Board Members

Pat Bruderer / Halfmoon is a band member from the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation born and raised in Churchill, Manitoba. She lived in Mosakahiken Cree Nation and worked in First Nations communities for most of her life.

 Pat is a self-taught artist with over 40 years of experience in clothing design and Birch Bark Biting. She has made a lifetime commitment to the preservation of the ancient First Nations art form of birch bark biting. She teaches approximately 4000+ children per year. 

 She has held different job titles, including events coordinator, restorative justice, and working with homelessness and people with addictions. 

 Pat is an alcohol and drug-free person for 30+ years. Half Moon has been directly impacted by the effects of the residential school system and colonization. She has also felt the impacts of the First Nations housing and water crisis.

She has been a strong advocate for women’s issues, such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Female Genital Mutilation and speaking against violence against women.

 She believes that people should not be suffering from contaminated water, and substandard/non-affordable housing. Loss of language/cultural traditions and poor nutrition due to the high cost of food. 

 This is a life vision for her to address these issues that we face not only on this continent but on a global level. 

www.halfmoonwoman.com

Jadeon Rathgeber is Asiniskawiyiniwak (Rocky Cree), a band member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. He is also of European descent from Germany and Switzerland. Jadeon was born and raised in a First Nations community in Northern Manitoba, Canada.
 

Jadeon’s traditional name is Muskegee Muskwa which translates to Medicine Bear.

He is a full-time artist who began his career as a woodcarver. 

Today Jadeon specializes in jewelry carving and design. 

He is well versed in environmental and social justice issues the First Nations People face.

His artwork has taken him to different parts of the world; in 2014, at the United Nations in Geneva, he participated in an art exhibit for international women's day. 

Jadeon has researched for the last five years sustainable building and land development. 

He is a founding member of Kikiwak.

Jadeon's new passion in life is to create a building model that will contribute to the first nation's housing, food and water crises.

 Jadeon owes everything in life to his daughter and family for never giving up on him.

www.medicinebeararts.com

Indigenous Educator/Curriculum Developer/Permaculture Designer

 Jenna Hopper is an Indigenous Success Coach for School District 8, and the Co-Founder of Kikiwak First Peoples Society. A carrier of Metis Cree lineage through her mother, she proudly acknowledges that several of her Great Grandfathers fought in the Metis Resistances during the late 1800s. As well as a Bachelor in Indigenous Education from the U of A, she is a certified Permaculture Designer from Verge Permaculture, a highly respected and award-winning Institute. 

 Currently, she is developing a 4-acre homestead anchored through an Indigenous worldview. Supporting organizations with the respectful integration of Indigenous Permaculture Design to create healthier systems is her unwavering passion. Over the past 8 years, Jenna has worked in service of Indigenous youth and elders in a variety of programs. 

 In recent years she has co-developed and facilitated programs for both adults and youth. Programs such as food forest design, as well as teaching youth how to ethically harvest and make their own medicinal and food grade preserves such as acorn flour, dried teas, fruit leather and more. Developing innovative Indigenous Permaculture programs for students in grades k-9, as well as coaching many of her colleagues for their professional development. Contributing in a good way to the social fabric of the communities she works in is always her top priority. 

Raeanna Sinclair is a band member from Mosahiken Cree Nation which is in Northern Manitoba. Her traditional name is Morning Star. She comes from a long lineage of First Nations artists, language, and knowledge keepers.

 Presently Raeanna is currently apprenticing under her mother Half Moon who is one of the few remaining Birch Bark Biting Artist.

As an indigenous youth she is deeply passionate about the current conditions in the First Nations communities that the people are facing in the present day. Raeanna has personally lived and been impacted by the devastating effects of the first nations housing water and food crisis.

Since an early age Raeanna has been deeply passionate speaking out about social injustices that plague First Nations communities. She is confident that with these sustainable and land developments. The First Nations and home communities can begin to heal, learn our traditional ways, and get back to living in harmony with mother earth once again. By the effects of colonization and the residential school system.

Deborah L Smith is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta who currently lives and works in British Columbia as a Researcher/Consultant. She is also a full-time Ph. D. Honour student in Creative Writing. 

Her Master's degree was in Media Production which followed two decades as an independent producer and screenwriter. Recent opportunities involved working with Chief Atahm School located on the Adams Lake Indian Reserve as a Digital Media Specialist. During that time she co-produced a series of Secwepemc Language videos for the Pre-School program. 

As well as creative writing, Deborah is an artist and graphic designer. Her keen interest in people and their lives drives an intense desire to build a library of narratives, biographies, and non-fiction works that have yet to be told. It is also her wish to respect and honor their lives and visions for a future where the next generations live in a good way. In the Cree teachings, this is known as wahkohtawin. 

She is proud and excited to be part of Kikiwaks' mission and looks forward to helping it grow to be successful in achieving their goals as a Society. 

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