A First Nations owned government relations and advocacy firm; we support First Nations’ governments and help navigate Ottawa and the provinces, building the relationships, engagement, and advocacy that carry community priorities to where decisions are made.
The name
The meaning of Odawa
/ɑˈdɑːwɑ/·ah-dah-wah
As an Anishinaabe owned firm, we understand that in the Ojibwe and Algonquin tradition, Odawa, the origin of the word Ottawa, means “to trade.” Yet the Odawa people were far more than traders. They were respected diplomats, relationship builders, and connectors among Nations. Moving between communities, they helped build alliances, resolve differences, and create the conditions for shared prosperity. Their legacy reminds us that leadership is rooted in relationships, reciprocity, and the strength of bringing people together.
At Odawa Relations, our definition of Government Relations extends beyond engagement with federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to include Indigenous governments as distinct governing authorities. We foster respectful nation-to-nation relationships that recognize Indigenous Nations as rights holders, decision-makers, and partners in shaping shared priorities.
We build relationships that create opportunity, unlock access, and strengthen outcomes for First Nations and their partners.
What we do
Concentrated and deliberately specific work.
Our core mandate is advocacy and representation: bringing First Nations voices to the right places in the federal and provincial systems, and making sure they are heard.
Government Relations & Advocacy
Ongoing strategy and direct engagement with federal and provincial decision makers, sustained until real outcomes are reached.
Public Affairs & Communications
Message development, strategic positioning, briefing materials, media engagement, and rapid response when it counts.
Community Engagement & Bridge Building
Connecting communities, organizations, and institutions, and building relationships rooted in community priorities.
Coalition Building
Aligning many voices around a shared objective, turning fragmented asks into coordinated pressure.
Corporate Indigenous Relations Advisory
Strategic counsel for partners navigating consultation requirements, partnerships, and reconciliation commitments.
Surge & Rapid Response
Fast mobilization for time sensitive files, getting the right people in the right rooms when the stakes demand it.
Why Odawa
Uniquely built to serve First Nations priorities.
First Nations owned and led. Trust is earned before an engagement begins.
Direct relationships with senior federal decision makers. Clients reach the right people, not gatekeepers.
Decades inside the federal system. Strategy built on how decisions are actually made.
Our team is First Nations, and most of us come from the communities we serve. That grounding is paired with senior federal experience, so we move fluently between both systems and bridge the understanding between them.
Given our trusted network of First Nations from across all regions, we bring voices together to make single asks turn into movements.
Timing matters. When your files are time sensitive and need urgent response, relationships make the difference. When things need to happen fast, we're here to support.
Who we serve
Our people
More hands around the same fire.
Odawa Relations is First Nations owned and First Nations led, and most of our team comes from the communities we serve. In September 2026, The Lodge Consulting joined Odawa Relations, and two firms built by First Nations people, for First Nations communities, became one team to better serve the people and communities we are accountable to.
Travis Boissoneau
A proud member of the Anishinabek Nation from Garden River First Nation, also Mushkegowuk from the James Bay area and a respected leader with decades of experience advancing First Nations priorities. Travis has served as Chief Administrative Officer of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Regional Deputy Grand Chief of the Anishinabek Nation, and as a justice advocate with the Chiefs of Ontario.
A Certified Professional Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce, he brings deep governance expertise, strong political relationships, and a lived understanding of treaty rights, First Nation politics, and community realities.
Hillory Tenute
For more than 20 years, Hillory has walked alongside Indigenous leaders as they navigate the often complex machinery of government. An Anishinaabekwe from the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, her work is rooted in relationships, reciprocity, and a commitment to advancing the priorities of Indigenous Nations and communities.
She is known for helping Chiefs, Councils, and organizational leaders bridge the space between community priorities and government decision-making, translating policy, politics, and bureaucracy into practical pathways for action while maintaining the integrity of community voices and Indigenous ways of knowing.
Throughout her career she has cultivated trusted and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous leaders, public servants, elected officials, and sector partners across Canada. Whether the work is Nation-building, economic development, rights implementation, community engagement, or strategic advocacy, Hillory’s approach is grounded in walking beside clients as a partner, advisor, and advocate. She holds a Master of Arts in Sociology.
Olivier Cullen
Two decades of experience in government relations, communications, and reconciliation, spanning the private sector and the most senior levels of the federal government. Olivier served more than eight years as a senior political advisor in various ministries including Public Safety, Indigenous Services, and Health.
As a senior advisor to the Minister of Public Safety, he led the overhaul of the national First Nations Policing Program. Known for strategic insight and creative problem solving, he excels at forging partnerships and navigating complex, high stakes issues. Olivier holds a Bachelor of Social Science in communications and political science from the University of Ottawa, where he deliberately shaped his studies around understanding how he could help advance First Nations rights in Canada.
Summer Wabasse
Summer is Oji-Cree from Webequie First Nation, located in Treaty 9 territory. As a Government Relations Specialist, she supports Indigenous leaders and communities in navigating the intersections of government, policy, advocacy, and community priorities. She brings experience in Indigenous engagement, government relations, communications, and economic development.
Her work is shaped by her leadership on Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s Oshkaatisak Council and the Ontario First Nations Young Peoples Council, where she supports Indigenous advocacy, youth engagement, and dialogue with First Nations leadership and governments.
Alyssa Goralchuk
Alyssa is a member of Norway House Cree Nation, located on Treaty 5 Territory. She previously served her home community as a Project Coordinator with the Norway House Cree Nation Health Centre of Excellence, where she supported the transition of health service delivery to a fully integrated model of care.
Her professional background is in human resources, supporting the Manitoba First Nations Police Service in recruitment and retention, employee onboarding, and the development of human resources policy. She has also worked in finance with First Peoples Economic Growth Fund, a NACCA financial institution that empowers First Nations communities and entrepreneurs to drive economic growth, and completed the Walt Disney World International College Program during her university studies.
We built our own room. Now we are filling it.
Don’t see your name here yet? We are hiring.
See who we’re looking for →We build the bridges that too often do not exist, and we walk them alongside our clients.
Get in touch
Start a conversation.
Tell us what your community or organization is facing.
We will help carry your voice to where it matters most.