Sue-Anne Hunter (Australia)

Sue-Anne Hunter is a proud Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman and the Deputy Chair and Commissioner of Australia’s first truth telling process – the Yoorrook Justice Commission.

She is an Adjunct Professor of Global and Engagement at Federation University and a member of the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice Advisory Board.

A child and family services practitioner by trade, Sue-Anne has over twenty years’ clinical experience responding to developmental, transgenerational and community trauma.

She is widely recognized for developing rights-based, transformative practice responses that empower Aboriginal people to heal from the continuing effects and processes of colonization.

Sue-Anne has extensive experience in the governance and the leadership of Aboriginal community-controlled organizations, and her expertise is regularly sought for government inquiries, parliamentary and ministerial advisory committees, academic research projects and media interviews.

Dr. Sheri-Ann Daniels (Hawaii)

Dr. Sheri-Ann Daniels is the Chief Executive Officer of Papa Ola Lokahi, the Native Hawaiian health board responsible for the federal act regarding health and well-being for Native Hawaiians in Hawai’i and within the US.

Born and raised on Maui, Dr. Sheri-Ann Daniels is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools – Kapālama campus. She holds degrees in the field of counseling psychology and has several license certifications. She has more than 25 years of experience in social services programs across Hawai’i in both the non-profit and government sectors. 

She has been recognized with various awards over the years for her work within her communities. Beginning in early 2020, Sheri shared co-leadership for the Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Hawaii COVID-19 Response, Recovery & Resilience Team (NHPI 3R), for which Papa Ola Lōkahi served as the backbone organization.  Committed to meeting the needs of our community through public policy and strategic partnerships, she was named among the Pacific Business News’ 2022 Women Who Mean Business. 

Sheri continues to make Maui her home with her ‘ohana (husband, 4 children and extended family). She is also a cultural practitioner in Ho’oponopono.

Chelsey Luger and Anthony Thosh Collins (United States)

Chelsey Luger is Lakota and Anishinaabe, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Thosh Collins is Onk Akimel O’odham, Wahzhazhe, and Seneca-Cayuga, a citizen of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. They are trainers for the Native Wellness Institute and co-founders of Well For Culture, a grassroots initiative which focuses on reclaiming healthy, balanced lifestyles through ancestral knowledge and Indigenous ideologies. Their book, The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well (2022, HarperOne), is available everywhere books are sold. Chelsey & Thosh reside in O’odham territory (Arizona), and are the proud parents of Alo (5) and Westyn (2).

Anthony Johnson and Dr. James Makokis (Canada)

Dr. James Makokis is a Nehiyô (Neh-hee-yo) Two-Spirit doctor from the Onihcikiskapowinihk (Saddle Lake Cree Nation) in Treaty Number Six Territory. Anthony Johnson is a proud Two-Spirt warrior from Navajo Nation and an artist, poet, photographer, cultural documentarian, community leader and strategic analyst whose mission in life is to explore the beauty of the Earth and its inhabitants.

Anthony Johnson and Dr. James Makokis shattered conventional norms as the first-ever Two-Spirit team on the Amazing Race Canada. Their inspiring journey brought critical issues of gender, sexuality and First Nations experiences to the national spotlight. Demonstrating tenacity, resilience and indomitable spirit, they triumphed in Season 7, setting a ground-breaking precedent for diverse representation in popular media.

While they may seem inseparable, each brings a unique perspective, a distinct skill set and a wealth of lived experiences that have shaped them into the advocates they are today. Their intertwined journeys as individuals, as a Two-Spirit couple, and as part of the rich tapestry of their peoples’ history, have fueled their work in service and in advocacy. Their focus lies in raising awareness about the challenges faced by First Nation and LGBTQ2S+ communities, and the need for equity and accessibility.

As they traverse Canada, sharing tales of their Amazing Race journey, their community endeavors, and their unique perspectives, they provide insightful recommendations on how to further their cause and challenge oppressive stereotypes. Their mission is to globally unite allies in the pursuit of equal access and fair treatment for the communities they represent.

Ed Connors (Canada)

Ed Connors is of Mohawk (from Kahnawake Mohawk Territory) and Irish ancestry. He is a psychologist who has worked with First Nations communities across Canada since 1982 in both urban and rural centres. His work over this time has included Clinical Director for an Infant Mental Health Centre in the city of Regina and Director for the Sacred Circle, a Suicide Prevention Program developed to serve First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario. Dr. Connors’ most recent work has involved development of Indigenous Life Promotion projects, including Feather Carriers Leadership for Life Promotion. While developing the above services, Dr. Connors has worked with Elders and apprenticed in traditional First Nations approaches to healing. Today his practice incorporates traditional knowledge about healing while also employing his training as a psychologist. His work has also included consultation and community training to assist First Nations in the development of Restorative Justice programs.

Lorna Williams (Canada)

Dr. Lorna Wánosts’a7 Williams is Professor Emerita of Indigenous Education, Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Victoria and Canada Research Chair in Education and Linguistics. She built her career on the principle that quality education for Indigenous children must be characterized by strong cultural teachings alongside a Euro-Western education.

She coedited with Gloria Snively a two book resource called Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science. (2016). She developed three degrees at UVic, a Bachelors degree and Masters in Indigenous Language Revitalization; and a Master is Counselling in Indigenous communities. She also designed and delivered a course called Learning and Teaching in an Indigenous world,.

She is Chair of First Peoples Cultural Foundation; Elder/member of the Ministers Advisory Council on Indigenous Women; Member of the Indigenous Circle for SSHRC and member of Canada UNESCO committee on the Decade of Indigenous Languages. She was inducted into the Order of BC in 1993; the Order of Canada, Officer in 2019; Indspire Award 2017, Honorary Doctorate of Laws SFU 2018 all for her work in Indigenous Education and languages.