Melissa Purcell is Denesuline, born and raised in Edmonton, and a member of Thebatthi in Treaty 8 territory. Melissa is a proud mother of one son and two daughters, and the oldest of her three sisters. Melissa is deeply committed to supporting Indigenous education and advancing truth and reconciliation. At the division level with Edmonton Public Schools, she held the positions of teacher, teacher consultant, program coordinator and supervisor of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit education. She is an Executive Staff Officer, Indigenous Education, with the Alberta Teachers’ Association and continues to lead Indigenous Education and Walking Together: Education for Reconciliation for teachers and school leaders across the province.