Ms. Shelley Cardinal

Shelley Cardinal, National Indigenous Advisor to the Canadian Red Cross RespectED: Violence and Abuse Prevention program, is the driving force behind Walking the Prevention Circle, a program that focuses on prevention education for Indigenous communities. With an understanding of the many issues facing Indigenous people, Walking the Prevention Circle is designed to help communities gain awareness of prevention strategies that can be used to decrease the impact abuse and violence has in everyday life. A member of the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta and now based in Victoria, Cardinal works closely with Indigenous people and communities across Canada, providing leadership necessary for creating change. Internationally, she is working together with the Australian Red Cross to build prevention frameworks into the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander communities. 

In 2012 the Canadian Red Cross together with York University received a major research grant through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to research the process of building community wellness through RespectED's 10-step process. The Australian Red Cross is a partner in this research project. Cardinal has an education background in Psychology and Social Work, with post graduate education in Leadership.