Meet our governing council
Anida, a member of the Wolf Clan from Barrier Lake, belongs to the Algonquin Anishinaabe who inhabit the Ottawa River watershed. Raised traditionally, she has worked for her people since her youth and now serves as an elected councilor and Director of Education in Rapid Lake. Passionate about preserving land-based culture, she assists the Grandmothers of Parc La Vérendrye in gathering medicine.
Dmitri Ashawasegai, an Anishinaabe nini from the French River Indian Reserve, is dedicated to the Odenaansan project, which promotes Anishinaabe sovereignty and culturally appropriate development. He contributes his expertise in Anishinaabe-aadziwin, youth work, Indigenous relations, education, program development, and local politics to support the initiative and empower his community.
gkisedtanamoogk, from the Wampanoag Community of Mashpee, Massachusetts, served as one of five Commissioners on the Maine Wabanaki State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He taught Native American Studies at the University of Maine for a decade. His work focuses on cultural and legal theory, advocating for Indigenous rights in law, science, linguistics, and education.
Victoria Hope has worked with Odenaansan since 2020, joining the initiative because of the influential programs that were in collaboration in Uganda, such as Seeds for Uganda whose cause was to supply seeds to single mothers in vulnerable communities to help aid in food provision urban farming. She current works with the Odenaansan partner project WaterPlus.
Sheny, a Maya from Cantebal, Guatemala, moved to Canada as a teenager, speaking only Spanish. In 2006, she initiated a project with community leaders to build a school in San Lucas, enabling young women to study safely. As an adult, she focuses on re-indigenizing, embracing Anishinaabe culture as well as her Mayan heritage, while serving as a community leader and business owner.
Solomon Wawatie grew up observing his family’s traditional practices and learning Anishnabek history. After enduring seven years of abuse in a residential school, he returned to his roots, mastering skills like tanning leather and hunting. As an adult, he strives to restore his people's place on Turtle Island, actively preserving their culture, traditions, and language.
Elder Wendy Phillips belongs to the 7th Fire and is a member of the Bald Eagle Clan. She is a proud graduate from York University with a Master’s in Anishinaabe Traditional Governance and Sustainability from the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change Studies, and is the current Chief Executive Officer of the 8th fire cultural center.
Alex Hutton is an engineer with 24 years of experience working in the "sustainable buildings" realm, as well as 15 years in parallel studying inner work (yoga, etc.). These paths now combine as Alex learns to apply a Regenerative or living systems approach to life and work — for Alex, the Odenaansan project connects with her desire to work in a more "whole" way.
Kevin Best is a producer, consultant, activist, and businessman dedicated to environmentalism and Indigenous rights. He began focusing on sustainable communities in 1975 and, while working in corporate marketing, collaborated with First Nations and Greenpeace. As managing director of Rivercourt, he developed the ICD approach, which underpins Odenaansan’s work, before leaving to fully commit to the initiative.