About me
Astokomii Smith is from the Siksika First Nation. Her Blackfoot name means “Calling Thunder.” In 2018, she attended the Preparing Our Home program herself. Following which, Astokomii took the knowledge and skills in emergency preparedness and disaster resilience that she had gained from the program, and together with her grandmother, Elder Darlene Yellow Old Woman-Munro, planned and facilitated a Preparing Our Home workshop for youth in their home community of Siksika First Nation rooted in intergenerational emergency management. As the Indigenous Liaison for the Town of Strathmore, she has been helping build bridges and break down the barriers between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. Astokomii was the 2019 Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess, and she used her platform to raise awareness for mental health, specifically anxiety. From being scared to speak in front of a classroom to speaking in front of 30,000 people during the Grand Stand Show, she is showing others that it is okay to have difficult feelings, mental health issues are not a weakness, and that she is happy to share her coping mechanisms. Astokomii is a youth mentor with Preparing Our Home.
