Albert McLeod
Sonya Ballantyne is a Swampy Cree writer, filmmaker, and speaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her work focuses on contemporary and futuristic portrayals of Indigenous women and girls. If you want a story about a cheeky Native girl or a presentation on the media's portrayal of Indigenous women, she's your go-to. Her published works include children's book Kerri Berry Lynn as well as contributions to anthologies such as Pros and Comic Cons and Women Love Wrestling. She has also written for television, such as APTN's Taken and the children's show Wolf-Joe. She is currently working on her first feature film, a graphic novel memoir, and the forthcoming game The Walking Dead: Last MILE.
Albert McLeod is a Status Indian with ancestry from Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and the Metis communities of Cross Lake and Norway House in northern Manitoba. He has over thirty years of experience as a human rights activist and was one of the founders of the 2-Spirited People of Manitoba.
Albert began his 2Spirit advocacy in Winnipeg in 1986 and became an HIV/AIDS activist in 1987. He was the director of the Manitoba Aboriginal AIDS Task Force from 1991 to 2001. In 2018, Albert received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Winnipeg. He was also a member of the sub-working group that produced the MMIWG - 2SLGBTQQIA+ National Action Plan Report in 2020-2021. In 2020, Albert joined Team Thunderhead, the team that recently won the international competition to design the 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument in Ottawa. Albert lives in Winnipeg, where he works as a consultant specializing in Indigenous peoples, 2Spirit history and identity, cultural reclamation, and cross-cultural training.
Elaine Mordoch is an adjunct professor at the College of Nursing, University of Manitoba, where she taught mental health theory to students in the Pas, Thompson, and Winnipeg. Dr. Mordoch also spent 20 years teaching counselling skills to community wellness workers enrolled in what was once known as the university's Aboriginal Focus Program. She has remained passionate about mental health nursing throughout her career, in teaching, in practice, and in research focusing on topics like Indigenous students' perceptions of intergenerational trauma on education, suicide prevention, and most recently, the lived experiences of Two Spirit people with Elder Albert McLeod. She is a longstanding supporter of the Winnipeg Suicide Prevention Network.
Alice RL (they/them) is a professional illustrator and art teacher based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As a non-binary, Ojibwe artist, Alice draws inspiration from their life experiences and cultural teachings. Alice blends these inspirations with a signature palette of bright, playful hues to create stunning juxtapositions of human brutality and emotion with hope and whimsy. Alice's range of projects include video game and comic book art, digital and traditional illustration, and graphic design. Alice is a Graduate of the University of Manitoba Fine Arts Program and Digital Media Design at Red River College.
