Reconciliation Action Planning with Roy Pogorzelski

Roy Pogorzelski is Métis/Cree from Saskatchewan and his family comes from the communities of Green Lake, Meadow Lake and Flying Dust First Nation in the north.  Roy spent 4 years with the City of Lethbridge as the inclusion consultant representing the Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CCMARD) initiative and the Vibrant Lethbridge’s poverty reduction initiatives.  Roy represented Lethbridge at the Cities for All Woman’s Initiative and assisted in collaborating on the creation of a National Equity and Inclusion Guide for Municipalities.

Roy also co-chaired the Reconciliation sub-committee and was instrumental in the creation of a Reconciliation Implementation Plan (2017-2027) for the City of Lethbridge in response to the TRC Calls to Action.  Roy was also selected to represent UNESCO Canada at the International Coalition of Cities Against Racism and Discrimination (ICCAR) for meetings on inclusion in cities in Nairobi Kenya. Roy has also worked as the former Director of Indigenous Student Affairs at the University of Lethbridge. Roy is an avid volunteer in his community and sits on many boards and committees. He was appointed to the Canadian Race Relations Board of Directors in 2017 and was reappointed in 2021 and has worked on their commitment as a Foundation to Truth and Reconciliation. As well, Roy was recently appointed to the Alberta School Board Association Indigenous Advisory Committee and the Indigenous Autism Inclusion Circle of Alberta.

In 2016, Roy received a Human Rights Champion Award from the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, in 2017 Roy was awarded a Friends of Diversity Award from Diversity Magazine in Calgary, in 2017 CMARD Lethbridge was awarded a “From the Heart Award” from the Downtown Awards for their work in creating a welcoming and inclusive downtown, Roy was named the overall winner of the Top 40 under 40 by the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce and in 2018 was awarded an outstanding dedication award to students by the University of Lethbridge Student’s Union.

Roy has worked in business, non-profit, government, internationally and as a consultant.  He has a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies and a Bachelor of Human Justice from the University of Regina and a Masters of Science in Cultures and Development Studies at the Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven in Belgium.  Currently, Roy is an Associate with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, a facilitator with One Voice One Team and an Indigenous Specialist with Harbour West Consulting through his company RWP Consulting. Roy has also done research on Truth and Reconciliation and instructed Indigenous Studies courses for Selkirk College. He is also working towards his PHD in Philosophy (Culture, Social and Political Thought) at the University of Lethbridge where he is a sessional instructor for the Indigenous Studies Faculty.