Community Traditional Indigenous Elder
Theresa “Corky” Larsen Jonasson is asomewhat flawedlifelong resident of Red Deer (she needs to work on eating more vegetables and getting enough sleep). A proud Cree/Métis Women who is connected to Samson Band,Maskwacîsthrough herKokom(grandmother) Christine Fraser Joseph andChapan(great grandmother) Mary Susan Potts. She is identified as an Elder in her community by her community. As an elder, she tries not to be crabby but succeeds only part of the time. She works alongside her husband ofnearly 45years, Lynn Jonasson who she still loves to hug and smooch.
Corky is passionate about encouraging our youth because she loves kids, passionate about social justice because she demands justice, passionate about encouraging strength in our women because the women are the backbone of the community, and passionate about diversity because people are interesting. She is a writer and loves telling bad jokes, just to hear people laugh because laughter and humour are beautiful
Corky is a member of the National Collective of the WalkingWithOur Sisters missing and murdered indigenous women awareness movement and a founding member of Red Deer’s Red Feather Women, a social action/social justice group that focuses locally on the same issue. She is a member of the Red Deer Urban Indigenous Voices Elders circle, the Women’scircleand Alberta Justice Provincial Elders Advisory Circle. She is most of all, a traditionalIndigenousceremony woman and her life and community work reflects that and is because of that.
Corky is accountable to her traditional teachers and her elders who thankfully give her heck whenshe’sbeing too bossy or laughing when it is notappropriate todo so.Corky received the Alberta ESQUAO (esquaois thecreeword for woman) award in 2016 for Community Development, The Red Deer Native Friendship Centre Turtle Award for communityKokom.Corky has also received the Red Deer Women of Excellence award for Lifetime Achievement.
She is a published author and her books “The Sharing Circle“ and“The Circle of Caring and Sharing” which was written as a reconciliation tool for young people to realize and honour their voice based on the protocols of the talking and sharing circle which then becomes the healing circle. This past Truth and Reconciliation Day, The Sharing Circle was chosen as one of29 must-read books for children and teens by Indigenous writers, curated by PhyllisWebstadto help guide reconciliation conversations ina good way.