Naim Cardinal

I am a Cree First Nations person from Tallcree Tribal Government in Treaty 8 Territory in Alberta who is now living as a guest in syilx Territory in Kelowna, B.C. As well, I am a former college athlete at Concordia University of Edmonton (formerly Concordia University College of Alberta), and a former high school teacher who taught mainly Aboriginal Studies curriculum in Alberta. Moreover, I completed a Masters of Education Degree with a Specialization in Curriculum Studies from the University of Alberta in 2019. I am now an Educational Facilitator at UBC Okanagan (UBCO) and I spend time educating the campus community (Students, Staff, and Faculty) about Truth and Reconciliation, the colonial history of the local territory and Canada as well as Indigenous culture and worldview. I have also spent time as an Instructor on campus teaching a first year course in the Okanagan School of Education.

In addition to educating others on campus, I am a student in the Doctorate of Education (EdD) program at UBCO and my research project investigates the ways in which hockey players who are in Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis) in the National Hockey League have had historical encounters with colonialism through the scope of hockey cards. My project intends to educate others about their experiences, contributions to the game of hockey, and provide meaning making to the hockey cards they appear on.