5 Questions with Community Builder and Filmmaker Kelli Morning Bull

When Kelli Morning Bull, senior service designer at Calgary Public Library (CPL), first joined the library in 2018, it was in the beginning stages of developing its Indigenous Services programming. Since then, Morning Bull has designed numerous Indigenous programs to enhance cultural understanding and provide educational opportunities for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

She acted as an advisor for the installation of Indigenous art at various CPL locations, co-developed Central Library’s Elders’ Guidance Circle, where people can meet with an Elder or Knowledge Keeper, and implemented Powwow Trail 101, a program that shares information on powwows and hosts drumming and dance presentations. These initiatives aim to help all Calgarians honour and learn the history of Indigenous peoples. In this way, libraries can play a powerful role in truth and reconciliation.

Recognized as a Community Builder in Library Journal’s 2025 Mover & Shaker awards for her CPL work, Morning Bull also brings her passion for knowledge sharing to filmmaking. In 2019, she wrote and directed Treaty Money, a film that demystifies government payments to Indigenous peoples. She is currently working on a new comedy about powwows.

Why is it important for libraries to welcome and celebrate everyone, and how do you help achieve that at CPL?

“For a long time, Indigenous peoples weren’t welcome in library spaces. There have been a lot of changes. Now you see Indigenous placemaking and Indigenous representation. It brings a sense of pride and belonging, and that’s what I came in to do: to create spaces where people feel like they belong.”

How does Indigenous programming at CPL help make Calgary better?

“It helps bridge gaps and builds compassion and empathy. It also opens that door for non-Indigenous people to ask questions, be curious and show up in a good way.”

What are you most proud of in your CPL work?

“I feel most proud of the Elders; the fact that the same ones from 2019 are still guiding us. That says a lot [about] the relationships that we nurture and [how we] ensure they also feel welcome and part of the change.”

In what ways can filmmaking help bridge cultural divides?

“Film is a really great way to pull somebody into a moment and help people understand. For instance, there are a lot of films that talk about trauma [that have been] created for non-Indigenous people to see.”

What do you love most about Calgary?

“It’s my traditional home. I’m Blackfoot, and so this would have been one of the places where my people gathered. I love that we are so close to the mountains — that when we need to escape, they’re right there. Nature is always there.”

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