Michelle Fournie

Michelle Fournie (she/her/hers) is a mother, auntie, writer, and advocate whose work is rooted in love, accountability, and community. A proud citizen of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government – Rocky View District 4 and claimed by Lii Michif, Michelle lives with her two children in Chestermere, Alberta, where she honours the laws and responsibilities of Niitsítapi Territory, the oral and written promises of Treaty 7, and the autonomy of the Otimpemisiwak—“those who rule themselves.”

Michelle is the founder of Sacred Four Communications, a practice grounded in relationality, humour, and Indigenous scholarship. Named one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40, she is widely recognized for her leadership in educational and cultural spaces that center Indigenous students, knowledge keepers, and community voices. Michelle is a graduate of Mount Royal University’s Public Relations program—where she served as valedictorian—and holds a master’s degree in land-based educational research from the University of Calgary. She continues her studies through graduate coursework in Poo’miikapii and Niitsitapiisinni, deepening her understanding of Niitsitapii wellness and worldview.

Michelle’s work as an educator and leader has shaped post-secondary supports for Indigenous students across Alberta. At Bow Valley College, she served as a driving force behind the Iniikokaan Centre, a place of belonging and strength for Indigenous learners. There, she co-launched the Indigenous Knowledge Keepers Network, which brought Elders into direct relationship with students through prayer, ceremony, guidance, and seasonal celebrations—work that supported more than 120 Indigenous student graduates in a single year. Her leadership honours Indigenous pedagogies while challenging institutions to do better by the communities they serve.

Known for her thoughtful and poetic approach to decolonization, Michelle weaves Indigenous storytelling, humour, and ceremony into everything she does. Whether through beading, baking cakes, or mentoring youth, she embodies relational practice with joy, humility, and integrity. Her methodology is shaped by a strong circle of mentors, Elders, and young people to whom she remains deeply accountable.

Michelle has served on the board of the Indigenous Gathering Place Society of Calgary, helping to advance the vision for an Indigenous-led healing and cultural space in the city. She and Anne Harding first met as colleagues in 2014, and have since become close friends—walking alongside one another with mutual respect, reciprocity, and a shared commitment to navigating complex systems with courage and compassion. Their relationship reflects the very heart of reconciliation: not a destination, but a way of being in relationship, of learning from one another, and of holding space for multiple truths.

Carrying the Blackfoot names Pi’tamaka (Running Eagle) and  Tátsikikkónamaan’ikkitstakiaakii (Centre Pole Offering Woman), Michelle leads from the centre, drawing strength from the matriarchs before her and opening space for others to rise. In her own words:

“I would like to thank every woman who paves the way for the next. The mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers: we carry your Spirit in us.”

With fierce love and gentle guidance, Michelle continues to shape futures where Indigenous ways of knowing are not only respected—but celebrated and lived.