Kallie Wood is the President and CEO of the National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food (NCIAF) and is a proud member of Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation located on Treaty Four Territory in Saskatchewan. Kallie was formerly the Senior Indigenous Advisor for the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Saskatchewan. She holds a Master of Leadership and Management studies degree and is a mother to four beautiful children and kokum to four grandchildren. As a foster parent, Kallie has many children who call her mom.  

Kallie has her feet planted firmly on Mother Earth and realizes that the Creator has blessed us with the gift of each day. She is a life-long learner with 35-years of experience in leadership roles with experience in organizational change, strategic planning, and program delivery with extensive experience in relationship building, reconciliation, and education.  Kallie also sits on several Board of Governors across the nation, sharing a voice for Indigenous engagement and building relationships.  

Having grown up in a small community surrounded by friends and family in agriculture, Kallie is excited about the journey in supporting First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples in sustainable agriculture and food opportunities through listening, learning, and implementing change. Bringing together voices and a community of partners through the sharing of agriculture practices and business knowledge from Indigenous leaders, geographical, intergenerational, and industry-wide representation to support business creation, advance capacity building through education and training, and connect Indigenous Peoples to valuable networks, resources, and funding opportunities while honouring their tradition, lands, and Mother Earth is a recipe for success in economic growth for the good of all.   

Kallie has received numerous awards for her time commitment to reconciliation, most recently awarded as one of the twenty-two most empowered and influential women internationally in 2023. She is a recognized and sought after keynote speaker and Indigenous Advisor on Indigenous issues. She is a recognized advocate, researcher and transformational change leader driven by harnessing the intrinsic value of every voice that fosters deeper conversations and a sense of belonging and appreciation in many contexts globally. She has a palpable ability to inspire and ignite a brighter future through Indigenous histories, stories, ways of knowing and being towards a better future for our children, grandchildren and those not yet born.  

Chris McKee is the Senior Vice-President of the National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food (NCIAF). Chris is a born and raised Saskatchewan boy from a centennial family farm, whose connection with the province's wide-open spaces has left him with the belief that any individual or organization can have a wide-open future with the right coaching and direction. A firm believer in the uniqueness and intrinsic value of every individual, Chris can engage any audience with his commonsense, directness, and passionate honesty. With more than two decades of experience inspiring and leading teams in designing, developing, and deploying organization-wide initiatives, Chris is no stranger to the challenges of change and the ways to harness the power it can provide. This is what drew him to supporting the establishment of the NCIAF 

Chris has many years of experience in several industries giving him an advantage in navigating complex multi-layered, cross-department initiatives. He is highly regarded in Indigenous communities. Chris was gifted the Cree name ‘Mistapew’, which means “Big Man – Big Voice – Big Heart” - a sign of trust and relationship and his importance in the journey forward for Indigenous People. His strength, resiliency, and passion for reconciliation from a non-Indigenous perspective is palpable. His enthusiasm for change captures the interest of audiences. He is passionate about the message and as a result motivates audiences to action. Chris’ desire to see and experience reconciliation drives him forward in creating and accelerating Indigenous agriculture. 

Tamara Machiskinic is the Executive Administrative Assistant for Kallie Wood at the National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food and a proud member of Kawacatoose First Nation on Treaty 4 Territory in Saskatchewan. As the daughter of a Residential School Survivor, Tamara grew up hearing stories of her mother's experiences in the residential school system, which gave her a deep understanding of the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples. This background inspired her to create positive change for her community. 

Tamara is committed to using her skills and expertise to support the advancement of Indigenous agriculture in Canada. Her passion for supporting and uplifting Indigenous communities shines through in every aspect of her work. Her role at NCIAF allows her to combine her love for administrative work with her passionate dedication to Indigenous issues. By connecting and collaborating with like-minded individuals and organizations, she believes in creating a brighter future for future generations.

Michelle Sandercock is the Director of Business Development at the National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food. With over 20 years of experience in the agriculture sector, Michelle's expertise spans agri-finance, relationship management, onboarding and learning, as well as enterprise and credit risk management. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy from the University of Saskatchewan and is a Certified Leadership Coach. 

Born and raised on a mixed farm in Southeastern Saskatchewan, Michelle spent her childhood raising and exhibiting purebred cattle and helping with her family’s grain operation. Given her upbringing, choosing a career in agriculture came naturally. Michelle credits her many years of involvement in the local 4-H club for instilling in her a lifelong love of learning, development, and leadership. Her passion for continuous improvement, execution excellence, and contribution made joining the NCIAF an easy decision. She is driven by the challenge of accelerating positive change by helping Indigenous communities reclaim food sovereignty and security. Michelle is very honoured to be part of this journey with NCIAF.

Kate Fraser is the Director of Capacity Development for the National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture & Food. She is a devoted mother to two toddler twins who are her daily inspiration and wife to a wonderful Métis man. Kate is a proud alumnus of the University of Western Ontario and further enriched her education through certification in agile project management.  

Agriculture has been an integral part of Kate’s life, having been raised on a farm in southwestern Ontario. She has dedicated her career to serving the Canadian agriculture industry, which has spanned various sectors and provinces within our vibrant industry.  Kate is passionate about educating both the youth and public about where their food comes from and the vital role of Canadian agriculture in our economy. She strives to ignite a curiosity and appreciation for the journey from farm to table. Kate has been dedicated to Farm Credit Canada for six years. 

Kate approaches the path of reconciliation with profound respect and a deep sense of responsibility. She has strong aspirations to support and empower First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Together, we can build a future that celebrates the richness of Indigenous cultures. 

Justice Acoose is the Communications Specialist for the National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food. Born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, she is a passionate communicator and advocate with a diverse background in administration, community engagement, and public health initiatives. Justice uses her skills to amplify the NCIAF’s mission and vision.  

With experience in administrative positions within government, Justice honed her organizational prowess by managing schedules, coordinating meetings, and overseeing administrative processes. Her attention to detail shines through her ability to create engaging social media content. Driven by a commitment to community empowerment, Justice is proud to leverage her expertise to create positive change and foster inclusive environments at NCIAF. Her journey reflects her dedication to supporting Indigenous communities and contributing to the advancement of Indigenous agriculture in Canada.

Terry Lerat is the ReconciliAG Advisor for the NCIAF and a lifelong resident of Cowessess First Nation, where agriculture has been an influential part of my entire life. As a devoted husband and father of three, I proudly serve as a Councilor of Cowessess First Nation. 

I began helping my father with his mixed farm operation at a young age and continued to farm with him into the late 1970s. I enrolled in many agriculture modules, earning approximately 20 different certificates through what is now Saskatchewan Polytechnic to learn more about agriculture production. During this time, I worked for 10 years as a pasture rider and was promoted to pasture manager for PFRA and then I had a custom grazing operation until 2012. In 1976, started my own cattle operation with support from the Saskatchewan Indian Agriculture Program (SIAP).  

I was a heavy equipment operator for approximately 15 years into the 1990s. Most of my career was spent with Double Bar D Farms in Grenfell, SK, from 1999-2018. They operate a large mixed farm with both purebred Red Angus and Simmentals. This is where I learned most about good farming practices and agriculture production, particularly cattle genetics and running a successful cattle operation. I also worked for the Cowessess Lands Leasing department in both 1999 and 2007. I retired from Double Bar D Farms in late 2018 to continue building my own cattle operation.  

With support of Cowessess Chief and Council, I founded 4C Farms on the Cowessess First Nation’s lands in 2007, launching a community-driven initiative to cultivate our agricultural heritage through cattle ranching and farming. This endeavor not only harnesses the potential of our lands but also revitalizes our community’s connection to agriculture. We started with 25 Angus cow-calf pairs in 2007 and in 2023, we had 260 cow-calf Angus pairs. From 2019-2023, I was the Manager of 4C Farms, bringing grain farming to our operation. In 2019, we started with 350 cultivated acres and in 2023 we increased to 5,600 acres.  

Through my role with the NCIAF, I want to help open the door of opportunities for First Nations across Canada. There are many facets to agriculture from the smallest honeybee to the large bison and everything in between. My goal is to bring the spirit and intent of the treaties by bringing farming to First Nations across Canada. First Nations should utilize their lands to be self-sustaining. In the next 5 years, I would like to see every First Nation in Canada involved in agriculture and working towards being independently owned and operated. Agriculture can be influential in healthy lifestyles for all community members and it’s important to involve the youth, so they know where their food comes from.  

Wendy has been invested in agriculture her entire life, with rural roots in Manitoba.  Her curiosity has led her on an incredible journey, including work in a diversity of agriculture and food systems across Canada and internationally.  This path has allowed for opportunities to see things in new ways and challenge the status quo, in both the public and private sector. 

With the Manitoba Government, she actively explores diverse issues including economic, environment, and social challenges; recognizing that their interconnected nature requires holistic problem solving.  Reconciliation and allyship are important in both her work and daily life.  Relationships and guidance from Indigenous communities, individuals and organizations have been critical in exploring new ways of working. 

She continues to focus on understanding actions and opportunities to remove historical barriers and bias, support self determined food sovereignty and enable new approaches to building equitable funding models.