INSPIRE 2021

Terrance Littletent is from the Kawacatoose Cree Nation and born in Regina, Saskatchewan. Much of his traditional teachings were inherited through his family and elders, singers and dancers, storytellers and academics. Terrance is an accomplished Grass and Hoop Dancer who has traveled across Canada, the United States, and overseas, sharing his gift of song, dance, and narrative, in a humble way. 

At the age of six, Terrance had already been introduced to the traditional techniques and movement skills used to create his own dance choreography. By the age of eight, Terrance’s uncle, Kirby Littletent, presented him with the gift of the hoop, which inspired Terrance to continue his uncle’s legacy of sharing the ways of their people. Eleven years later, Terrance became recognized as a World-Renowned Hoop Dancer. 

As an educator, producer, and performer, Terrance continues to find ways to bridge traditional and contemporary dance and music styles.

Kaleb Dahlgren beats the odds. 

Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of four, Kaleb was told by coaches and scouts that he would never succeed in hockey. Instead of defeat, Kaleb used the negativity as motivation. He worked relentlessly and played the highest level of hockey each year of his young career. His own struggles inspired him to create the program Dahlgren’s Diabeauties. This program uses hockey as a platform to shed light on Type 1 Diabetes, and provide support for children living with the disorder. 

In order to officially launch Dahlgren’s Diabeauties, Kaleb asked to be traded into a bigger hockey city. A bigger team would allow for greater exposure of the program and cause. He was traded from small-town Wilcox Notre Dame Hounds to the Humboldt Broncos. On April 6th, 2018, on-route to a playoff game in Nipawin, the Humboldt Broncos’ team bus was involved in a horrific crash. This crash resulted in the death of 16 players and left 13 players with critical injuries. Kaleb was one of the 13 players. He suffered extensive injuries including a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury, and several fractures in his neck and back. 

A true fighter, Kaleb was determined to return to hockey, and further driven to make a difference in his community. Today, Kaleb is a student, a Bestselling Author of his memoir, Crossroads, and is working to grow the impact of Dahlgren’s Diabeauties. Additionally, he supports various charities including special needs groups and shares his message of hope with groups across North America.

Offensive lineman Dan Clark is entering his 13th season in Green and White after a professional career that began in June of 2009. The Regina native was fresh off a successful junior career with Regina Thunder and made the transition to the team he grew up watching play at Taylor Field.

Clark has played in 112 career games with the Club and is coming off a CFL All-Star season in 2019. Clark was also named the Roughriders Most Outstanding Offensive lineman that season. At Centre Clark was a key member of the offensive line that allowed just 37 sacks and helped the run game average 112.8 yards per game for a total of 2,030 yards and a league-high 26 rushing touchdowns.

Despite being in a significant car accident prior to the start of the 2019 season, Clark didn’t miss a single game, playing in his 100th on July 27th. He won a Grey Cup with the Roughriders in 2013.

Clark spends a significant amount of time giving back to the community he grew up in and is one the team’s Red Cross Ambassadors. 

Black in Saskatchewan (BIS AKA ‘Black in Sask’) is a youth-led community organization created to contribute to the holistic growth of the Black community in Saskatchewan by addressing systemic issues, connecting members to various networks, and educating on Black experiences. The organization is committed to addressing systemic issues, contributing to and amplifying education on Black experiences, and fostering the growth of a thriving community for all. Since its formation in the spring of 2020, BIS has been working to achieve its goals in various ways including:

– Conducting community consultations, policy analysis, and presentations on the impact of anti-Black racism at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels

– Advocating for the creation of a municipal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee which was passed unanimously by the City of Regina City Council

Black in Sask will be represented at INSPIRE 2021 by External Communications Director, Judy Wani. Judy is a 4th-year Business student at the University of Saskatchewan and has been passionate about community development for many years. In various capacities Within her role in Black in Sask, Judy advocates for the Black community by building relationships with the community as a means of supporting positive growth through connection and education. 

People of the Sun is an 8-piece Hip-Hop/R&B band based out of Regina SK. The band films live music projects with the express purpose of highlighting diversity and inclusion, all through the joy of creating tunes that slap. 

The band features two MC’s: Info Red and Origin of Spin; as well as two singers: ADEOLUWA and Nini Jegz, all backed by an all-star rhythm section. 

People of the Sun are signed to Sharp 5 Records, and released their first EP “The Last Day of Summer” in November of 2020. Since then, the band achieved national press attention, being featured in Exclaim! Magazine, and CBC’s Strombo Show. 

We believe that girls need girls and sometimes, we just need a chance to get together and talk about the things that really matter. I Am H.E.R. is a half day workshop and our goal is to unite girls in their schools, inspire authentic confidence, and encourage these girls to be HOPEFUL, to know they are fully qualified and EQUIPPED to chase their dreams, and to build RESILIENCE. 

Filled with powerhouse speakers, inspiring panel discussions, and interactive components, we foster real talk on the issues and topics that matter most to young women today and relevant issues causing distress. We encourage and empower our participants as they continue to navigate through this complex life. This workshop is designed to inspire girls to take action and create change in their lives, schools, and communities. Allow us to help prepare the younger generation of females as they transition into a more independent world. 

Kam has been a teacher with the Regina Public School Board for thirteen years and has circulated thousands of youth from her classroom walls. Her passion has always been to work with youth, so to better equip herself to achieving her goals, Kam recently completed her Masters Degree in Educational Psychology. Kam’s passion and goal remains — to help young females realize their strengths, motivate them to use their ability to do great things, and cultivate positive change in their lives; who in turn can model their lives for positive change to others around them. She is devoted to our youth, showing them their true talents, and being one individual that can be a source of encouragement to help empower, equip, and elevate the younger generation of females.

Alicia Morrow and Lexie Obey are a Cree Sister duo from Treaty Four Territory. Alicia Morrow launched the Comeback Society in November 2018 as a social clothing online group. Since the creation Lexie joined her and the sisters registered as a non-profit. Lexie gives her regrets as she cannot be with the presentation as she is living her dream of tree planting in northern British Columbia. 

The Comeback Society was created to support Indigenous individuals finding their voice. The Comeback Podcast is a branch of the work, and it is focused on offering a platform where Indigenous individuals can share their comeback stories through weekly Podcast episodes. We believe that there’s a power within your voice and we want to continue sharing this message with our audience and communities. Through this podcast they are able to revitalize traditional oral storytelling. The purpose of storytelling is to make connections, share traditions, offer lessons and pass along messages with one another. We want others to recognize how powerful their voice is, and they found this is a perfect outlet, especially during times of uncertainty in a global pandemic. 

Alicia Morrow is a 27 year old woman from Peepeekisis Cree Nation located on Treaty Four Territory. She grew up in the inner city of Regina, Saskatchewan. She completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree, Major Indigenous Studies and Certificate of Reconciliation in Spring 2020. She’s always been motivated and driven to work in the community that once supported her. In 2015, she was involved in a car accident. Her life was put on hold and went through a journey of many unknowns. Through this she grew, she connected with her culture and she found the power within her voice. Alicia envisioned creating a non-profit to help other Indigenous Individuals in finding their voice as well. She recently became a first time mom to son, Hunter and a dog mom to two dogs, Lentil and Barley. She enjoys spending time with them and being outdoors. She also holds a position as a trustee for her home community of Peepeekisis and makes ribbon skirts in her spare time.

Cyril Chen (陳嘉雯, he/they, formerly Clara Chen) was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 Territory with family from the Guangdong and Hong Kong regions of China. Cyril’s work stems from the exploration of migration, separation, and the ways in which we are intertwined with cyberspace. Find more of their work on: cyberspacevoid.xyz

Currently they are an Honours Bachelor of Animation student at Sheridan College. This year he is teaching animation through the Mackenzie Art Gallery Provincial ArtCade Program and is a background and animation artist on the Why Am I? children’s mini series directed by Regina-based filmmaker Adrian Dean for CityTV. Under the CBC Creator Network, Cyril is working on independent comic projects inspired by their life in Saskatchewan and the East Coast.

The Princess Shop is a non-profit organization that has been supporting women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ students who are facing financial and social barriers since 2007. 

Many of the clients we serve are facing multiple barriers and something like attending their own graduation celebration is not an accessible option for them. The Princess Shop takes immense pride in being able to provide students with an enhanced graduation experience and access to programming opportunities such as mentorship, life skills workshops, and education scholarships. 

Since our inception, we have served over 1200 students representing areas across the province. It is our vision to ensure that every young woman in this province will have the opportunity to celebrate her accomplishments and reach her full potential, ultimately impacting her now, and her community far into the future. 

We recognize the importance of reconciliation and are committed to responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action; specifically in the areas of improving education attainment levels and success rates and ensuring that Indigenous peoples have equitable access to jobs, training, and education opportunities. The Princess Shop will continue to learn and prioritize action on reconciliation, equity, and accessibility in program planning and implementation.

SaskExpress has been committed to providing excellence in performing arts training for over 20 years. As the proud home of the SaskExpress Theatre Company and the Mini Express & The Expressions, the SaskExpress Studio provides unique opportunities and diverse instruction for aspiring performers. 

Passionate about singing, dancing, acting, community collaboration, and accessibility of the arts, SaskExpress provides a welcoming and inclusive environment for students of all ages. With studios in both Regina and Saskatoon, classes are open to students from across the province in a variety of disciplines. 

The SaskExpress team is so excited to be part of INSPIRE 2021; get ready to groove! 

My name is Jessica Kelly. I am an artist in Saskatchewan who’s goal is to inspire other kids and teens into doing what they want to do! My family and I are originally from Newfoundland and Labrador. My parents and I moved here when I was only 5 years old, it was hard moving away from my family that I knew so well. My dad got a job offer here and I was really upset that we had to move and of course I miss them everyday but I also made an amazing life for myself here in Saskatchewan! I’m getting a great education as a high honor’s 10th grade student. I have some amazing, supportive friends and I love my life here.

I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, from putting on a show in a Walmart cart, to creating my own music and music videos recently with Saskatoon Based Nolita Studios. You can always accomplish your dreams when you put in the effort. You can do anything if you try, you also have to want it. If you don’t want it, then it won’t work. Your parents don’t need to want it, your friends don’t need to want it. You do. You are in control of you and that’s what helped me be where I am today!

Topaza Yu is currently a third-year Kinesiology student at the University of Saskatchewan and she has been in the youth empowerment, sexual rights, and reproductive health (SRHR) sector for the past three years. Her dedication to SRHR is demonstrated through being on both Action Canada’s for Sexual Health and Rights governance and National Youth Advisory Board, where she does policy work and community-based research work around barriers to care for youth and creating optimal sexual health promotion campaigns. 

Her recent community initiative “Covid Pacs”, where she created 160 care packages that contained educational resources and was distributed to Saskatoon families who were in need during the pandemic. The mission of Covid Pacs was to combat barriers around accessibility to educational resources for youths during Covid-19 and is an excellent reflection of her commitment to humanitarian work and empowering youths.

I am Hikmah, a Grade 12 student at Campbell Collegiate. I am super excited to share my story, growth and passion with everyone. I like to consider myself a humanitarian and through it I have been able to find my confidence and paths to making an influential change in my community as well as people around me. 

My humanitarian journey started a few years ago when I first learnt how to knit/crochet. Growing up in a community with an inhospitable healthcare system, I decided to help the Nigerian healthcare system by knitting and crocheting caps for NICU babies. Later on, I decided to be more innovative by sponsoring a children’s “Show and Tell” program based on hand-crafts. 

Earlier this year I started a program, “Empowered”, that funds teachers from schools in Nigeria to learn the knitting skill and teach their pupils who will in return create caps and be involved in the community. 

Aside from that, I participate a lot in a lot of skill learning (such as coding, web designing, baking), some sports (like soccer and lawn tennis), volunteer at the Regina Open Door Society, and generally pursue a responsible leader’s attributes.

Tyan is a student currently attending Luther College High School who is active in school, sport, and volunteering. After his sister was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2013, he founded a charitable organization called Pump Power with the help of his family. Their efforts have included educational campaigns, fundraisers, school-community events, and entering a team into the annual Regina JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. 

At Luther College, he has been a member of teams and clubs such as hockey, curling, and social advocacy club, and he also co-leads his school newspaper and has led various service projects. Outside of school, he enjoys biking and speed skating — in which he had the opportunity to compete at the Saskatchewan Winter Games — as well as spending time outdoors and working on personal research projects.

Judah Tyreman, is the 16-year-old Curator and Founder of the Sesula Mineral & Gem, which he opened at 11 years of age in 2016. Since then, he has appeared on The Discovery Channel, CBC’s Still Standing, national and international media outlets and magazines. He is also the recipient of the Young Entrepreneur award hosted by Get a Bigger Wagon and the U of S Edward School of Business. 

To add to this list, he has also authored two business books, the first “Reviving the Art of Innovation” reached #1 on Amazon.ca. The second just released, is entitled “The Richest Kid in Babylon” which mixes the secrets of entrepreneurship with a 1001 Arabian Nights style story of a street kids rise from rags to riches. This year, he has also begun filming and editing a new YouTube channel, “The Step by Step Millionaire Channel”, which uses short videos to teach people how to move from debt to financial freedom.

You can contact Judah on his Facebook page at “The Sesula Mineral & Gem Museum”

SaskMasks is a mask making social enterprise that donates its net proceeds to local charities, employs laid off seamstresses due to the pandemic and aims to slow the spread of the coronavirus. 

The organization started in April 2020 and has donated over $51,000 to charities across the country, supplied over 7,500 masks across North America, and had employed 36 seamstresses. The masks are made using 100% quilters cotton fabric, wire and adjustable elastic. The design is made to block 70-79% of drip particles with the additional filter pocket option. 

SaskMasks prides itself in its purpose and business model designed to impact the community socially, economically and environmentally.