Deena Savannah Rema Goodrunning

T’ansi. Ahneen. Aba Washde. My name is Deena Savannah Rema Goodrunning. 

My mom is from Sunchild First Nation and my dad is from Paul Band First Nation. I am registered as a member of Sunchild but I also have relatives who are non-status Anishinabe living in Hinton, AB right now. I am currently living in Edmonton, AB. 

I spent a lot of my childhood in the Canadian child welfare system and many close relatives including my mother have passed on when I was younger so I have experienced disconnection to my family, culture and community. After aging out of the child welfare system I have worked various jobs including internships at energy companies. I have completed a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta where I majored in English and double-minored in East Asian Studies and Native Studies. 

My passion is writing and I love to write poetry as it’s my main form of medicine. I want to advocate for and bring awareness to issues such as animal rights, mental health, sustainable and ethical technology, Indigenous sovereignty, and the child welfare system.