Charlene Belleau

Charlene Belleau is a member of the Esketemc First Nation (also known as Alkali Lake) in the interior of British Columbia. She was the first female Chief from 1985 to 1987 and a Senior Negotiator and Treaty Manager from 1997 to 2003. In 2005 she was the Manager of the Indian Residential Schools Unit of the Assembly of First Nations. She returned to serve an additional term as Chief and has since returned to the Assembly of First Nations.
 
She co-produced a three-part documentary The Honor of One is the Honor of All - The Story of Alkali Lake as well as assisted with residential school documentaries for CBC, NBC and APTN. She has served on various local, regional, provincial and national organizations as a Board of Director or committee member, including the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, Provincial Child Welfare Committee, Provincial Native Advisory Committee on Sexual Abuse, Provincial Advisory Committee on Substance Abuse, Provincial Health Council, President-Nenqayni Treatment Centre Society. She has delivered numerous keynote addresses on residential school issues in Canada, the United States, Germany and Australia. She is a residential school Survivor and has been an advocate for Survivors since her community’s residential school closed in 1981.