Doreen Healy

Doreen Healy, a proud member of the Kainai Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy, carries generations of strength, knowledge, and resilience. Born and raised on the Blood Reserve in Southern Alberta, Doreen’s life journey reflects deep personal courage and an unwavering commitment to justice, healing, and Indigenous empowerment. A residential school survivor, Doreen was taken from her family at age five—an experience that shaped not only her understanding of Canada’s history, but also her life’s work in bringing truth forward and making change possible.

For over four decades, Doreen has worked across government, industry, and community to build bridges and change systems from the inside out. From her early work as a consultant for Treaty 7 First Nations—founding what would become the Native Economic Developers Association (now housed within the Treaty 7 Tribal Council)—to roles with Amoco Canada and MEG Energy in the oil and gas sector, Doreen has always focused on ensuring Indigenous voices are heard, respected, and included in decisions that affect their lands and futures.

Currently serving as an Indigenous Engagement Specialist and Resident Elder at the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), Doreen provides advice and cultural guidance to staff across the organization. She supports relationship building with Indigenous communities, leads learning sessions, and grounds AER’s work in cultural integrity and truth. Her leadership has also shaped public safety policy, including a landmark protocol for how the Calgary Police Service responds to Indigenous deaths—a protocol rooted in her own tragic loss and lived experience.

Doreen’s presence is deeply felt in every space she enters—whether delivering a KAIROS Blanket Exercise, advising governments and corporations through the Traditional Knowledge Keepers circle, or sharing her story with humility and strength to help others understand the ongoing impacts of colonization and residential schools. Her work with Center of the Sky invites participants to move beyond awareness toward empathy and action, sparking transformative conversations across all sectors.

A mother, grandmother, and deeply respected community leader, Doreen’s greatest pride is her family. Though she carries the pain of loss, including the heartbreaking murder of her daughter Heather in 2023, Doreen continues to lead with love, grace, and fierce determination. Her granddaughters—Isa, Kennedy, Lara, and Madyson—carry forward her legacy in ways that inspire hope for future generations.

Doreen has worked alongside Anne Harding for more than seven years, co-facilitating KAIROS Blanket Exercises for over 600 participants in Calgary. Their work together is rooted in mutual trust, laughter, and a shared belief that learning can be both powerful and healing when grounded in relationship.

In 2025, Doreen was honoured with the Chief David Crowchild Memorial Award, the City of Calgary’s highest recognition for contributions to the advancement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations. The award reflects Doreen’s lifelong dedication to truth, equity, and reconciliation—and the powerful impact of her voice and vision in the city and beyond.

Through all she does, Doreen invites others to walk alongside Indigenous Peoples—not ahead or behind—but together, in the spirit of truth, respect, and shared responsibility.