ABOUT
Michelle
Mediator, Decolonizer, Facilitator, Conflict Coach, Consultant,
Michelle Casavant is mixed heritage, Cree-Métis, French, and German. She grew up in Saskatchewan with traditional Métis practices, community life, including fishing, berry picking, bologna sandwiches and playing bingo with her gramma and aunties at the community hall.
She is an uninvited visitor on the unceded, ancestral territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səl̓ílwətaɬ Nations people. Michelle has a background and formal training in fine arts, education, law and dispute resolution. As a member of the urban Indigenous community in Vancouver for more than 20 years she has been actively involved in breaking down barriers for Indigenous peoples and students and building bridges with non-Indigenous peoples and communities.
Michelle's work in Aboriginal law began 15 years ago. She has worked for the federal government for 10 years in numerous roles involving Indigenous peoples and communities: she was part of the legal team at the Department of Justice that conducted the Independent Assessment Process hearings for residential school survivors, has been a Negotiator with Crown-Indigenous Relations, and managed a consultation team for major projects with Indigenous Services Canada.
While engaged in alternative dispute resolution for 10 years, she formally completed the JIBC 3rd party mediation certificate in 2021. Michelle is an effective mediator creating a trauma informed safe space for the participants. Within the dispute resolution practice, she also offers conflict coaching, assisting individuals or groups in navigating conflict with effective communication methods.
Michelle has sat and currently sits on numerous boards and committees providing Indigenous perspectives to policies and programming. She has a passion for sharing her culture. Michelle actively hosts Indigenous authors book clubs, cultural competency training, community engagement, and cultural workshops.