Chair and Founding Partner of the First Peoples Group, Guy Freedman is an entrepreneurial leader and thought leader on contemporary Indigenous issues.
Guy is a proud Half-Breed (Métis) from Flin Flon, Manitoba with roots dating back to 1812 in Red River (present day Winnipeg). He remains closely connected to the Métis community in the homeland and is dedicated to the revival, renaissance and resurgence of First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures through the arts, media and business.
Guy was a senior provincial and federal public servant for almost 20 years. He was the Special Assistant to the Minister of Northern Affairs and Business Development in the Province of Manitoba and in Ottawa, Guy headed up the federal government’s Aboriginal Career Development Initiative and was instrumental in designing and implementing the Aboriginal Head Start program for Health Canada.
In 2006, Guy created the most effective, comprehensive and professional one-day Indigenous awareness training session and it remains the only course in the country delivered by a three-member, senior First Nations, Métis and Inuit team with traditional teachings.
Guy served as a Senior Advisor (Reconciliation) for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. In his role at the TRC Guy assisted in developing the conversation around reconciliation with Canadians.
Guy is a talented moderator and facilitator, keynote speaker and writer. He focuses on such topics as identity, self-esteem, culture, wellness, career and using one’s gift to the best of their ability. Guy is a member of the Standing Indigenous Advisory Committee of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. In October 2017 Saskatchewan’s Gabriel Dumont Institute published his first book of poetry, Little Athapapuskow, A Métis Love Story.
He carries and honours his Ojibwe Spirit Names Kwingogwaági Pizhew (Wolverine Star Lynx) and is a member the Lynx Clan.