Mekwan Tulpin (Mekwan10@gmail.com)

In her early twenties, Mekwan sought new challenges for herself in sport that emerged into World Cup dream realization over nearly the next decade. As a proud member of Fort Albany First Nation, Mekwan became the first Cree from Nishnawbe Aski Nation territory to join a National team competing at this level of women’s field lacrosse.

She continues to make it her story today in other styles of the game alongside an evolving sisterhood at provincial, national and international stages of play. Campaigns such as #Team88 & #Wellness Warrior featured Mekwan as an ambassador for both the Masters Indigenous Games (MIG) and the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) with her widespread experience and accomplished multi-sport athleticism.

Her former position as Southeast Regional Coordinator and present role as a High-Performance Coordinator, within Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO), have enabled her to reflect upon alternative roadmaps to relative achievements and encourages any potential aspirations from grassroots to podium by prioritizing Indigenous wellness through sport, leadership and community development. Most of her work has been Ontario-based within First Nation, urban native organizations or communities and District School Board settings. Advancing through a series of professional development opportunities has since enabled Mekwan to expand beyond boundaries which have led her contributing towards strategic initiatives making a positive team impact on multiple areas of indigenous pathways of sport, recreation, physical activity and youth leadership. She has been called a tactful individual who can thoughtfully engage, listen to people and share their sentiments regarding active living. Currently, she is amidst completing a process of training and evaluation to help deliver workshops entitled Principles of Healthy Childhood Development (PHCD) and Aboriginal Coaching Modules (ACM). One is designed to facilitate the continuous improvement of quality standard programming for children while the latter is to provide varying perspectives and understandings of cultural relevancy for other leaders in sport whom work with indigenous youth and athletes. More recently, within her role as a part of the provincial/territorial aboriginal sport body (known as ISWO), Mekwan supports two innovation pilot projects within INAC New Paths to Education pertaining to traditional games and physical literacy mentorship in partnership between the Aboriginal Sport Circle and Canadian Sport for Life Society.

Savannah Smith (sav_lax@hotmail.com)

She is Blackfoot and Polish on her mothers side, and Scottish and English on her fathers side. She has played lacrosse both box and field, on boys and girls teams. She is recognized as the only female to play on the BC Provincial U-19 men's field lacrosse team in 2008.

In 2010 she was recruited to play women's field lacrosse at the Division 1 level at La Salle University. Where she played two years as an attacker, and the remaining two years as a goalie. She has coached lacrosse since she was 14 years old. Both boys and girls from ages 6 to adults.

She currently runs a women's box lacrosse program in New Westminster, and a women's field lacrosse program that competes in the US. She coached the first ever U-19 female Indigenous team BC lacrosse team for the 2017 NAIG coming home with a bronze. She will be once again coaching the U-19 females again for 2021 NAIG This experience has led her to start doing more work in Indigenous communities and coming back to her heritage. Traveling around to communities in BC to teach lacrosse, and helping them build a sustainable program.

Jeff Shattler (Jeffhshattler@gmail.com)

Jeff Shattler, a Toronto raised Native from the Ojibwa tribe, has played in the National Lacrosse League for 14 years.

Shattler spent his rookie year with the Buffalo Bandits, but spent the majority of his career with the Calgary Roughnecks. Jeff is currently in his 15th season with the Saskatchewan Rush where he was recently named playoff MVP during the 2018 Season, where he helped win the team the championship that year.

Prior to his latest achievements with the Saskatchewan Rush, Shattler had several other career highlights with the Calgary Roughnecks. In 2011 he was awarded with both the ‘Transition Player of the Year’ and the ‘League MVP.

Shattler also represents Team Iroquois on an international level where he helped secure three world championships; One bronze medal in field lacrosse, and two silver medals in box lacrosse. Currently, Shattler and his family are residing In Regina, Saskatchewan where he has founded, The Shattler Lacrosse Academy; an outlet he uses to spread his knowledge and passion for the sport to individuals all across North America

Christina Bomberry Cjadezma@aol.com