Dr. Candace Manitopyes

This workshop offers educators a powerful, land-based approach to supporting nervous system regulation in children and youth, especially those who are neurodivergent or emotionally dysregulated. Led by Dr. Candace Manitopyes (née Linklater), a Moose Cree educator, somatic coach, and nationally recognized leader in decolonial education, this session blends Indigenous knowledge systems with trauma-informed, eco-somatic techniques. Participants will learn how to use nature as a co-regulator, guiding students through breathwork, movement, and sensory-based mindfulness practices that are easy to implement in school settings. Rooted in Dr. Manitopyes' lived experience and award-nominated research, this workshop reframes wellness through a culturally grounded lens, shifting from behaviour control to embodied connection. Unlike traditional DEI or SEL frameworks, this session invites participants into a relationship with land as teacher and healer, offering a refreshing and necessary alternative in the education and wellness landscape. Attendees leave with concrete tools, a renewed sense of purpose, and a radically compassionate framework for supporting youth in today’s overwhelmed world. Great For: Schools integrating land-based wellness and regulation practices Educators supporting neurodivergent or emotionally dysregulated students Teams interested in sensory, movement-based approaches to healing and learning

This workshop offers educators a clear, compassionate, and decolonial framework for supporting Two-Spirit, IndigiQueer, and LGBTQ students in schools—spaces where gender-diverse youth are often marginalized or erased. Dr. Candace Manitopyes (née Linklater), a Moose Cree scholar, former classroom teacher, and nationally respected voice in Indigenous education, this session unpacks both Indigenous and Western understandings of gender, offering the historical context many DEI trainings leave out. Participants will gain practical tools—like relational language, affirming policies, and responsive lesson plans—while also learning how to advocate within systems that often resist change. What makes this session different is its grounding in Indigenous sovereignty and queer liberation, not just tolerance or policy compliance. With her background as a trauma-informed somatic coach and her lived experience as a queer Indigenous woman, Dr. Candace Manitopyes brings both professional and personal insight to the table. This workshop transforms uncertainty into confidence, silence into solidarity, and confusion into culturally rooted clarity—equipping educators to lead meaningful, lasting change in their classrooms and communities. Great for: Staff learning to support Indigenous Two Spirit, Trans, and gender- diverse students Schools developing inclusive policies and affirming classroom practices Educators seeking clarity on pronouns, language, and advocacy frameworks

This transformative talk helps non-Indigenous teams, institutions, and organizations move from performative allyship to authentic, actionable solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. Led by Dr. Candace Manitopyes (née Linklater)—a Moose Cree academic, educator, and nationally recognized voice in Indigenous sovereignty and relational justice—this session dismantles colonial narratives, challenges surface-level gestures, and replaces them with culturally grounded, relational strategies rooted in reciprocity and accountability. With a PhD in Educational Leadership, decades of lived community experience, and a consulting portfolio that spans schools, governments, and grassroots initiatives, Dr. Manitopyes brings both academic and community-based credibility to the conversation. What makes this talk different is its bold clarity: it doesn’t tiptoe around discomfort, but instead invites audiences into brave, sustained work rooted in responsibility, not charity. Through clear examples, reflective exercises, and practical frameworks, participants leave with a deeper understanding of their role in upholding or dismantling colonial systems—and with concrete strategies to build trust, center Indigenous voices, and show up with integrity. Great for: Non-Indigenous teams committed to moving beyond performative allyship Institutions engaging in unlearning colonial narratives and rebuilding trust Organizations seeking practical, relational strategies for the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action

This keynote offers a radically different lens on leadership and education by introducing Pedagogy of Moss—a decolonial framework created by Dr. Candace Manitopyes (née Linklater), a Moose Cree scholar, former elementary educator, and nationally respected voice in Indigenous sovereignty and relational leadership. Rooted in Moose Cree teachings and land-based wisdom, this talk challenges audiences to reimagine success beyond colonial metrics and urgency culture. By turning to moss—a quiet yet powerful teacher in the natural world—Dr. Manitopyes invites educators, leaders, and organizations to reflect on adaptability, reciprocity, and collective care. With a PhD in Educational Leadership and an award-nominated dissertation exploring Indigenous 2SLGBTQ decolonial and Land-based learning, she brings both academic rigour and lived cultural knowledge. What sets this keynote apart is its refusal to replicate extractive frameworks—it centers Indigenous relationality, ecological intelligence, and the Moose Cree concept of Mino Pimatisiwin (the good life). Audiences leave with a renewed understanding of what it means to lead in right relation—with the Land, with each other, and with future generations. Great for: Educators and leaders seeking decolonial frameworks rooted in land-based wisdom Teams looking to deepen relational leadership and collective reflection Organizations ready to reimagine success beyond colonial metrics