Testimonials

Tymmarah Mackie, MA EDI Manager, The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) We were honoured to welcome Jamie Harmon from Training with ICAST to lead a series of impactful Land Acknowledgement presentations for APEGA staff and registrants. Jamie brought more than just knowledge—she brought presence, humility, and a deep sense of responsibility for how we acknowledge and respect the lands on which we live and work. Her ability to connect Indigenous worldviews with the professional context of engineering and geosciences created meaningful space for reflection, growth and questions. Through stories, historical insight, and practical guidance, Jamie equipped our community with a deeper understanding of the purpose and power of land acknowledgements—not as a formality, but as a step towards authentic relationship-building and reconciliation. Jamie’s facilitation was sincere and inclusive, helping participants explore their own roles in creating respectful and informed workplace practices. The response from both staff and registrants has been very positive, with many noting they feel more confident and committed to meaningful and thoughtful land acknowledgements moving forward. We are grateful for Jamie's contributions and are happy to recommend her to any organization seeking to move beyond performative practice towards genuine learning and allyship.

Meaghan Ellis - Director, People Culture - Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre “Jamie Harmon is a wonderfully skilled facilitator who easily connects with audiences. We’ve had consistent positive feedback from staff and leaders when Jamie has presented to our organization, and her approachable demeanor puts attendees at ease allowing for a non-judgmental space to learn and grow. Even with working with very large audiences, Jamie is a highly effective and knowledgeable presenter.  I wholeheartedly recommend Jamie for Indigenous Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Training facilitation.”

Karen Chinaleong-Brooks, MPH (she/her/elle) - Lead, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Equity - Canadian Cancer Society / Société canadienne du cancer “ I have had the honour to work with Jamie Harmon of ICAST as a colleague and to learn from her formally and informally. My first interaction with Jamie was when she presented on Land Acknowledgments at the organization we worked at together. Until learning from Jamie the importance of tying my land acknowledgement to my own personal relationship to this land and my commitment to reconciliation I always feared I would do it wrong or would be judged for not pronouncing words correctly or missing an Indigenous group. She really empowered me to be humble and be grateful to the peoples on whose land I now live. Jamie’s nonjudgmental, open, and caring way of teaching about Indigenous ways and the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada has truly been mind opening. As a settler to this land, there is always a tendency to be paralyzed by the guilt you feel, however, Jamie’s facilitation style allowed me to feel comfortable to ask curious questions that otherwise I would have been afraid to ask because of the fear they may have been inappropriate or may have caused further unintentional harm to Indigenous peoples. Jamie creates the safe space to ask questions and to be gently corrected, and in doing so she has helped me move beyond guilt to allyship. I know that I may still make mistakes but will remain forever humble and always willing to learn from and correct them. Jamie has influenced me so much that I have invited her to do several workshops with my present organization and my colleagues have been similarly impressed.”