Etienna Moostoos-Lafferty was born and raised in Grande Prairie Alberta. Etienna's family is from the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 8 territory. Etienna has 7 years of teaching experience both on and off-reserve, and also in public and Catholic school systems. Etienna spent 4 years working for an Indigenous perspective school with the Calgary Board of Education where she learned the importance of culture and language in Indigenous education.
Etienna has since moved back to Edmonton has worked provincially as an Indigenous Education consultant helping to develop and implement workshops aimed at promoting reconciliation through teacher education. Etienna has created resources for the ATA and ARPDC that help teachers better understand topics such as Residential Schools, Metis Settlements, Inuit history, Myths and Stereotypes of Indigenous people, progression of the TRC, and treaty relationships.
Today, Etienna is an Indigenous Education Coach for Evergreen Catholic Schools and is completing her masters full time at the University of Alberta. She is a mother to a 4 year old daughter named Layla and her husband is also a teacher and works as an assistant Principal for Edmonton Public Schools.