Cassie Ayoungman is a proud Niitsitapi climber from Siksika Nation, AB.

She discovered the outdoors in her mid twenties and noticed a lack of diversity. It made her question why that is. This is what sparked her into developing programs.

Climbing has given her the opportunity to explore and connect with her ancestral lands. Cassie's relationship with climbing has grown over the years and has led to become both a teacher and a healer.

“Climbing has taught me to be more than capable of facing and conquering my fears. The challenge of climbing has taught me to breathe through cruxes and find strength. Moving in and out of my comfort zone while travelling in the mountains helps with my self-growth.

By starting Soul of Miistaki, I have been able to share my passion of this healing practice of exploring our beautiful and sacred backyard with my community.”

Braden Many Bears is from the Siksika Nation. His Blackfoot name is Panohkomi (Early Thunder) and I am from Siksika Nation. He currently works with Siksika Health Services within the Mental Health department.

To Braden, Soul of Miistaki is about bridging the outdoor diversity gap for the Indigenous and BIPOC communities. Being in the outdoors allows you to heal in nature, which is a transformative process for ones being. Outdoor recreation has been a go-to for a lot of individuals not only for physical exercise but for the mental and spiritual wellness it offers. When opportunities are created for people of colour to get outside, you feel a sense of connectedness and belonging. The seasonal programming offered empowers us to take on any challenge, develop skills, and discover new potential.

Kelsey was born in Amskapi Piikani and raised in Siksika Nation. Kelsey is a communications professional and co-founder of Sinakssin Communications. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, puzzles and spending time with her family.

For Kelsey, Soul of Miistaki was an important initiative to support, as it was founded by a Blackfoot woman with the intention of bringing diverse people together through movement and connection to the land. Our culture and stories will live on as we create opportunities for youth to see themselves represented in these spaces. We are sustained by the experiences, and find ourselves as Siksikaitsitapi in every hike, ski run and ascent.

Coralia Diane Sevilla was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which is Treaty 1 Territory of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Dene and homeland of the Métis Nation. She now resides in Treaty 7 Territory in Mohkinstsis (Calgary). Coralia currently works as a full-time teacher in the public school system and a part-time climber instructor with the Calgary Climber Centre. Education and Outdoor recreation have been significant fields of work for Coralia because of the lack of representation of visible minorities in these industries. As a child and much of her young adulthood, Coralia didn’t see her cultural values as a Latin American Mestiza woman appreciated or noted. Now, she uses her role as a teacher and climbing instructor to ensure that many people feel acknowledged and valued more holistically.

Coralia had been rock climbing and hiking for about 4 years before attending her first Soul of Miistaki event. Before participating in her first event, she found herself in a stagnant stage in performance and in connection with the sport. Through several more events, she broke down barriers within herself to push forward and find joy in climbing again. A pivotal moment for her was attending the annual cultural climbing program, where she discovered that she wanted to contribute more actively to the Soul of Miistaki’s community. Since then, Coralia has been collaborating as an instructor for indoor progression climbing, community liaison and volunteer facilitator.

“Soul of Miistaki represents a safe place that allows me to emotionally connect with the land and learn about different cultures through my peers in a way that humanizes and values our personal journeys.”

Coralia feels empowered to support others to build upon their skills within their outdoors pursuits and pay forward her experiences through Soul Of Miistaki. Through working with Soul of Miistaki, Coralia hopes to continue building a community around her and pushing herself outside of her comfort zone with her outdoor and personal goals.