Land Acknowledgement
We at Blackbird Strategies respectfully acknowledge that we operate and live on the traditional, unceded, and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg Peoples.
We work hard to honour Indigenous peoples – generations past, present, and future – with whom we gratefully share these lands. We actively work to abide by and implement the Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Calls to Justice by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
About Blackbird
Why “Blackbird”?
Blackbird’s founder and CEO Lisa Kirbie has worked extensively with Indigenous communities and First Nations for the past decade and takes great pride in this work as she considers reconciliation and justice for Indigenous Peoples a priority for the entire nation.
In May 2019, while Lisa was contemplating starting a new venture, she came across a beautiful rendition of the Beatles’ classic, Blackbird. Except this time it was sung by a young Indigenous woman, Emma Stevens, in her traditional Mi’kmaq language. It is both beautiful and meaningful and soon thereafter went viral, earning Ms. Stevens well-deserved praise.
Praise for Blackbird
“The Métis Nation—Saskatchewan has been a long-time client of Blackbird Strategies and we couldn’t be happier with their work. From communications to government relations lobby days to event planning, Blackbird is excellent at what they do. From our recent lobby days, it was clear that Blackbird’s CEO, Lisa Kirbie, not only knows her way around Parliament Hill, she has strong relationships with key ministers, MPs, and senior staff. Her team put together an incredible reception for MN-S hosted by the Speaker of the House, and we were beyond thrilled with the event.
Their work elevates us, and Blackbird makes it look effortless. We feel they truly understand our goals and go above and beyond to help us achieve them.
Dedicated, responsive, and passionate about serving their clients, we couldn’t imagine working without them. The biggest compliment I could give Blackbird is that they make us feel like we’re their only client.”
“Blackbird was the first place I turned when realizing ARF needed help lobbying on Arctic Science Issues. It was important to find a firm that shares our values; their ethical approach, strategic thinking, and incredible connections have been enormously beneficial to ARF. When it comes to Arctic, scientific, and Indigenous issues, you can’t do better than Blackbird.”
“Lisa and her team were instrumental in getting us in front of the key decision makers.”
“Lisa is a total professional. She led us through a press conference and made sure we were well-prepared and confident. We had terrific media turn out and generated a great deal of positive press coverage.
She covered all the bases and made sure that we were as relaxed as possible for a press conference that was extremely emotional. We can’t say enough about Lisa and the entire team she worked with.”
“I am pleased to say Lisa’s work ethic and communication skills are second to none.
Among Lisa’s strengths are her ability to lead, to manage time and budgets effectively, and her fine attention to detail. As well, she is a highly creative, well-organized and innovative individual who demonstrates an impressive level of professionalism and regard for her colleagues and fellow workers.
I would not hesitate to recommend Lisa for any communications related project.”