Board of Directors
T8aminik (Dominique) Rankin, C.M., C.Q.
Co-founder and President
Grandfather T8aminik (that's how we write the name Dominique in Algonquin) was born in the forests of northern Abitibi, into a family that had managed to preserve the nomadic lifestyle of their ancestors. At the age of 7, he was chosen to succeed his father as hereditary chief.
In the tradition, the role of chief had to be accompanied by the role of medicine man. Thus, from his early childhood, he was placed on a long path of learning and initiation with the elders of his community, but also with various recognized guides in the country, including the late William Commanda, whose right hand he was for many years. In 2006, Grandfather T8aminik in turn became an Elder fully recognized by his peers. His real name is Kapiteotak ("He who can be heard crying from afar"), and he is now dedicated to his intended role as a teacher and spiritual leader.
A survivor of the terrible residential school era, he gives a vibrant testimony on forgiveness and reconciliation in On nous appelait les Sauvages (They called us Savages), written by Marie-Josée Tardif.
A member of the Order of Canada, a Knight of the National Order of Quebec (the highest honours in Canada and Quebec), and a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, the National Assembly of Quebec, and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal, T8aminik is known for his commitment to the promotion of Aboriginal culture and philosophy both in Canada and internationally. He serves as co-chair of the World Council of Religions for Peace (a UN-related organization) and as a Senator for the Native Friendship Centres of Canada.
A former political leader of the Algonquin Nation, he founded the Kina8at Organization and the Dominique Rankin Foundation with Marie-Josée Tardif.
Marie-Josée Tardif
Co-founder and Vice President
For the first 15 years of her professional life, Marie-Josée made a name for herself as a journalist and news anchor for national television and radio stations (Radio-Canada, RDI, LCN, Radio Rock-Détente). She has worked mainly in Quebec, but also in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Great Britain.
In 2007 her life changed when the Algonquin elders gave her a pipe. (She will receive a second one in 2015). This is a great sign of respect and recognition, but it also implies a long road of learning the language, philosophy and traditional medicine of this thousand-year-old people. This is why Marie-Josée teaches and travels regularly with Grandfather T8aminik.
In 2013, she co-founded the Kina8at organization with T8aminik, and then the Dominique Rankin Foundation in 2020. Like T8aminik, she is also an advisor and trainer at the Canadian School of Public Service, a consultant and trainer at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA. She serves on the Global Council of the Religions for Peace Women of Faith Network, as well as on the Ethics in Action Committee, created by the Vatican to develop an inter-religious moral consensus on the major challenges of integral sustainable development.
Marie-Josée is the author of They Called Us Savages (Vidacom Publishing, 2021) and La Leçon de Sitar ou l'Art de vibrer de toutes ses cordes (Éditions du Roseau, 2007).
Marie-Joelle Tremblay
Secretary-Treasurer
Marie-Joelle is currently the Executive Director of the Indigenous non-profit organization Kina8at (which means "together" in Anicinape, Algonquin). In previous years, she was the Executive Director of the Champboisé Healing Centre in the Outaouais region. Prior to that, for almost ten years, she served as a team supervisor and life and business insurance specialist for The Co-operators Group. The management skills she developed there are now extremely useful to Kina8at, both in directing operations and in developing projects and supervising our teams.
Marie-Joelle is also passionate about people and their health. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology from McGill University and has also completed training as a naturopath and studies in psychology. Marie-Joelle believes that we are all called to walk a path of healing and reconciliation; a path that can be done with pleasure and joy. This is why she feels so close to the mission of the Dominique Rankin Foundation.
Lise Morissat
Administrator
Manager, Lise Morissat, co-shareholder, has helped Stageline grow from an event management company to a world leader in the design, manufacturing and distribution of mobile stages. Her leadership, strategic vision for growth and international experience make her stand out as one of Quebec's leading women.
Believing in the transmission of knowledge and the power of mentoring, she accompanies young leaders as well as seasoned entrepreneurs in the pursuit of their goals. Entrepreneur, investor and corporate director, Lise has been involved with various organizations for many years and generously shares her time and skills on different boards of directors, including those of Cirque Éloize, Humanitae Residence for seniors with Alzheimer's disease, and Maison de la Sérénité palliative care in Laval. She believes in the power of committed citizenship to contribute to a society of knowing how to be and live together.
André Malacket
Administrator
​
A seasoned worker in many hats, André Malacket has developed a very good knowledge of the workings of fundraising.
He has worked on philanthropic development plans for Tennis Canada, the Martin Matte Foundation and the Montreal Psychoanalytical Clinic, among others. He has accompanied institutions in their major fundraising campaigns: the Musée de la civilisation in Quebec City - Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (La Grande Bibliothèque) - Fondation de l'Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont. He has collaborated with teams of specialists from major Montreal communications firms in the development of powerful messages for fundraising campaigns.
These various field experiences have allowed him to broaden his understanding of philanthropy in general, and in particular of the mechanisms that allow organizations to diversify their sources of revenue. With a very good understanding of regional issues, he actively participates, among others, in the major fundraising campaign of the Fondation Asselin du Cégep de Jonquière and the Cégep de Granby. His experience in philanthropy combined with his work as a communications director for major cultural companies has contributed to his understanding of the issues facing the philanthropic community and its positioning strategies. He is currently the Executive Director of the Fondation Cité de la Santé in Laval.
Sylvain Carufel
Administrator
A singer-songwriter musician and founder of La Solution est en vous, he founded his company with the intention of making the biggest positive impact possible. Today his community reaches up to 24 million people a week "organically" on Facebook. He has nearly 3.3 million followers.
A man with a heart who is always looking to make a difference, he has joined the Dominique Rankin Foundation to help spread the word as much as possible.