Board Members

Ashleigh Cardinal

Ashleigh Cardinal

Co-Chair
Ashleigh Cardinal (she/her) is a 2 Spirit Nehiyaw Woman from Goodfish Lake, AB on Treaty 6 Territory. She is a human rights activist with a passion for Indigenous Rights and Racial Equity for BIPOC. Her Spirit Name is Yohtin Iskwew and she is a 1st-year General Studies Student at Yellowhead Tribal College with dreams to become an Expressive Arts Therapist as well as Addictions & Community Support Worker. Her other passions include: Street Patrolling with Bear Clan Edmonton Chapter and Water Warriors YEG, promoting Harm Reduction and Community Compassion. She is in partnership with “Alberta Humanitarian Initiative”, a grassroots organization that involves various Humanitarians and Activists from around so-called British Columbia and so-called Alberta. This includes fundraising for families in need, clothing drives and weekly Inclusivity Checks (Topics vary every week) She is also an Artist who has been featured in online Magazines for BIPOC and creating awareness for Climate Change.
Jamie B

Jamie B

Co-Chair

From the Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement in the colonial state of Canada where he was raised among her grandparents and large extended family. Jamie is a Two-Spirit, single parent who canceled their subscription to designated pronouns. 

Jamie has reclaimed her 2 spirit teachings by identifying, harvesting, and preparing indigenous medicines under their Nehiyaw knowledge keepers.

Jamie has worked as an Executive Producer, Producer, Writer, Videographer, and Director since 2009, developing documentary series, youth dramas, children’s animations, and interactive platforms with Super Channel, APTN, Rogers, Bell Media, Canada Media Fund, and Alberta Media Fund. Associate Producer with Sweetgrass and Sage, Inc., which released 2 seasons of the APTN documentary series Chaos & Courage, and the one-hour doc Our Home and Native Land: Heroine Healers.  A field director for “Queen of the Oil Patch – Season 2’, and the up and coming ‘Rodeo Nation’. In 2013 they were selected by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, in partnership with the Global Leadership Academy, where they studied the world’s most infamous crimes against humanity, their work in Bosnia, Croatia, South Africa, Germany, Poland, Cambodia, Argentina and Canada – challenges the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s model for reparation. Jamie has also sat on the Aboriginal Healing Foundation of Canada as a youth advisor and on the foundation’s Audit Finance Committee.

Boyd Whiskeyjack

Boyd Whiskeyjack

Secretary & Chair of Events

Boyd represents the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6 territory and currently resides in Edmonton. With a background in youth work, Boyd works as a frontline worker for local Indigenous organization Niginan Housing Ventures as a Persons with Developmental Disabilities support worker. 

During their free time, Boyd enjoys beading, sewing, makeup, hair, and everything creative to explore gender expression through Drag (aka Cedar Wildcat)! Boyd has served as Chairperson of the Board of Directors and is one of the founding members of E2S’ incorporation in April 2018. Furthermore, Boyd was crowned International 2 Spirit Warrior 2018 in Beausejour, Manitoba where the term 2Spirit was “coined.”

With E2S’ developmental growth phase, Boyd decided to take time away from his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Alberta, in order to ensure maximum capacity building efforts are undertaken.

Gabe Calderón

Gabe Calderón

Acting Treasurer

Gabe Calderón (they/them) is nihz-manidowag (2 spirit) Anishnaabe, L’nu and mixed white (French and Scottish). They originate from Kitchi-sipi unceded Algonquin territory and currently thrive in Treaty 6- Amiskwacîwâskahikan as the current Mr International Two-Spirit 2019/20. Gabe is the Treasurer for the Edmonton 2 Spirit Society, and with a Bachelors in Social Work, a diploma in Addictions and a diploma in Herbology, they work as an educator and frontline worker from an anti-oppressive lense with over 12 years of workshop experience. Gabe is a published author and poet, receiving several awards from Prairie Fire & Historica Canada in conjunction with the Governor General’s Awards for Indigenous Arts and Stories and is the 2nd place champion of the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. Gabe single-handedly launched their organization- Mòkinàn Consulting, which strives to decolonize organizations from a two-spirit lense.

Alyssa D (she/they)

Alyssa D (she/they)

Member-at-Large

Hi folks! I am a Queer, mixed white person (French, Scottish, Ukrainian, Russian, German) living in amiskwaciywâskahikan on Treaty 6 Territory. I acknowledge my continual benefit of colonization as a white settler on stolen land. In my life, I use my privilege and platform to support Indigenous Peoples on Treaty 6 to thrive, empower their communities and take back their rightful roles on this land for the next generations. I joined the board in March 2020 after being invited to apply by my brother, Boyd Whiskeyjack; I am humbled and honored to work alongside such inspiring and powerful people in my role as Secretary of E2S. 

I work as a junior high English Language Arts and Art teacher in Edmonton, and in my spare time enjoy spending time with loved ones, reading, and creating art. I am a proud cat mom to Hubble and Orbit, my silly, sassy cats, and the way to my heart is through my stomach – I love food! 

Corey B

Corey B

Chair of ITSG20

Corey Bighorn (He/Him) is a Cree, Ojibway, and Dakota musician from Manitoba. He is a member of Bloodvein First Nation in Treaty 5 Territory and has been a guest here on Treaty 6 land since March 2020. From the age of 15, Corey spent 10+ years developing a career in First Nations Health and Education, including travelling nationally as a public speaker and songwriter.

He has been the recipient of a Youth Role Model Award from the City of Winnipeg, including a National Top 20 Under 20 Award for various advocacy work with non-profit organizations. More recently, Corey spent the past 5 years developing and managing a regional First Nations Tobacco Strategy, providing services to 36 First Nations communities in Manitoba.

Corey shifted his focus this year, from First Nations Health and Education to more dedicated work within the 2SLGBTQ+ community. He now leads Camp fYrefly, a summer camp for 14-24 year old 2SLGBTQ+ youth, as the National Coordinator at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education. In his free time, he enjoys music production, art, photography, and spending time out on the land. Corey joined the E2S Board in April 2020, and he continues to learn about the needs of the community, and ways he can be of service.

Chelsea C

Chelsea C

Chair of Socials Subcommittee
Chelsea Currie is a Plains Cree Nehîyaw two-spirit queer person. Her spirit name is Wapisiw Iskwew, meaning Swan Woman. She is a student in Indigenous Social Work at Yellowhead Tribal College in Edmonton. She is an experiential, life-long learner. Focusing on decolonial activism and advocacy, she works from an intersectional, culturally-grounded approach, while developing an anti-oppressive, decentralized, trauma-informed practice. Some of the recent work she’s done includes Canada World Youth’s International Aboriginal Youth Internship in Perú, and Katimavik National Experience. She is also a youth council member of the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate Youth Council, as well, a board member of the Edmonton 2 Spirit Society, and the 4RS National Learning Community. She is honoured to be a volunteer, panelist, and ambassador. She moves forward with the intention to be a change-maker in the different communities she is a part of.
Rhiannon Arcand

Rhiannon Arcand

Member-at-Large

Hi everybody!!

My name is Rhiannon Arcand, and my pronouns are she/her. I’m an IndigiQueer from Enoch
Cree Nation. I had a long running joke of me being a professional student. However, that
chapter of my life is coming to an end, as I am graduating this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in
Native Studies and a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Education. I am excited to be starting
my career in teaching this upcoming Fall. During my free time I like to watch anime and play
video games with family and friends. One of my passions is to create a safe space for everyone
and I take great pride knowing people have a space they can come to.

I am very excited to work beside such incredible people and to do some amazing things with
E2S.

Leigh Thomas

Leigh Thomas

Member-at-Large

nêhiyaw: piyêsiw okanawêyihcikêw
Očhethi Šakówiŋ: Čhaŋnúŋupa wašté
Pronouns: They/Them

Leigh is a Two-Spirit/Trans* Non-Binary, Queer, 25 year old, nêhiyaw-Métis from Pelican Lake First Nation, Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.

An award winning undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Regional and Urban Planning program and a certificate in Indigenous governance and politics from the University of Saskatchewan.

They love the people, the Land, learning, and growing in understanding.