MELISSA CALLIOU

Melissa is from the Treaty 8 Territory of a small Community called Sucker Creek F.N., she resides in Edmonton, AB., where she was born and raised (for the most part). She has a family of sons, whom she loves and admires.

One of her favorite things to do, aside from writing, is dancing Powwow (Woman's Traditional – Old style- contemporary) - that’s where you will find her mostly traveling to.

Her passion is to write and make films which are based on true events of people’s lives. Through these stories, she has hopes that it will help her audience understand that there are Indigenous people out there who have gone through resilience - within their residential experiences in the Missionary Schools that were placed all across Turtle Island.

It is through these stories she hopes to reveal the powerful spiritual connection our first people use as a way to get through the harshest of times. Our people have endured so much, and have lost a lot throughout the process. Even though they’ve lost so much, they’ve kept their resiliency - and within that resilience they’ve kept Ceremony, and with Ceremony we all carry that within ourselves.

It is her message to everyone, especially our youth, that our language, culture and ceremonies are important. That is where you learn most from, and most about, your true self.