
My name is Jalissa Schmidt. I am a multi-racial member of the Acho Dene Koe First Nation, being Dene, El Salvadorian, and Irish.
My path is one of decolonizing myself and the world around me. I am grateful to have connection to my ancestry through family and my local community, especially knowing that it is a rare experience for urbanized Indigenous Peoples.
It’s been a journey navigating walking among worlds, a journey that came with many teachings and gifts of knowledge that I respect and uphold with the deepest care. My intention is to share my experiences and the knowledge gifted to me in a responsible way that honours myself, my family, my community, and the journey of decolonizing for Indigenous belonging..
I offer a unique perspective on this work. I have personal experience as a student, educator, administrator, and consultant. But most importantly, I have the lived experience of just being me – navigating multiple worlds, systemic barriers, colonization, intergenerational impacts, and the path of decolonizi
With my experience, I add another layer of perspective and representation to the 1.8+ million ways of being Indigenous. Our diverse voices collaborating to honour each other, our communities, and future generations.
Education
Master of Arts: Humanities,
Simon Fraser University
Bachelor of Arts: Religion, Literature, and Art,
The University of British Columbia

In collaboration and relationship, I intend to build bridges of understanding and healing on this journey. By sharing my knowledge in ways grounded in Indigenous values, I believe we have the responsibility to offer future generations a better world than the one we received.
I am committed to:
At this moment, the business team is just one person: me. But, that doesn’t negate my responsibilities to the Land or my community - including being sustainable.
Here are the ways that Cedar Bridges is approaching sustainability:
As Cedar Bridges Consulting Ltd. grows and changes, my intentions of building bridges of reconciliation and for supporting a bright future for the next generations will grow too. My dream over the next five to seven years are to grow relationships of reconciliation and to offer opportunities that support local Indigenous communities and youth.
In the next seven years, it is the intention that Cedar Bridges Consulting will grow and give back to community. My dream for doing this would be by supporting Indigenous communities and youth. This could look like:
Future Vision Published: April 2025

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