Stories of Resilience: Nôhkom Jo-Ann Saddleback

Join us for a learning session with human rights defender Nôhkom Jo-Ann Saddleback who will share with us her experiences, wisdom and reflections on the work to advance human rights and what younger generations need to strengthen our impact.

Jo-Ann Saddleback is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree First Nation. Her husband, Jerry Saddleback, is from the Samson Cree Nation and they have 11 children between them. Jo-Ann worked as a Policy Analyst/Researcher for various organizations and Executive Director for Metis Settlements General Council heading up Legal and Governmental Affairs. She also spent 30 years as a community developer, travelling across Canada developing and delivering workshops for RCMP, Corrections Canada, Alberta Health and Alberta Justice. As part of this work, she visited Old People in First Nations and Metis communities. They initiated her to ceremonies and evaluated the teachings she shares in communities. Jo-Ann remains grateful they entrust her to continue work sharing their wisdom.

Coming into the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we see there are many struggles that continue to confront our local and global communities. While we have international human rights law and foundations to guide us, we have a long way to go to actualize these rights and bring peace to our communities and world. The rates of hate and intolerance are growing, poverty is deepening, and Canadians are only now beginning to reckon with our deep history of genocide.

“If there is to be perpetual peace in a world of nation states, the individuals who live in them must be free, their human rights must be respected.” John Peters Humphrey

We thank the New Horizons for Seniors Program for enabling us to host these spaces of learning with our Elders.