Chyana Marie Sage

Award-Winning Cree and Métis Writer and Storyteller

Community Building, Creativity, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Education, Indigenous History & Affairs, Women in Leadership
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About This Speaker

Chyana Marie Sage is a Cree and Métis memoirist, journalist, essayist, poet, model, and public speaker from amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta). Her work explores Indigenous identity, intergenerational healing, and the power of storytelling.

Chyana’s essay Soar won first place in the Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest and earned a Silver Medal at the National Magazine Awards. Her debut memoir, Soft as Bones (House of Anansi Press), became a national bestseller, won the Foreword INDIES Gold Award for Memoir, and was named one of CBC Books’ Best Canadian Books of the Year.

Chyana holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Columbia University, where she became the first Indigenous graduate of the program. She later returned as an adjunct professor of creative writing. Her writing has appeared in HuffPost, Electric Literature, The Toronto Star, and other publications.

She now serves as Digital Media Lead at Indspire, Canada’s largest Indigenous-led charity supporting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students. She uses storytelling to celebrate Indigenous excellence and inspire the next generation through national campaigns and digital media.

As a keynote speaker, Chyana has presented at universities, literary festivals, conferences, and schools across Canada and the United States. She speaks on storytelling, healing, creativity, resilience, and Indigenous perspectives.

Chyana Marie Sage is also a model and advocate for Indigenous representation in fashion. In 2026, she competed on Season 12 of The Amazing Race Canada. Together with her sister Chayla Delaney Rain, she co-founded the Soft as Bones Storytelling Foundation, which hosts the Woven Skies Storytelling Festival.

Chyana believes stories have the power to reconnect us to ourselves, to each other, and to culture.

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Speaking Topics: Chyana Marie Sage

Taking Up Space: Courage, Voice, and the Stories Women Tell
For many women, leadership is not just about finding a seat at the table—it's about finding the confidence to use their voice once they're there. In this powerful keynote, Chyana explores the narratives women inherit, the expectations they navigate, and the courage required to define success on their own terms. Through personal reflection and lived experience, she examines the connections between identity, resilience, self-worth, and leadership. Audiences are invited to consider how they can move beyond limiting narratives, embrace their authentic voice, and create space for others to do the same.

Audience Takeaways:

• Reflect on the stories and expectations that shape women's leadership journeys
• Build confidence in leading authentically and speaking with purpose
• Understand the relationship between vulnerability, resilience, and courage
• Explore how women can foster belonging and empower others through leadership
• Leave inspired to define success according to their own values and vision
Helping Young People Find Their Way: Education to Power Perspective
Education is about far more than preparing students for a career—it is about helping them understand themselves, question the world around them, and imagine new possibilities for their future. In this thoughtful and inspiring keynote, Chyana explores the profound role educators play in shaping not only what young people know, but how they think, connect, and navigate an increasingly complex world. Chyana challenges educators to consider how they can foster curiosity, critical thinking, empathy, and belonging in their classrooms. Because sometimes the lessons students carry with them longest are not the ones found in a textbook.

Audience Takeaways:

• Explore the role of education in shaping identity, confidence, and belonging
• Learn how storytelling can deepen learning and human connection
• Discover ways to encourage critical thinking, curiosity, and perspective-taking
• Understand how educators can help students navigate uncertainty with resilience and hope
• Leave inspired by the lasting impact teachers have on future generations
The Stories We Carry
Our lives are shaped by the stories we inherit, the stories we tell ourselves, and the stories we choose to rewrite. They have the transformative power to bridge divides, challenge assumptions, and create lasting change. In this inspiring keynote, Chyana demonstrates how storytelling can foster understanding and strengthen communities, to help us move forward together with intention, compassion, and hope. She invites audiences to use storytelling as a powerful tool for leadership, learning, and belonging.

Audience Takeaways:

• Discover how stories shape culture, relationships, and decision-making
• Learn how vulnerability can strengthen communication and leadership
• Develop greater empathy and understanding across diverse experiences
• Explore ways to use storytelling to inspire action and connection
Resilience Beyond Survival
Resilience is often celebrated as the ability to endure hardship, but true resilience is about more than surviving—it's about healing, growing, and reclaiming your voice. Chyana shares her own journey through adversity and explores the universal human desire for connection and the courage required to embrace who we are. This moving presentation encourages audiences to reflect on their own journeys while fostering greater understanding of others.

Audience Takeaways:

• Reframe resilience as a process of healing and growth
• Recognize the strengths that emerge from adversity
• Learn strategies for navigating uncertainty and change
• Build greater self-awareness, confidence, and determination

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