Charlene Bearhead

Principal

Charlene Bearhead was born, raised and educated in Drayton Valley. She originally left home to pursue her education degree at the University of Alberta and over the 40 years that followed Charlene has worked as an educator, Indigenous education advocate and author at the regional, national and international levels.

Recently named to the inaugural Board of Directors of the National Council for Reconciliation Bearhead has focused throughout her career on education as a tool for reconciliation, having worked to establish the National Indigenous Education and Reconciliation Network Gathering that has been hosted in various regions of the country since 2017. Charlene brings a wide variety of connections and experiences to the role having worked with The National Film Board, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Canadian Geographic, the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba and the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at UBC.

On her return to Drayton Valley and the establishment of Roots of Resilience Charter School Charlene says, “I have been so blessed with opportunities throughout my career, and I’m thrilled and honoured to be able to share some of these connections and opportunities to provide the best education possible for our students here at home. I’ve said for years that soon it will be time to contribute to my own community but was never sure what that might look like. I couldn’t be happier with this opportunity to bring my love of children and youth, my passion for education, my commitment to reconciliation and home together in one special place: Roots of Resilience Charter School.”