Tenise Day Rider

Tenise Day Rider is a proud member of the Kainai Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy, whose voice and presence reflect the strength, clarity, and compassion of a new generation of Indigenous leadership. An emerging changemaker and skilled communicator, Tenise blends lived experience, cultural grounding, and strategic thinking to support organizations in building more meaningful, respectful, and lasting relationships with Indigenous peoples.

Tenise and Anne Harding first connected in the fall of 2022 for a short-term facilitation support contract. What began as a one-time collaboration quickly evolved into a meaningful partnership—rooted in Tenise’s passion for helping people know better, so they can do better. In 2023, Tenise joined Forum Community Relations as an Indigenous Relations Intern, and in 2024, she stepped into the role of Indigenous Relations and Training Coordinator, where she continues to shape and support transformative learning experiences.

Tenise is also currently pursuing an Arts & Science Diploma at Red Crow College, deepening her academic grounding in Indigenous knowledge and expanding her capacity to lead in both community and professional spaces. Her studies complement her work with Forum, allowing her to bring both scholarly insight and lived experience to every conversation she facilitates.

With years of experience engaging Calgary’s urban Indigenous community, Tenise has a firsthand understanding of the social and economic barriers Indigenous peoples face—and a clear vision for how institutions can do better. Her approach is relational, generous, and direct. She supports teams and clients to move beyond surface-level learning and into the kind of work that creates lasting, values-aligned change. Tenise plays a key role in Forum’s training programs, supporting the development and facilitation of sessions that incorporate Indigenous history, worldview, protocol, and lived realities. She creates safe spaces for courageous conversations, where participants are encouraged to ask difficult questions and explore new ways of thinking and being. Her leadership helps learners connect emotionally and intellectually—an essential step in shifting organizational culture.

Tenise is not interested in performative reconciliation. Her work is grounded in authenticity, cultural safety, and a commitment to Indigenous values and sovereignty. She helps bridge the gap between intent and impact, encouraging clients to reflect, adapt, and act in ways that honour Indigenous Peoples and their unique relationships to land, law, and community.

With every workshop, every client interaction, and every lesson she shares, Tenise embodies the future of Indigenous relations work: bold, insightful, and deeply rooted. She is a valued member of the Forum team and a bright light on the path toward more just and respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.