Dorene Bernard is a Mi'kmaq activist, water protector, and member of the Grassroots Grandmothers. She has worked in Native Child Welfare and Community Support for over 20 years, focusing on survivors and families of the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School, the documentation and history of Indian Residential Schools, and the Indian Residential School Commemoration Project. Bernard coordinates the Grassroots Grandmother Circle in social justice work, child welfare issues, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, cultural education, and water teachings.