Presenter Biographies

Dave Belleau, Shuswap

Dave is a Shuswap from the Alkali Lake Band in Northern British Columbia. He is married to Marilyn and they are the proud parents of seven children with three grandchildren. Dave speaks his native language fluently. He was the Chief in his community from 2004-2006 with a portfolio under Health and Addictions. As part of his recovery Dave has always looked for tools to assist him in moving forward.

Dave has traveled many a miles in his moccasins to speak on Moving on from Sobriety as he has traveled to Shanghai China, Australia, New Zealand, from New York to Alaska and all of Canada.

Dave has deep respect for the cultural and traditional beliefs of all native people. He is very proud of his bands courage and commitment to risking and addressing alcoholism to an impressive 97% community sobriety rate and moving through much deeper healing issues. Dave has been involved for many years in the training of community healing movement with Aboriginal people.

Dave is presently employed with the Nechi Institute as an Instructor and continues to share his wealth of knowledge and experience. Dave has recently achieved his training in Mental Health First Aid and is now an instructor. Dave is looking forward to sharing this knowledge with others.

Dave believes that healing is a lifelong process and continues to work towards wellness in his life.

Don Burnstick, Cree

Healing the Wounded Warrior

Don Burnstick is a Cree from the Alexander First Nation located outside of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The youngest of 15 children, coupled with the fact of growing up on the reserve, taught Don a variety of means of defending himself, not the least of which became his use of humor.

Don's young life was very violent. "I lived on the streets of Edmonton as an alcoholic and drug addict. In 1985, when I sobered up at 21, there were not toomany 21 year old males that were alcohol and drug free so I just started asking to go and tell my story."

Burnstick obtained post secondary training at the University of San Diego in holistic urban youth development. He also has obtained certification as an Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor and graduated from the Native Trainers Development program at the Nechi Institute in Edmonton.

Don has now been involved within the healing/personal wellness movement for the past 20 years and has utilized humor and performance to provide a holistic approach to healing. His message speaks to a proud heritage, the importance of healing through humor and his continuing desire to leave a better world for our future generations. Don wrote and individually performs the play "I Am Alcohol - Healing the Wounded Warrior". In this play, without preaching or moralizing, Don presents a gripping dramatization of the addictive power of alcohol and drugs, and the connections to other destructive forces that have plagued the Aboriginal community.

Phil Fontaine, Anicinabe

Dr. Phil Fontaine (LU honorary Doctor of Laws) has devoted his life to improving the quality of life for First Nations citizens. He was born in 1944 at Sagkeeng First Nation, 150 kilometers north of Winnipeg.

In the 1970s, Phil Fontaine served two terms as chief of his own Sagkeeng First Nation, promoting autonomy and treaty rights. After a stint in the Yukon working for the federal government, he returned home and completed his Bachelor of Arts in political science at the University of Manitoba in 1981. In 1982, he was elected Manitoba's Vice Chief for the newly formed Assembly of First Nations. Fontaine was one of the Manitoba First Nation leaders who led the opposition of the Meech Lake Accord.

In 1997, Phil was elected National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. He served four terms as National Chief of Assembly of First Nations. Phil was the first aboriginal leader to address the Organization of American States.

He attended residential schools in Sagkeeng and Assinaboia, later emerging as a leading critic of abuse in that system. In 2005, Fontaine successfully negotiated the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. In 2009, he had a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in order to obtain an apology for abuses that occurred in First Nations schools during the 20th century.

In 1996, he received the national Aboriginal Achievement Award for community service. He has received honorary degrees from the Royal Military College and Brock University. In 2004, he was made a Member of the Order of Manitoba.

He is the proud father of two children and a Mishoom to five grandchildren.

Warfield Moose, Oglala Lakota

Warfield Moose is an Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He grew up in the small community of Porcupine and was raised in a traditional Lakota way by his parents, Warfield Sr. and Norma Moose, and by his grandparents on both sides of the family who played a major role in his upbringing.

Warfield attributes much of his life philosophy and spiritual grounding to the way in which he was raised. His family spoke only Lakota in the home and Warfield did not begin to learn English until he attended school. His family taught him the history and culture of the Lakota; and honored the traditions of the relatives who went before them. Warfield also enjoyed time spent with both sets of his grandparents.

Warfield attributes his greatest life teachings to his parents, Warfield Moose, Sr. and Norma Moose. Warfields parents were both classroom teachers. Warfield's father taught the Lakota language, history and culture. His mother Norma still works as a classroom teacher at the Pine Ridge School where she has worked for over 30 years.

At the age of 18, Warfield followed in his parents' footsteps and became a Lakota language instructor. Warfield thrived in the teaching environment, teaching Kindergarten through eighth grade for five years, then instructing high school students in history, language and culture.

It was 1978 when Warfield first met the respected Lakota Yuwipi healer, Dawson Has No Horse and experienced the powerful healing of the traditional ways. Dawson was a highly regarded healer in the community and his name was spoken with great reverence and respect. Dawson foretold that young Warfield would one day choose between becoming an artist or powerful medicine man. Dawson counseled Warfield's family to allow the young Warfield to enjoy his life until such time as the dream or true calling appeared. Dawson's impact on Warfield life was great. It was a great loss to him when Dawson died in 1982.

When Warfield was only 12 years old, he dreamed he was sitting on a hill and praying when a man appeared to him in the form of lightening and with a voice of thunder. The man spoke to Warfield and told him that they would be friends; and that this man had a job for Warfield. At Warfield's first Yuwipi ceremony, the spirits told Warfield that if his dream was to be a part of him that he should always tell the truth. Warfield committed to the spirits that night to not take drugs and alcohol.

Warfields father passed away on May 16, 1996 and it left him with a permanent sadness. Warfield never questioned why his father got sick and recognized how going through the disease with his dad made him a stronger and more compassionate person, more determined than ever, to help others.

After his father passed away, Warfield put another of his talents to use and had already begun traveling to Sundance and Yuwipi Ceremonies to sing for ceremonies. Over the course of several years, Warfield sang for 11 different medicine men and learned about each of their deep commitment to the sacred traditions and the sacrifices they made in their lives to help the people. Warfield was taught by these men the ancient ceremony songs that have been passed down through the generations by the Lakota people.

Today, Warfield helps and supports tribes with healing ceremonies across the US and Canada. Warfield began running Sundance ceremonies in 1996 on the Blood reserve for the Blackfoot tribe. Warfield has traveled around the world to perform ceremonies in Italy, Canada and Switzerland. Warfield has presided over the opening of the Lakota Embassy in Florence Italy.

Warfield currently runs four Sundance ceremonies annually: the Letendre Family Sundance for the Alexis Nakota Sioux, an Omaha Tribe Sundance on the reservation in Macy, Nebraska, the American Indian Movement Sundance in Pipestone, Minnesota and his own Sundance which honors the legacy of his father.

Eugene Alexis, Nakota Sioux

Eugene Alexis was born and raised on the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation Reserve. Grandson of Joe Alexis (The last hereditary Chief) Eugene graduated grade 12 from Onoway High School in 1987 and then went on to study Art at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary, Alberta.

Eugene became heavily involved in alcohol and drugs at a young age. He almost died from an overdose. Since then Eugene has sought ways to nurture his Spirit back to life.

Eugenes passion is in painting Cultural and Spiritual art. He first became interested in art at the age of eight. He started by drawing sketches of horses and then began drawing sketches of cowboys and Indians and tee-pees. Eugene began painting when he was 13. At 19, around 1988, he began painting Cultural and Spiritual compositions and has never stopped.

Eugene is a cultural drummer, singer, song maker and recording artist. He enjoys traveling to other First Nation communities attending roundances, spiritual and social functions with his family. Eugene and his family were privileged to have received an award from the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards for the Best Traditional Album: Historical (2001) for Roundance Time. The award was dedicated to their late father Logan Alexis.

When Eugene is not traveling, singing, painting, or working as a M.C. at a social event, he can be found teaching the Stoney Language at the Alexis Elementary and Junior and Senior High School. Eugene has been working on reviving the Stoney Language and maintaining and preserving the Language in his community.