Topic:  

Blackfoot Canadian Cultural Society - 2010 International Peace PowWow

The Blackfoot Canadian Cultural Society was founded in 1998 to honour Blackfoot heritage, culture and language and to foster cross-cultural appreciation and tolerance.

Now in it's 10th year, the International Peace PowWow brings together thousands of attendees and competitors from all across North America for a weekend festival celebrating dance, music, traditional foods and costumes.  In southern Alberta, the PowWow has successfully bridged both non-native cultures and peaceful collaboration between First Nations peoples through this event with representation from all. In addition, the Society hosts the Miss Blackfoot Canada pageant the same weekend. Previous winners have gone on to compete in Miss Canada and Miss India events and have acted as ambassadors for both Blackfoot culture and southern Alberta.

Speaker's Bios:

Ms. Andrea True Joy Fox,

Ms. Andrea True Joy Fox is Miss Blackfoot Canada 2010 Pageant Coordinator. In 2008, Andrea won the title of Miss Blackfoot Canada. Since that time, she has dedicated herself to providing a role model for young women and an ambassador for the Blackfoot people as well as all First Nations peoples. While serving as Miss Blackfoot, Andrea also completed a B.A. in Art and a B.ED in Art and Drama Education at the University of Lethbridge and went on to compete in the 2009 Miss Indian World in Albequerque, New Mexico.

Currently, Andrea is a teacher at the Ecole St. Mary Elementary School. Along with to her regular classroom teaching, she coordinates the Native Dance Club with FNMI lead teacher Jamie Medicine Crane, also a former Miss Blackfoot Canada. Ecole St. Mary is proud to support this native dance program for children aged 6-12. The class is made up of students from all cultures and the group will be performing on Saturday February 27^th at the Pow Wow.  

Ms. Colette Acheson

Ms. Colette Acheson has been self-employed for much of her professional career and is well known in southern Alberta as an award-winning sales professional, management consultant, writer and business coach. Originally founded in 2004, the umbrella company ANCO Business Solutions  provides project management and communications services, but has also served as a platform to spin-off a number of successful initiatives including The Center for Board Development, the self-employment mentor program morethanthelabel.com, and entrepreneurial training delivered through LethbridgeBiz.com.