My name is Nievelina Carmona, and I come to this work as an Indigenous woman, a community member, a former employee, and an HR practitioner who has seen both the harm and the possibility that live inside workplaces.

For more than 15 years, I have worked alongside Indigenous Nations, organizations, and leaders in roles connected to governance, human resources, and workplace wellbeing. On paper, that looks like policy, structure, and systems. In reality, it has always been about people: how we relate to one another, how we hold power, and how we care for those who carry the work.

I have lived through harmful workplaces myself—including in my own community. I know what it feels like when HR and leadership are experienced as something to be afraid of, rather than a source of support. Those experiences were painful, and they changed me. They are a big part of why I believe HR must be done differently.

Cedar Circle Consulting grew out of a simple but demanding question:
What would it look like if HR and organizational practices truly reflected our values, our histories, and our responsibilities to one another?

In my work now, I draw on:

• My lived experience of both harm and healing in workplaces

• Indigenous ways of knowing and being in relationship

• The practical tools of HR, governance, and organizational development

I am interested in the spaces where things are complicated—where there has been hurt, where trust is thin, where people are unsure how to move forward. I don’t pretend to have easy answers. Instead, I offer careful listening, honest reflection, and a steady presence as we sort through what is happening and what might be possible.

Cedar Circle speaks to this for me: a return to something grounded and alive, and a reminder that we move in relationship—with land, with ancestors, with the people we work alongside every day.

If you are curious about how things could be different in your organization, I would be honoured to walk alongside you as you explore that.