.

Jamie has over 22 years of experience working with First Nations communities both on and off-reserve at the National and Provincial levels. She has sat on numerous boards and committees and has given professional presentations to a variety of audiences across the country. Jamie has received certification from UPEI in Mediation, Facilitation and Conflict Resolution. Jamie was also a recipient of the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal.

In 2017, Parks Canada awarded the Lennox Island Mi’kmaq Cultural Centre with the Sustainable Tourism Award while in 2018 they received the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada’s Most Improved Tourism Business award, both under her direction.

Kelly Fiddler is from the Waterhen Lake First Nation. Mr. Fiddler has over 23 years’ experience in economic development. 

He has his Bachelor of Commerce Degree and an Arts & Science Degree from University of Saskatchewan and has certification as an Aboriginal Economic Development Professional through the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO). 

Kelly has proudly worked at the Saskatchewan Indian Equity Foundation, Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, and within the Provincial government within numerous Ministries such as Economy and Enterprise Saskatchewan. Mr. Fiddler is currently undertaking the Masters in Business Administration at the Cape Breton University, and works with the Mosquito Economic Development Corporation, hired to work on the Henry Beaudry Art Gallery just south of Battleford, SK.  

Kelly also sits on the Board of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada as the Saskatchewan representative (and Treasurer), and is Co-Chair of the recently created Indigenous Destination Saskatchewan (IDSK).  

 “I feel I add solid board governance to ITAC and its operations, but I also learn so much and bring these learnings and new ideas back to Saskatchewan” (Kelly Fiddler)

Marlene is a Program Facilitator, Coordinator, Instructor, Educator, Designer, Master Artisan, and Cultural Facilitator. Marlene is a member of the Mi’kmaq First Nation from the Atlantic Region. She has facilitated many programs throughout the Atlantic Region as well as nationally. She has facilitated and Co-ordinated Programs such as Bridging To Success for DALA, The Seven Paddle Project at Bear River First Nation, as well at powwows, conferences, gatherings, Treaty Day Events, and throughout schools, universities in the Atlantic Region.

She has been producing and teaching Authentic Mi’kmaq Arts & sharing her Culture for over 30 years. She has been producing independently Matues (Porcupine) Quill Work and also sharing her knowledge nationally and internationally.  Marlene is the past Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Nations in a Circle Arts Group Atlantic Aboriginal Arts Organization from 2004 to 2014. As well she is presently on the Alternate Board of Directors for the Native Council of Nova Scotia and serves as an Elder sharing her knowledge when asked to do so. Marlene also has sat on the board for the jurying process of the Canadian Council of the Arts in Ottawa, Ont. She has been part of the development of some of the policies and programs within the Canadian Council of the Arts to advance First Nations Artists in their respective disciplines. She has worked with Nations in A Circle as a Master artisan in her discipline. She was the Mi’kmaq First Nation Facilitator for the Back to Basics Women in Business Training Program across Nova Scotia. Over the past several years Marlene has been a Support for students and chaperoned many Youth Programs in the Schools across Nova Scotia as well as for Adult Learners and Women’s groups.

Marlene was also nominated for the Woman of the Year award in the Annual Atlantic Aboriginal Entrepreneur Awards Show, (2007). Marlene has attended and Facilitated Mi’kmaq Cultural workshops at the Canadian Aboriginal Festival in Toronto, Ontario. She has facilitated interviews with Actors such as Tom Jackson and Adam Beach to name a few. Some of her works and products are seen in Movies like Scarlet Letter featuring the Actor, Demi Moore.

She teaches Mi’kmaq and Aboriginal History and Culture through her Art at universities, schools, Trade Shows, (Saltscapes) Halifax Exhibitions, conferences, and in communities across Canada. She has presented at numerous conferences regionally, nationally and internationally over the past 30 years. Marlene’s Products has been represented at the NAFFEM -North American Fur & Fashions Exposition in Montreal, Que a number of times.  Marlene herself has been featured on ASN Breakfast Television on many occasions demonstrating her Fine Art of Porcupine Quill Work.

Sheila is the founder and executive chef of sijjakkut, a 100% Inuit owned company that prides itself in the preservation and promotion of Inuit culture through inuksiutit menus. Sheila has shared menus in Iqaluit, Ottawa, Toronto and New York City. She also collaborated with other accomplished chefs in a New Arctic Kitchen event in Nuuk, Greenland.

Shortly after making Iqaluit her home in 2010, Sheila started working with the delicate and unique flavours of Inuit foods to create delicious fusion dishes. She quickly discovered a demand for inuksiutit menus and has been catering local events since 2011.

Sheila’s participation in MasterChef Canada Season IV catapulted her passion for inuksiutit dishes to a national audience. She has been featured in the Globe and Mail as one of the top emerging chefs in Canada, was featured in a Chatelaine article and has contributed a recipe with The Kit. She has appeared in Chuck and the First Peoples’ Kitchen, Moosemeat and Marmalade and NHK’s Gatten!

Sheila is Inuvialuk and is enrolled in the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.