Melissa Purcell is Denesuline and a member of Smith's Landing First Nation in Treaty 8 territory. She is an Executive Staff Officer, Professional Development, Indigenous Education with the Alberta Teachers’ Association and continues to lead Indigenous Education and Walking Together: Education for Reconciliation within the Association. She has experience teaching in Alberta band, charter and public schools. At the division level with Edmonton Public Schools she held the positions of teacher consultant, program coordinator and supervisor of First Nations, Métis and Inuit education.