Learning Opportunities

Cadmus Delorme, a Cree and Saulteaux (pronounced: sow-toe), is a citizen of the Cowessess (pronounced: Cow-is-ess) First Nation.

• Mr. Delorme was an elected Chief from 2016 to 2023.
• In 2023, Mr. Delorme received an honorary degree from the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Institution.
• In 2021, he achieved an Institute of Corporate Director designation.

• In 2016, he achieved a Masters of Public Administration from the Johnson- Shoyama (pronounced: Shoi-ama) Graduate School of Public Policy.

• And, in 2013, Mr. Delorme achieved a Bachelor of Business Administration along with a Certificate in Hospitality, Tourism and Gaming Entertainment Management from the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv).
In addition to his educational achievements, he has also been the recipient of numerous awards and sat on various committees, such as:
• In 2012, Mr. Delorme was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his student leadership and the hospitality he showed to King Charles III and his Queen Consulate Camilla when they visited First Nation
University of Canada in 2012.
• In 2022 Mr. Delorme was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee.
• In 2015 Mr. Delorme was named one of CBC Saskatchewan’s Future 40, which celebrates the province’s new generation of leaders, builders, and change-makers under the age of 40.

 

While Chief, Mr. Delorme’s focus was on three pillars: cultural rejuvenation, political sovereignty, and economic self-sustainability. During the seven years in office, Cowessess First Nation advanced in governance stability, child welfare reform, renewable energy projects, agriculture, property management, and more.

In April 2023, Mr. Delorme chose to not run for a third term and soon after became a founder and Partner to OneHoop Advisory Services and founder and Partner to Flowing River Capital Group, which focuses on enhancing the private equity market through Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action #92: Business and Reconciliation, and #57: Professional Development.

Mr. Delorme and his wife Kimberly raise his brother-in-law, daughter and two sons in Regina and on the Cowessess First Nation.

Dr. Vivian Ayoungman, an esteemed member of the Siksika First Nation, boasts an impressive educational background with a Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary and three graduate degrees from Arizona State University. Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, encompasses a wide range of roles including classroom teacher, student counsellor, vice-principal, curriculum developer, college administrator, university instructor, and executive director. Recognized for her contributions to education, she was honored as the 1992 Woman of Distinction in Education in Calgary and as a Distinguished Alumni by the University of Calgary. Currently, she serves as the part-time Executive Director of the First Nations Adult and Higher Education Consortium (FNAHEC), actively contributing to the advancement of education in her community.

In addition to her administrative and educational endeavors, Dr. Ayoungman was deeply involved in the Digital Preservation of Indian Residential Schools Project. Collaborating with community members, survivors, and academic researchers, she played a crucial role in digitally documenting the Old Sun Indian Residential School. This project not only aims to preserve the physicality of these historical sites but also seeks to capture the profound human stories and lived experiences of those who were part of the residential schools. Through her work, Dr. Ayoungman bridges the gap between technological preservation and cultural heritage, ensuring that the legacy of these institutions and their impact on Indigenous communities are comprehensively understood and remembered by future generations.