June
21

Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day with Dr. Shauna Bruno

At Peace Hills Insurance, National Indigenous Peoples Day holds a special meaning for us. As a company proudly owned by Samson Cree Nation, our story is rooted in Indigenous leadership, resilience, and community.

Today, as we celebrate the heritage, cultures, and achievements of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, we want to highlight one of the many Indigenous leaders who has helped shape Peace Hills Insurance and our community at large: Dr. Shauna Bruno.

From Maskwacis, Alberta, and Samson Cree Nation, Dr. Bruno is an accomplished educator, researcher, governance leader, and, above all, a mother and kohkom. She has dedicated much of her career to Indigenous education, leadership, and governance, serving in a variety of teaching, research, and leadership roles throughout her more than 25-year career.

Today, she serves as Chairperson of the Peace Hills Insurance Board of Directors, working alongside the Board and executive leadership to ensure the company's long-term success, continued growth, and sustainability.

"Serving as Chairperson for a company owned by my Nation is both an honour and a responsibility," says Dr. Bruno.

Her connection to Peace Hills Insurance spans generations. Her late father, Victor Bruno, previously served on the Board and played a role in helping shape the company's early vision.

"My father was deeply committed to Peace Hills Insurance and to our community, Samson Cree Nation," she says. "He lived our nehiyaw values in his everyday life. His leadership was grounded in respect, humility, and a sense of responsibility to wâhkôhtowin."

Today, Dr. Bruno carries those teachings forward in her own leadership.

"I see my leadership responsibility as an expression of relational accountability to my ancestors, my community, my family, and the generations yet to be born. It is a responsibility to carry forward the work of those who came before me."

That sense of responsibility extends to her vision for Peace Hills Insurance.

"Peace Hills Insurance truly cares and remains grounded in the values and aspirations of our community," says Dr. Bruno. "I am proud of the relationships we've created over the past 44 years, including the strong broker partnerships we've maintained. I'm especially proud of our ability to give back to the community."

"PHI is made up of great people who reflect generations of leadership that believed in the company and in creating opportunities and prosperity for generations to come."

Rooted in wâhkôhtowin

Growing up, Dr. Bruno was deeply influenced by her parents, Sophie Bruno and her late father Victor Bruno, who were fluent Cree speakers rooted in traditional knowledge and ceremony.

Their teachings continue to shape her approach to life, leadership, and service.

"When I reflect on my parents' history, their residential school stories, the hardship and poverty they endured, and their role as Elders, knowledge holders, and ceremonial teachers, I am filled with gratitude for their kind and loving energy," she says.

"Their humour, love, strength, and wisdom, forged through hard life experiences, have taught me so much about how to live well in this world."

Those teachings are captured in the Cree concept of wâhkôhtowin - kinship, interrelationships, care, and responsibility.

"It's these experiences of sharing and living that teach the 'how' of wâhkôhtowin," Dr. Bruno explains. "They taught me to walk in a good way, with humility, to lead with compassion, and to respond to the world with wisdom, care, and forgiveness.

Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day

For Dr. Bruno, National Indigenous Peoples Day is both a celebration and an opportunity for reflection.

"It is a day to acknowledge and celebrate the stories, talent, excellence, strengths, traditions, languages, and many contributions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples," she says.

"It's also a time to reflect on our history and encourage efforts toward reconciliation and conciliation, strengthening the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples."

At Peace Hills Insurance, we are proud to celebrate Dr. Shauna Bruno - her leadership, teachings, and her unwavering commitment to community. Her story reminds us that leadership is not only about guiding an organization, but about carrying forward the teachings of those who came before us and creating opportunities for generations yet to come.