Travis Rider is a Stoney Nation community member who works to promote mental health and wellness from a Stoney perspective.
He believes this work is important because when you incorporate Stoney ways of being and knowing into mental health and addictions support, it creates a relatable path forward to healing for many different people from Indigenous communities. He has been invited to facilitate workshops across Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Travis has taken six different Indigenous Leadership Courses at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and he received a Certificate of Indigenous Leadership, Governance, and Management Excellence.
Travis is the Indigenous Liaison to artsPlace. He helped artsPlace initiate a series of Cultural Learning Circles that aspire to build a bridge of understanding between different cultural groups in the Bow Valley.
One of the circles he facilitated, titled “The Spirit and Intent of the Stoney Language,” helped both Stoney community and general Bow Valley community understand the deeper meanings behind certain Stoney words, place names and philosophies.
“The Cultural Learning Circles give me a space to share my culture with others, and they help me learn other community cultures as well, so we can all walk forward together in a good way.” Travis Rider
