Time & Location
Mar 19, 2025, 2:00 p.m. – Mar 21, 2025, 6:00 p.m.
Kananaskis Lodge & Nordic Spa, 1 Centennial Dr, Kananaskis Village, AB T0L 2H0, Canada
About the event
The Blood Tribes Women’s Wellness Retreat will take place at the picturesque Kananaskis, a setting chosen for its serene environment, ideal for reflection and renewal. This retreat focuses on:
Holistic Healing: Providing mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness activities.
Cultural Empowerment: Celebrating and preserving traditional practices and knowledge.
Leadership Development: Equipping participants with tools to strengthen their roles within their families and communities.
Presenters
Elder Cathy Hunt
Oki, niitanako S’tahh’tsinaims’skaa’ki. Thunder Pipe Woman Under The Sky.
My name is Cathy Hunt, my husband is Roger Hunt Sr. I come from the Blood Tribe and have lived most of my life on reserve. We live in the community known as Fort Whoop Up, where I raised my family and continue to live today. We have 5 children together, along with 17 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. As well numerous adopted children through our ceremony family.
We started our spiritual journey 30 years ago through Akokaasin, joining our sacred societies
which lead us to learning our old customs and beliefs.
We are both retired, Roger was an addictions counsellor and worked with our tribe and our people. I worked with our tribe as a Registered Social Worker with our senior’s. With the skills and experience we both have gained throughout our life and work, we have molded our family and beliefs with spirituality, culture and ceremony.
White Buffalo Singers
White Buffalo Singers is an all-female drum group founded by Keira and Doricia when they were in junior high. The duo first met in grades 5 and 6 while learning to sing, and as they grew, they remained dedicated to sharing their culture and passing down their talents to the youth in their community.
For the past eight years, they have performed at events advocating for causes such as Sisters in Spirit MMIW, Truth & Reconciliation Orange Shirt Day, Anti-Bullying Pink Shirt Day, and violence and addiction prevention. They have also shared their voices at Lethbridge College, Chinook Regional Hospital, and as youth ambassadors for the Blackfoot Confederacy’s Blackfoot Language Symposium.
Keira has completed her first year of culinary school, while Doricia plans to pursue Kinesiology at the University of Lethbridge.
Dr. Gabrielle Weaslehead
Dr. Gabrielle E. Weasel Head, Tsapinaaki, is a member of the Kainai Nation, Blackfoot Confederacy.
An Associate Professor in Indigenous Studies with Mount Royal University, her teaching background includes instructing on topics around First Nation, Métis, and Inuit history and current issues, Indigenous Studies (Canadian and International perspectives), Indigenous cross-cultural approaches, and Indigenous research methods and ethics.
Her dissertation research focused on the interplay between trauma and resilience in the postsecondary experiences of Indigenous adult learners.
Other research interests include meaningful assessment in higher education, Indigenous homelessness, Indigenous history education, intercultural parallels in teaching and learning research, Indigenous lived experience of resilience, Indigenous community-based research, parenting assessment tools reform in child welfare, anti-colonial theory, and anti-racist pedagogy.
Isabel from Highlands Yoga Room - Meditation & Yoga
Passionate about Yoga & Wellness, Isabel Fry, a certified Yoga & Meditation Teacher as well as a Reiki healer, has an excitement for wellness and it shines with her two businesses Breathe Retreats and Highlands Yoga Room.
Crystal from Thrubodymindbreath - 9D Breathwork
Crystal's coaching is a true integration of bodymindbreath through Hypnotherapy, Breathwork, Integrative Health Coaching, Stress & Anxiety Management, Reiki and more.
Ahkoiinnimaki (Pipe Woman) Star Crop Eared Wolf
A visionary artist and curator from the Kainai Nation, Ahkoiinnimaki (Pipe Woman) Star Crop Eared Wolf has carved an inspiring path in the world of Indigenous art and cultural preservation. With a deep commitment to the Niitsitapi heritage, her multidisciplinary work — including painting, sculpture and photography — explores environmental and cultural themes deeply rooted in Blackfoot traditions. Achieving her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Native American Art (Art History/Museum Studies) in 2017, Crop Eared Wolf’s her leadership extends beyond the gallery walls, with community- based initiatives and workshops, including Traditional Blackfoot Plants workshops across Treaty 7 territory. Currently the curator at The Confluence (Fort Calgary),
Crop Eared Wolf is transforming the interpretive exhibits, bringing Indigenous perspectives to the forefront. Her journey is a testament to the power of art and education in fostering cultural understanding and connection.