MIAC
Connecting Our Spirits
DIRECTORS & OFFICERS
MEET DUANE MORRISSEAU BECK
Director
Duane Morrisseau-Beck is a Métis from Manitoba. He became a ward of the foster care system at birth and adopted into a Ukrainian family. Duane considers himself to be a 60’s Scoop Survivor as a result of his repatriation with his birth family in 1997.
Duane’s formative years was surrounded by his love for music, the natural world and his insistence to help the less fortunate. In his early adult life he became involved in Aboriginal advocacy initiatives at the community and national level. His understanding of his cultural background and focus on community collaboration has led him to a number of volunteer opportunities and community leadership roles.
Today, Duane serves as a Program Advisor, in Ottawa, Ontario, for the federal government in Aboriginal Labor Market programs and is currently enrolled in the Honors Bachelor of Arts Program in Aboriginal Studies at the University of Ottawa.
Duane continues to volunteer his time to important causes, most notably, the issues related to the 60’s Scoop era where he is involved in initiatives currently taking place in Manitoba and Ontario. He’s also involved in a health research project at the University of Ottawa that is looking into health outcomes for Indigenous adoptees.
MEET MARLENE
ORGERON
Director
Marlene Orgeron was born in Swan River Manitoba. Marlene is a Cree woman and considers herself to be a 60’s scoop survivor. Once apprehended Marlene found herself being raise in the south eastern parts of Louisiana. Marlene is proud to present her mother Dorothy Gott of Sapotaweyak Cree Nation and her father Gordon Bourassa of Barrows Manitoba. Maralene currently resides in Brandon Manitoba.
MEET RODNEY HUNT
Director
Rodney Hunt is a Cree Indian born in Manitoba and currently resides in Winnipeg Mb. Rodney was taken from his family as a small child and became a ward of the foster care system known as the 60s Scoop. Rodney was then adopted into a Non-Indigenous family in Southern Manitoba. Rodney has been involved in activism within the Indigenous communities within Canada and United States for approximately 19 years. Rodney has worked with youth and adults from First Nation communities located north and south of the Canadian border. Rodney’s experience of being taken away from his family can in fact help others who have suffer similar fates in reference to the genocide of the Native people through the Colonization process. Rodney’s expertise comes from a variety of places such as holding the positions of Chief and Council, Legal Corporate Business Consulting, Proposal Writing and Research and Assisted Adoptees. Rodney holds a diploma with Honours from Red River College in Aboriginal Self-Government Administration.
MEET SKIP GAGNON
President
Skip is originally from the Metis community of Duck Bay, Manitoba and currently resides in Winnipeg Mb. Skip became a ward of Childern’s Aid at the age of 11 months and was adopted at the age of 5 years to a French-Canadian family located in Winnipeg Mb. At the age of 25 Skip was reunited with his biological family and to this day enjoys their company.
Skip attended the University of Manitoba and the University of Saskatchewan Native Law Center an 8.5 year study involving his Bachelor of Arts majoring in Native Studies, Bachelor of Social Work and with Bachelor of Law being his final goal. Skip is also a member of MALSA (Manitoba Aboriginal Legal Students Association) and the University of Manitoba Aboriginal Student Association; he served as an executive council member holding the elected position of Treasurer, and elected the following year (2013) as Co-President. Skip is currently (for the past 4 years) a Registered Professional Trainer given under the Corporate Seal of the Institute of Professional Management by the Canadian Professional Trainers Association. Skip has been facilitating and consulting for various organization and corportate companies on a variety of learning topics.
In September 2012 Skip was with The Legal Help Centre. Skip believes his education and work experience gives him the “Ability” to aid those in need. Skip likes to advocate for those people who cannot advocate for themselves.
Skip has dedicated the majority of his time to GMS Professionals where he is the owner of the company.
MEET MARCEL BELFOUR
Vice-President
Marcel currently resides in Winnipeg Mb. Marcel is the Executive Director for the Assembly of Manitoba Chief and was former Chief of Norway House. Marcel also holds a Law Degree from Ontario. More to come.
MEET FRED EDWARDS
Director
Fredrick Edwards is Cree from Cranberry Manitoba who is currently residing in Winnipeg Mb. Fredrick’s knowledge on the 60’s scoop stems from his adoption as an infant into a non-Aboriginal family in addition to being raised separated from his Cree culture and language. Fredrick reunited with his birth mother and her children back in 1990 and currently nearly 24 years later Fredrick considers them his family. Fredrick’s work led him to various cities such as Vancouver, New York City, Oakland and Montreal. In 2000 Fredrick undertook 16 contracts as a Trainer/Facilitator for UNESCO in various countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan, Ghana, Dakar, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Upon Fredrick’s return to Canada he continued his contractual Trainings at the University of Winnipeg PACE program and with Wii Chiiwaakanak. Currently Fredrick’s passions are found within his launched consulting business called Weetigo Training Solutions.
MEET RACHELLE WHITE WIND
Director
Rachelle White Wind is from the Ojibwe/Cree Nation and is a member of the Wolf Clan. Only a few months old, Rachelle was adopted and raised in a small French community on the outskirts of Winnipeg, Manitoba. A beauty school graduate, she found jobs as a hairdresser and makeup artist. With that she was able to pay for her acting classes and was also a member of the prestigious Ford Models, walking the catwalk three years in a row at Toronto's Fashion Week.
Completely bilingual, her first acting job was a Quebecois show called Histoire Max III. Since then, she has gone from hosting shows like APTN's Digital Nation to creating complex characters in film and television such as XIII (NBC), Kissed by Lightning (APTN, directed by Shelley Niro), Elijah (CTV), and Moccasin Flats (APTN).
Aside from co-starring as Vicky in Rezolution Pictures' Mohawk Girls for APTN and OMNI, Rachelle is gearing up to host the documentary series she created and co-wrote called Dream Big. The series will promote successful First Nations people, who will mentor youth that aspire to follow the same career path.
MEET SELENA S.
KERN
Treasurer/Secretary
Selena Kern is an Ojibway and a member of the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, born in Winnipeg Manitoba and raised in Tyrone, Pennsylvania since the age of 7. Selena is also an adoptee from the 60-70 Scoop and returned back to Canada with her siblings Gordon BlueSky and Denise Wright in 1996. Selena spent her early years in Winnipeg at the Winnipeg Sun as a Retail Advertising Coordinator for 5 years and then as an Early Childhood Assistant for a remote northern community and returned back to Winnipeg to raise her son Seth. Selena is a 2009 Red River College Graduate and the recipient of the Aboriginal Student Award “Our Children, Our Way” After completing her studies at RRC she returned to Child Care as a Senior ECE II at Village Child Care Inc. for 5 years. In 2012 left the child care field and joined Eagle Urban Transition Centre as the Adult Housing Transition Counsellor where she found her new PASSION working with Aboriginals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. During her journey at EUTC she has attend various conferences including the 1st National Homelessness Conference on Ending Homelessness Canada in Ottawa, Ontario in 2013 and co-presented with Dr. Evelyn Peters at the 2nd National Homelessness Conference on Ending Homelessness Canada in Vancouver, BC in 2014, has received training at a Life Skills Coach and Adobe InDesign and Photoshop and a partner in various research projects “Moving to the City: Housing and Aboriginal Migration to Winnipeg” with Josh Brandon CCPA-MB & Dr. Evelyn Peters University of Winnipeg and “Homeless First Nations Mobility Patterns” with Dr. Evelyn Peters University of Winnipeg. She is also a Board Member of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Secretary/Treasurer of the Manitoba Indigenous Adoptee Coalition.