Banff Centre’s Application, Student Registration and Payment Systems, including the Student Portal, will be unavailable from 4pm Tuesday Nov. 5th to 12 noon Wednesday Nov. 6th due to planned maintenance. Any questions please contact admissions@banffcentre.ca.
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Indigenous leaders, directors and managers are faced with increasingly complex issues, accelerated change, and new ways of doing business. They are also finding new and creative ways to move beyond standard Western models of governance to embrace culturally grounded models of Indigenous governance.
Applicants must be ages 18+ at the program start date.
This program prioritizes Indigenous learners, and those working for Indigenous communities and organizations. Programs are filled on a first come, first served basis. Please register early to secure a confirmation of your spot.
The Certificate of Indigenous Leadership, Governance and Management Excellence is awarded to individuals who recognize the importance of continuing education and have successfully completed a total of seven programs. The programs are strategically focused on building your capacity to assist your community and organization to successfully move forward into the era of self-determination and successful community economic development. All Intermediate offerings are counted towards the certificate, while Introductory programs do not. Learn more about what courses you require in order to achieve your certificate here.
To maximize learning for this program, students are required to dedicate approximately 40 hours during the week to this program.
In person Indigenous Leadership Program Schedule
*Schedule is subject to change, more details coming soon.
Native to the Kainai of Southern Alberta, Camille Pablo Russell, aa’spahk’ko’mii’kwan “Shooting in the Air” is an award winning international speaker, author, respected Blackfoot ceremonialist and cultural consultant.
Pablo grew up with his grandparents and was nourished in traditional ceremonial life. Nearly 40yrs after joining the sundance as a young man, he continues to leads The Path of the Buffalo Sundance every summer. Sharing stories is vital to transfer teachings, for belonging and cultural preservation. Pablo has pledged his life in service to following these Old Ways, spreading deep and simple truths that cut through the modern haze for people all over the world.
Margaret Froh is Métis from the Qu’Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan.
Froh has a law degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and is currently the policy, law and compliance officer for the Chippewas of Rama First Nation in Ontario. As part of General Counsel’s Office, Froh provides legal services and is responsible to suport the First Nation leadership, staff, and committees in governance, law making, and policy development matters.
Prior to her current position, Froh served as the Aboriginal issues coordinator for the Law Society of Upper Canada, the governing body for lawyers in Ontario, and has practiced workers’ rights related law in Toronto.
Froh has taught as adjunct faculty at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and has presented at conferences and guest lectured at various law schools on Indigenous legal matters. She has served on numerous boards of directors for Aboriginal organizations and business. Froh is a former president and current member of the Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto board of directors. She has also served as vice-president and secretary on the board of the Indigenous Bar Association, a professional national non-profit association of Indigenous lawyers in Canada. Froh is currently an alternate director for the St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino of the Rockies near Cranbrook, BC. — an innovative joint venture between three geographically and culturally diverse First Nations from across Canada (the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, the Samson Cree Nation, and the Ktunaxa Nation Council).
Tracey O’Donnell is a member of Red Rock Indian Band. She has practiced law in Ontario for over 20 years. Her practice is focused entirely on providing legal services to First Nations, their members and their organizations – both on- and off-reserve. Currently, Tracey is in private practice with an office at Nipissing First Nation. Tracey has experience in providing services in a range of areas including corporate/commercial law, employment law, civil litigation, as well as self-government negotiations, land claims negotiations and litigation. Tracey has worked with First Nations across Canada to support community and capacity development including facilitating the drafting of First Nation constitutions, visioning and strategic planning, drafting First Nation laws, developing community consultation and communications plans and resolving resource and revenue sharing disagreements. In May 2005, Tracey argued on behalf of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, and the Disabled Women’s Network of Canada: at the Supreme Court of Canada in the first Indian residential school case that reached the Supreme Court of Canada – Blackwater v. Plint. Tracey was an elected Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada from 2003 to 2007 – the first aboriginal woman elected since the Law Society was founded in 1797. Tracey has volunteered on a variety of community-based committees and Boards of Directors and with CESO. Tracey earned her Honours B.A. in Political Science from Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario in 1990, and her L.L.B./J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Ontario in 1993. Tracey is married to Tom Robertson and together they are the proud parents of three children – Katie born in 2000, Emma born in 2003 and Noah born in 2007.
Mitch Case is an avid beadworker who practices a traditional Métis floral beadwork style. Mitch began beading in 2012, when he learned to bead in order to prepare gifts for his elders when he became Midewiwin (Great Lakes Indigenous spiritual society.)
In the years since, Mitch has become a very well respected beadworker, known across the Métis Nation. Mitch is known for his traditional floral style that has been described as “Old School” “keeping the Métis floral tradition alive” and “firmly rooted in a Métis way of seeing the world.”
Mitch spearheaded the #beadworkrevolution, an online movement of Métis youth reclaiming and revitalizing their Métis beadwork traditions, with hundreds of participants including dozens of first-time bead-workers. Mitch created the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council bead kits, which are sold as a fundraiser to raise money for Métis youth cultural initiatives. Over 3000 bead kits have been sold across Canada, raising tens of thousands of dollars for Métis youth initiatives.
Mitch joined the Indigenous Leadership faculty team at Banff Centre in 2019.
Your program fee includes a single bedroom on the Banff Centre campus for the duration of your program.
Get connected with other artists on campus and focus on your projects in a creative environment 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 accommodate most dietary requests.
The Full Flex meal plan is calculated at $70 credit per day, equivalent to breakfast, lunch and dinner at our Buffet service.
Enjoy free parking, wifi, and access to the Walter Philips Gallery while you are a guest at Banff Centre. Our Participant Resources team is also available to assist you with medical support or event information. See our Events Calendar to learn more about what’s going on at Banff Centre while you’re onsite.
The Sally Borden Fitness and Recreation Centre is located in the lower floor of the Sally Borden Building, and provides all guests with access to our swimming pool, hot tub, steam room, climbing gym, fitness centre, spin studio, and gymnasium. Massage and physiotherapy appointments may also be booked ahead of time.
Join in group seminars/workshops.
Learning Journals for course materials.
The Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives - Current Services
The Library is delighted to support Banff Centre Participants, Artists, and Faculty with the following services:
Please email library@banffcentre.ca or archives@banffcentre.ca for more information or assistance.
(Includes Registration Fee of $35.00)
Up to a maximum of 30 participants per program.
Financial assistance is available for Indigenous peoples or non-Indigenous peoples working for Indigenous organizations. Each request is reviewed individually based on submission of the Financial Assistance form available in the Student Portal.
More information about funding opportunities for our Leadership programs can be found here.
To be considered for financial assistance, please ensure that you select "Yes" to 'I would like to apply for financial assistance' during registration, and log into your Student Portal to complete your funding application form within 48 hours of submitting your initial registration. We strongly recommend timely submission of the funding form, to be considered. Note that we reserve the right to cancel registrants who select 'No' to financial assistance if payment and confirmation of attendance is not received within 7 days of registration.
Banff Centre will issue official tax receipts for eligible tuition fees and all financial assistance and awards as required by the Income Tax Act. You will receive a T2202 (Tuition and Enrolment Certificate) for eligible tuition fees paid and a T4A (Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income) for applicable financial assistance and awards.
Learn more about the steps to Complete Your Application.
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. Banff Centre reserves the right to cancel a program up to seven days prior to program start date if there is insufficient enrolment, and in this case all fees will be refunded. Please note that Banff Centre is not liable for any personal/travel expenses incurred. 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.
