Jesse Wente

Issues of diversity and inclusion are front and centre in today’s culture. As our population diversifies, it’s important to prepare for culture shifts and to engage empathetically with a diverse group of people.

Looking at the hurdles towards inclusion, this talk looks to break down those barriers and encourage inclusion on all levels. This presentation positions inclusion as a benchmark and pathway to success for business, institutions and the broader culture. Jesse offers up key strategies to increasing inclusion and diversity.

In this explosive talk, Jesse Wente brings his national bestselling book Unreconciled: Family Truth and Indigenous Resistance to life.

Using stories from his life and his family’s history Jesse takes stock of the current state of truth and reconciliation in Canada, the challenges that exist to achieving both truth and reconciliation and what can be done to further the process.

Using his experience advocating for and creating space for First Nation, Inuit and Métis people in the arts sector, Jesse will explore how companies, organizations, institutions and governments can create meaningful change for Indigenous people and themselves. Jesse will touch on themes of sovereignty and self-determination, systems change, and decolonization.

This talk is appropriate for those looking to take a deep dive into truth and reconciliation, to have their ideas challenged, and those willing to face the challenges ahead.

In this moving and personal talk, award winning Anishinaabe writer and speaker Jesse Wente explores what it is to reconcile through the lens of his own healing journey.

Using the framework of a healing process and his path of healing from several traumas, Jesse explores how he has healed, and how that might apply to the process of truth and reconciliation. Jesse touches on issues of career burnout and stress, the impact of false claims to Indigenous identity, and physical health, while relating truth and reconciliation to the healing of mind, body and spirit.

This talk is a preview of Jesse’s next book, which is a follow-up to his best-selling and award winning debut, Unreconciled: Family, Truth and Indigenous Resistance.

Jesse synthesizes the trends he sees happening across the country and shares a vision for what is possible. 

As a self-described ‘Ojibwe dude’ with a national and international lens, he encourages audiences to consider diversity and inclusion into their future view of their organization, industry and country.  He specializes in representations in pop culture, film and education.

In this presentation, Jesse offers up a look at the history of Indigenous representation in popular culture, from movies, television and video games to sports mascots. He shows how representations in popular culture have been largely skewed by political/colonial ideology and continues to harm Indigenous people.

In an age of reconciliation it’s important to understand how representation shapes our point of view and our actions so that we can avoid the problems caused by misrepresentation. Audiences leave this presentation inspired, informed and ready to make change.