Shelley Cardinal, a member of the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta, and now based on Lekwungan Peoples territory on southern Vancouver Island, has worked closely with Indigenous peoples and communities across Turtle Island for over 30 years, providing leadership in creating pathways to wellness for Indigenous communities in various contexts; including culturally aligned processes, organizational change, prevention education, and Indigenous research.

As the Senior Director of the Office of Indigenous Relations, for the Canadian Red Cross (CRC), Shelley is accountable and responsible for the Indigenous Peoples (IP) Framework and strategy, integrating the CRC commitment to truth and reconciliation; cultural safety considerations through awareness, policy and education; delivering effective change management in support of our IP Framework, and communication across functional and geographic boundaries. Shelley builds and maintains relationships with internal and external partners and ensures Indigenous perspectives are considered in planning, development, implementation, and decision making.

Shelley ensures that there is a holistic application of the Indigenous Peoples Framework principles and a holistic commitment within the CRC. She has expertise in organizational learning and research, including Indigenous resilience priorities. This includes contributions towards the design of policy, tools, and processes. Shelley has an education background in Psychology and Social Work with post graduate education in Leadership.