Two Canoes is led by ally-relations specialist Claire Smith. Born and raised where the two rivers meet at the elbow, Mohkinstis, Kootsisaw, Winchees-pah or Calgary, Alberta, Claire is from a settler family.  Her father is an immigrant from England, and her mother is part of a long line of prairie farmers in Treaty 7. Claire received her Western academic training at the University of British Columbia, on unceded Musqueam territory, receiving a Bachelors of Arts in International Relations and History.

With a strong passion for cross-cultural experiences, Claire began her journey in understanding Indigenous cultures and ally relations over ten years ago when she sailed across the South Pacific Ocean visiting Polynesian, Maori and Aboriginal communities across the southern hemisphere and the Maasai people in East Africa. Claire returned home and lived and worked in Indigenous communities, learning from many Indigenous friends, knowledge keepers and teachers across the Arctic and most of the numbered treaties and unceded traditional lands in Western Canada. Her education from Indigenous scholars has included hunting, fishing, traditional practices and ceremony with elders, knowledge keepers, healers and community leaders. She continued her studies in the Indigenous worldview through a grassroots community program at the University of Alberta, receiving a Certificate in Industry-Community Relations.

Claire is a seasoned facilitator, a strong-voiced storyteller and an skilled communicator. She has varied experience across rural and remote communities as well as urban centres. Her professional expertise includes both small and large organizations and bridges private enterprise, public sector and non-profit organizations, including expertise in:

• Youth and workplace employment and training programs.
• Community needs assessments, capacity building and qualitative research.
• Indigenous joint venture and procurement partnership management in the energy and mining sectors for bidding and supply chain.
• Contract negotiation and program delivery for post-secondary education institutions with Indigenous students.
• Strategic business engagement and Indigenous Relations stakeholder policy and procedure development.
• Community and social investment project planning and delivery