Intermediate Negotiation Skills Training - Winter 2025

Edmee is the youngest of 17 children from one of the most important historical families of the Red River Settlement. Her great grandfather was John Bruce (Jean- Baptiste Bruce), the first president of the Métis Provisional Government at the Red River Colony. Louis Riel was his secretary.

Edmee considers herself blessed to be raised in a traditional Métis family with a strong work ethic and sense of community, spirituality, and belonging. In the early 1900’s, while others were hiding their culture, her father taught them to be proud of their heritage. This is a legacy she carries on today through her generous sharing of her cultural teachings, Michif language, and history through various educational outreach programs for youth and families.

Edmee’s calm, reflective and welcoming spirit urges everyone to forgive and march on, to not hurt anyone and to always help others. Wearing her Métis sash with great pride, she is now a well-respected elder and a beloved representative of the Bruce clan of the Red River Colony.

In 2012, Edmee was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work in the community.
 

Troy G. Chalifoux, a Cree-Métis, graduated from law at the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta and admitted to the Bar in 1995.

Troy dedicated his practice to collaborative engagements involving Aboriginal issues, primarily those relating to lands, commercial transactions, and outstanding land claims and litigation. During those years he was legal counsel on a number of Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) and surrender claims and large commercial projects involving federal or reserve lands. In 2000, Troy joined what is now Indigenous Services Canada as a Senior Negotiator and continued his work on supporting litigation, land claims and various types of partnership negotiations affecting First Nations in Alberta. Troy has been involved with a number of settlements and continued to work on outstanding claims and inter-governmental negotiations in Alberta.

In 2002, Troy was awarded the Deputy Minister’s Circle of Excellence award for his work on the Claims Settlements Implementation Act (Bill c-37). In 2010, Troy participated in the negotiation and conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding for First Nation Education in Alberta between Alberta First Nations, Canada and the Province of Alberta and was again the recipient of the Deputy Minister’s award. In 2011, Troy was the recipient of the Aboriginal Role Models of Alberta Award, Justice Category. Currently, Troy is a sessional instructor with the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta. As Faculty Lead at Banff Centre’s Indigenous Leadership Program in Negotiation Skills Training, Troy has developed and instructed negotiation workshops for Indigenous communities and organizations throughout Canada. For the past 14 years, Troy has also served as member of the Kids Kottage Board of Directors, Edmonton’s only crisis nursery. From 2017-20, Troy was served as Director, Norquest College Board of Governors.

Lorne Ternes is a visionary leader providing counsel to diverse senior elected and appointed government and Aboriginal leaders. He has a reputation for delivering successful outcomes to complicated conflict situations through collaboration and innovation.

Working as a land agent gave Lorne insight regarding the necessity for effective management of the changing resource industry and community expectations. He appreciates his early work experience for providing a solid foundation of understanding regarding the intricacies of oil and gas resource development in Canada. Lorne served as an Alberta cabinet appointed Part-time Hearing Commissioner for the Alberta Energy Regulator from 2013 to 2017. He continues to be actively engaged in natural resource development and Indigenous matters.

“Bringing Aboriginal perspectives alive is one of my great passions. We need to understand each other and our shared history before we can have meaningful conversations and collaborate for an honourable future. It is a pleasure to speak at conferences and seminars and build those bridges of understanding," Lorne says.

Serving as part of the team that negotiated and drafted the Alberta Métis Settlements Legislation and over a dozen land claims represents high points in Lorne’s career. The same is true in his role as Lead Negotiator for Meadow Lake Tribal Council and Meadow Lake First Nations in self-government negotiations in Saskatchewan. These are examples of working with Canada’s laws to facilitate change benefiting a previously overlooked people without denying the rights of any other sector.

Working with the province of Alberta, resource developers, and First Nations and Aboriginal communities in developing policy, legislation, and a variety of agreements and understandings gives Lorne a front-row view of the continued importance of respectful negotiation.

Lorne teaches seminars at the University of Alberta’s School of Business, lectures regularly at The Banff Centre, and speaks at national and international conferences.

Other designations include:

• Awarded a 2008-09 Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Deputy Minister’s Pride and Recognition Award and the Alberta Premier’s Award of Excellence (Silver) in 2010.
• LLB, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB; BA (cum laude), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK.
• Member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), International Right-of-Way Association, Alberta Chamber of Resources and the Circle for Aboriginal Relations (CFAR).