Banff Centre’s Application, Student Registration and Payment Systems, including the Student Portal, will be unavailable from 4pm Monday June 22nd to noon Tuesday June 23rd due to planned maintenance. Any questions please contact admissions@banffcentre.ca.
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Photo by Rita Taylor
Indigenous communities are strengthening their nations during a time of significant global and social change. Women are encouraged to stand strong, reconnect with their purpose, and remember the importance of their lives. This program unites leaders from diverse backgrounds to share knowledge, renew hopes, and envision a brighter future.
Participants will engage in deep listening, learning, and letting go, expanding feminine wisdom and ancestral knowledge in a sacred space. With guidance from Elders, they will reconnect with their true selves, transform challenges into strengths, and embrace their responsibilities, well-being, and abundance through land-based learning, culture, and ceremonies.
Calling Our Spirits Home: Indigenous Women in Leadership is a comprehensive program designed for those seeking a unique type of leadership training.
With guidance from the Elder, participants will share traditional and spiritual wisdom while connecting with the land and cultural teachings.
Program highlights
This program will be beneficial for Indigenous women leaders, administrators, and service providers seeking to reawaken their leadership gifts including
Priority is give to Indigenous learners and those working for Indigenous communities and organizations.
Applicant must be 18+ at the start of the program.
We welcome applicants of all ages (18+), backgrounds, and expressions to apply. Applicants should self-identify as women.
Indigenous leadership programs are strategically focused on building your capacity to successfully assist your community and organization. Individuals who successfully complete a program from each of the seven wise practice elements will earn a Certificate of Indigenous Leadership, Governance, and Management Excellence.
Participants are required to dedicate approximately 40 hours during the week to this program.
Monday to Thursday, 8:30 am to 5 pm
Finishes Friday, 1:30 pm after lunch
Each day will open with a smudge and teachings and close with a daily wrap-up.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Alice Kaquitts is a proud member of the Stoney Nakoda Wesley First Nation. Alice is a respected elder and community leader in the Stoney Nakoda nation and is the daughter of Alice Kaquitts Sr. and Thomas Simeon, and great-granddaughter of renowned Chief Hector Crawler.
Alice grew up in a traditional way of life where Nakoda language, culture and protocols were taught and followed. Alice’s formal education includes a diploma from Mount Royal College and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Calgary. Alice has been working within the Stoney Nakoda Nation in senior level positions for over 20 years.
Alice is a healthy, proud grandmother to 5 beautiful grandchildren and mother to two adult sons, and enjoys passing on her traditional knowledge and teachings to the future generations.
Erin (Gizhagatte, Ashati Sakahikan) belongs to the crystalline waters of Benessai Ochininissing, Skeleton Lake in the traditional lands of the Three Fires of the Anishinabek - Ojibway, Potawatomi and Odawa Peoples in Ontario, Canada. Erin walks with vision, and all of life as mind, bridging worlds and reweaving pathways towards what is possible and the essence of what is being called to life. She is woven through Reconciliation Canada as the Director of Knowledge and Indigenous Leadership in fields of collective transformation; lead faculty for Indigenous Leadership at the Banff Centre [Wise Practices for Indigneous Leaders and Truth and Reconciliation through Right Relations]; assistant professor in the Global Leadership MA at Royal Roads University, convenor of Indigneous Leadership within the International Leadership Association, firekeeper for the World Ethic Forum. Erin is involved with many efforts of planetary health from Skeleton Lake, to the artistry of community weaving with the Together Insitute, and life promotion through Feather Carriers Leadership for Life Promotion and the Canadian Association of Suicide Prevention. Erin identifies as otipêmisiwak, Cree-Michif and Icelandic-English and works collectively as one with nations across Akiikwe, Mother Earth. She carries many different experiences in her life bundle, including a MA Global Leadership, post-graduate certification in Ecopyschology, Getting to Maybe Systems Change Residency and Wolf Willow Positive Deviants Fellow in our everlasting circles of collective wisdom.
Megan Samms (they/she) is L’nu and Nlha7kápmx, a visual and multidisciplinary artist,Indigenous agriculturalist, beekeeper, and community worker; their creative practice is integrated with territory/ies, agricultural and community work, and art inquiries and processes. Samms makes her life in her home community, in one of their two Ancestral land bases: Katalisk, Ktaqmkuk, Mi’kma’ki, Wabanaki Territory (colonially: Codroy Valley, newfoundland, canada).Samms was born and raised in Katalisk where her paternal, L’nu relations are from and continue to be. Samms’ maternal ancestry and relations are Nlha7kápmx and come from ltKumcheen (Lytton). Samms has spent significant time living across Turtle Island and continues to visit and travel. Samms is also a descendant of Italy, France, Wales, and Scandinavia without lived experience or cultural connection to Europe. Samms has been an occasional visitor to Scandinavian, North Atlantic territories where she is in relation through marine boreal bio-regionality.
Drawing from varied practices, Samms works with various mediums and disciplines to articulate story, messages, and continual dialogue with(in) historic and contemporary placebased contexts. Samms is known for weaving and natural dye work, and uses performance interventions and photo to remember and triangulate entangled presence and relationship with place and time; through this, contributing to narratives, and re-narrativization/remembering, of her territory(ies). Samms is a frequent collaborator and an emerging Ancestral Skin Marker; her mentors are Dion Kaszas, Jerry Evans, and Keith Callihoo. Samms’ considers weaving and skin marking to be two of the most important acts of presencing in her practice.
Samms shares work in non conventional or non institutional art spaces like abandoned buildings, Land, or community spaces; in solo and group exhibitions at Artist Run Centres, as well as larger institutions, regional galleries, and at various festivals. Samms is an incoming participating artist in La Biennale d’art contemporain autochone (BACA) in 02026; she was an Anchor Artist at Nocturne Festival in Kjipuktuk in 02025; and was a participating artist in the Bonavista Biennale in 02023 and 02025. In 02025 Samms administered the Second Wave Ancestral Marking Group Mentorship with mentor, Dion Kaszas; was a Leighton Independent Artist in Residence (Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity), a TC2 Weaver in Residence (Centre for Research and Innovation and in private studio); and was long listed for the Sobey Art Award (National Gallery). In 02024, Samms was honoured with the Theodore Prize from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, Wabanakik; in the same year was nominated for the Sobey Art Award (National Gallery), and for various awards from VANL-CARFAC and was shortlisted for the Craftsperson of the Year. Samms’ work has been shared in a variety of artful and peer-reviewed publications including the Journal of Creative Cartography from the University of Arizona, Native Land Digital, Riddlefence Magazine, and Beside Magazine. Samms has received generous attention from media like Muskrat Magazine, CBC, Visual Arts News, and the Globe & Mail. Samms is the chair of the board of Union House Arts in Port Union, Ktaqmkuk and incoming faculty at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Indigenous Leadership: Calling Our Spirits Home. Her (forever continued) education is Land, peer-to-peer, and mentorship based.
Kluane Adamek – Aagé (she/her), is a proud citizen of Kluane First Nation and served as the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Yukon Regional Chief from 2018 -2025. She deeply appreciates and respects the Matriarchs who welcomed her into the Dakl’aweidi Clan. Her Grandmother, the late Ch’aalį um, always reminded her to be proud of who she is, and where she comes from; her Southern Tutchone, Tlingit, and non-Indigenous ancestry, postsecondary education, and her lived experiences. From a young age, her Grandfather taught her to be consistent, stay focused and to never compromise integrity. These teachings have given Kluane the unique ability to walk in what her Grandma described as ‘both worlds’, and to lead with humility and courage.
Kluane has professional experience in the public, private, and non-government organizations. She is known as a facilitator and able to navigate complex issues with diplomacy, integrity, and compassion. She has served on various national and regional boards and committees including as a Trustee – Kluane First Nation Trust and recently appointed by the Prime Minister to the Indigenous Advisory Council, Major Projects Office.
She is functionally bilingual in English and French and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University and a Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University. Most recently, she obtained a Certificate in Indigenous Governance from the University of Arizona and is completing her Institute of Corporate Directors certification.
In 2020, she was named one of the Top 25 Canadian Women of Influence in recognition of her contributions to the next generation of women in leadership and climate action. She is passionate about supporting youth and led the founding of ‘Our Voices,’ a Northern Indigenous Emerging Leaders Collective. Leading from her values is incredibly important to her, and she is described as a driven, strategic, and diplomatic leader who builds strong relationships and cares about people.
Between 2018-2025, while serving as Regional Chief, Kluane Adamek and the AFN Yukon team hosted over 20 Chiefs Summits, in addition to quarterly AFN Yukon Executive Meetings. Together, with Yukon First Nations, (YFN) she has increased the accountability, regional engagement, modernization, and relevance of the Yukon region nationally and internationally.
With nearly eight years serving in political office, Kluane Adamek has proven to be a consistent and strong voice for Yukon First Nations priorities and solutions regionally, nationally, and internationally
Your program fee includes a single bedroom on the Banff Centre campus for the duration of your program.
Get connected with other participants on campus and focus on your projects while we take care of the day-to-day essentials.
Using a credit-based system to dine on campus, our flexible meal plans allow you to select meals according to your own needs during your stay. Banff Centre can respond to most dietary requests.
The Full meal plan is equivalent to $73 credit per day, equivalent to two meals at our Buffet service.
Join in group seminars/workshops.
$35 application is included in the program fee.
Limited funding is available to help some participants with program fees.
All participants must pay a confirmation fee of $262.50 within fourteen days of registration. We reserve the right to cancel registrants if payment and confirmation is not received within fourteen days.
Participants who are awarded financial aid who cancel their registration within the cancellation policy deadlines may be ineligible to receive Banff Centre funding for a period of 12 months.
Registrations are non-transferable and cannot be applied to different programs or used on behalf of other registrants .
More information on our cancellation policy can be found here.
Banff Centre is a post-secondary institution in the province of Alberta. We are required to issue tax receipts for applicable financial assistance and awards received, and eligible tuition charged, as per the Income Tax Act and Canada Revenue Agency. To learn more, please visit Tax Information for program participants and/ or P105 Students and Income Tax 2025.
Learn more about the steps to Complete Your Application.
Banff Centre’s Application, Student Registration and Payment Systems, including the Student Portal, will be unavailable from 4pm Monday June 22nd to noon Tuesday June 23rd due to planned maintenance. Any questions please contact admissions@banffcentre.ca.
If you have requested financial assistance, please ensure that you log in to your Student Portal within 48 hours of registration, to submit your funding request form.
If you do not require financial assistance, please ensure that you log in to your Student Portal and complete confirmation of attendance and full payment as soon as possible, but no later than 7 days from completing step 1.
Note that non-completion within the timelines stated may result in your place being offered to the waitlist.
All programs, faculty, dates, fees, and offers of financial assistance are subject to change. Program fee is subject to applicable taxes. Non-refundable fees and deposits will be retained upon cancellation. Any other fees are refunded at the discretion of the Banff Centre. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.