The AIP’s three Regional Selection Committees review nominations submitted from their regions and make recommendations to the National Selection Committee. In addition to representing their region, members are Northerners who represent diverse sectors and communities.
Residing in the Yukon with her young daughter and an active member of the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation, Shelby is a recognized role model, artist, academic, activist and educator of Northern Tutchone descent. Building strong community connections and cultural programs within the areas of arts, education and cultural traditions is present in every aspect of her life. Shelby is known for gathering and sharing her knowledge in these areas with anyone who is willing to learn. She comes from a long line of artisans and storytellers, and loves to share the history behind the traditional art forms that she teaches. Shelby holds a Masters of Education in Leadership from SFU and has worked towards her PHD in Indigenous Governance from University of Victoria, pausing her studies to move back north when her daughter was born. She currently works with the department of Aboriginal Relations as a Senior Advisor in Implementation and Reconciliation for the Yukon Government.
Shelagh Rowles brings years of experience in developing programs in collaboration with Yukon First Nations, communities, government, and industry stakeholders through her experience as a senior leader at Yukon University where she has worked since 1991. She has sat on many local and national advisory boards related to building capacity in the North. She currently sits as a federally appointed member of Yukon’s Surface Rights Board.
In addition to working as an academic dean and administering Yukon College’s community campuses for many years, Shelagh has worked as the Executive Director for Yukon College’s Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining (CNIM) since it was established in 2013 and as the Executive Director of the university’s newly established Continuing Studies unit.
Shelagh holds a B.A., BEd., MEd., and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in history, public policy, and innovation.
Shëné Catholique-Valpy is a member of the Łutsel k’e Dene First Nation Band in the Northwest Territories. Her mother, Snookie Catholique was born in Łutsel k’e and grew up in residential school in the Territories, while her father, Bruce Valpy, grew up in Montreal and Percé, Quebec. Having her foot in both worlds, shapes and guides who she is today.
Shëné currently resides in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories with her partner and three children and it is important to her that they understand the importance of activism, especially with Indigenous culture, while providing them with a safe nurturing upbringing.
Shëné has spent the last 6 years advocating for the recognition of the traditional language specifically; spelling, proper orthography and diacritics for Indigenous names on official documents. She is now working for the Arctic Funders Collaborative as the Communications Coordinator.
Shëné hopes to continue her education in Midwifery in the future by advocating and making sure midwives are available to the young mothers who travel to Yellowknife, NT, as she believes the Indigenous mothers are the key to cultural roots.
Shëné attends the annual Hide Camp in Łutsel k’e every year with her children to learn to tan hides and brings her knowledge home to continue this tradition. Shëné tries to travel often to Łutsel k’e multiple times a year by air or water to stay connected to the land. She carries on the role her parents did for her by making sure her children know where they are from so they can feel proud and confident of all their roots.
Shawna McLeod is of Dene and Mètis heritage, originally from Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, but has spent most of her teen years living in, and is currently in Yellowknife, NT. She is a member of the Deh Gáh Got’íé First Nations. She has completed the Certificate in Indigenous Language Revitalization through a partnership between the University of Victoria and Aurora College. She has completed the Mentor-Apprentice program where she has begun the journey of learning her native language of Dene Zhatié. She has studied Professional Photography at the Western Academy of Photography in Victoria, BC where she has won awards for her work. Shawna is currently enrolled in the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship Program.
McLeod’s career to date has focused on Sport and Recreation, and the development of Northern Games, Dene Games and Archery. Shawna is employed by the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the Northwest Territories. Recently Shawna was the Chef De Mission for Team NT at the North American Indigenous Games in Toronto, Ontario. She is passionate about building positive relationships and connecting with youth in communities across the North, a big part of her responsibility is to train community-based instructors in Northern and Dene Games who in turn will encourage youth to participate and stay connected with their heritage and culture.
Outside of work, McLeod enjoys learning new skills and is currently learning the craft of moose hair tufting, moose hide tanning, and porcupine quilling. She continues to hone her skills at beading and sewing. Shawna loves being out on the land with her partner and their three children, especially when it includes camping along the Mackenzie river or snowmobiling in the cold northern landscape. Shawna loves to take pictures of nature, family portraits and most of all networking with people of similar interests.
At only twenty-six years old, Alicia Aragutak is a seasoned role model; she has travelled as far as Peru, New Zealand, and South Africa to speak about the vital importance of Indigenous culture. During her tenure as the founder and first President of the Qarjuit Youth Council, Alicia held Inuit youth consultations for all fourteen Nunavik communities, creating pioneering programs to bring youth and elders together. She served as a Youth Ambassador for the Qanuilirpitaa? survey initiative which examined the health of the Nunavik population, and also engaged in a regional Arctic Policy Framework roundtable, helping to build a long-term vision for the Canadian and circumpolar Arctic.
In her current position as Executive Director of the Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre, Alicia helps facilitate a culturally sensitive treatment and healing process which addresses the role that intergenerational trauma plays in addiction, grounding patient recovery in traditional Inuit practices. Alicia is a tireless change-maker whose work has already had a huge impact on the lives of Inuit across Inuit Nunangat.
Mathieya Alatini is an experienced leader with a tireless work ethic and a strong voice. She’s known for vision, trailblazing and a no-nonsense approach to overcoming obstacles to get things done.
Mathieya is from Burwash Landing and has extensive family throughout the Yukon. She was raised traditionally, having lived in both small towns and large cities, giving her the unique understanding necessary to bridge both worlds.
She has experience working with federal, territorial and First Nations governments. Mathieya holds a Degree in commerce from University of Victoria, and like many Yukoners has worked in several different industries throughout her career, ranging from tourism to construction and mining. Her experience serving as the Chief of Kluane First Nation from 2010-2016 gave Mathieya experience building a local economy, moving towards energy self-sufficiency and creating food security through building community. She continues to support communities through local, pan-northern and national boards and committees such as NRCan’s GEM2 AGN, EntrepreNorth, the National and Regional Selection Committees of the Arctic Inspiration Prize and KFN’s Constitution Committee.
The connection and pride she feels calling beautiful Kluane country home is a foundational motivator to her work in Yukon, across the North and the rest of Canada. Her vision is to create and support opportunities for social and economic growth in a way that will ensure our environment is here for future generations.
A passionate singer/songwriter and soulful performer, Leela Gilday has a voice that comes straight from the heart. Confessing her stories to her audiences with a gutsy voice and open stage presence, Gilday weaves her experiences as a Northerner, a member of the Dene nation, and a traveler into a beautiful world that transports the listener.
With four full-length recordings and a long touring history, Gilday has numerous awards to her credit, including a Juno, two Western Canadian Music Awards, Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year to name a few. Above all, she seeks connection with her audiences through music, and with each record brings more unique stories to the world. Whether it’s an anthem for the oppressed, or an upbeat song about mortality, she infuses her songs with a sense of humour as well as a sense of social justice, and an ironic appreciation of human folly.
Based out of Yellowknife, NT, Leela has toured festivals and concert halls with her four-piece band through every province and territory in Canada. She has also played internationally in several countries including Japan, US, Greenland, Denmark, and New Zealand. Her live shows, and many appearances on television and radio have earned her an important place in the Aboriginal music scene, as well as a loyal mainstream following.
Kristy is from and resides in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador). She has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Acadia University and a Master of Arts in Tourism Management from Royal Roads University.
Kristy is a senior manager with the Nunatsiavut Government. Her career has been focused on community development. As Nunatsiavut’s first Director of Tourism, she helped establish the region as a tourism destination. Kristy transitioned into the role of Director of Economic Development in 2016. At the Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference (2017), she was recognized as one of the 250 up-and-coming leaders in Canada.
Kristy is an active member with industry organizations/companies including SmartICE, the Nunatsiavut Group of Companies and the Economic Development Association of NL
