RECONCILIATION
SPEAKERS BUREAU
Joseph (Joey) Taylor
Joey Taylor grew up in The Pas, Manitoba, surrounded by violence, addiction, and the impacts of residential schools. He was pulled into gang life as a kid and spent years in the system, living a life fueled by drugs, crime, and survival. Everything changed when he met Elders like Dave Laswisse while incarcerated. Through culture, ceremony, and finally speaking his truth, Joey began healing from the trauma he carried since childhood. That was the moment he realized he didn’t have to die in the life he was living.
Today, Joey is on full parole, a husband and father to 3 children. He uses his lived experience to help others who feel trapped in addiction, violence, or hopelessness. Joey believes every person deserves a second shot, and that change is possible no matter how far you’ve fallen.
MY STORY
Joey Taylor is a 33-year-old Cree man whose life reflects resilience, transformation, and the power of cultural reconnection. Carrying the spirit name White Traveling Buffalo Man, Joey’s journey began in hardship and evolved into purpose.
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At the age of 13, Joey became involved in gang life and was incarcerated shortly thereafter. He would spend more than a decade in prison, entering the system as a teenager and being released in 2020 as a man determined to change his direction. Those years were marked by struggle, addiction, and deep internal conflict, but they also became the foundation for his rebirth.
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While incarcerated, Joey began reconnecting with his Cree heritage and Indigenous spirituality. Through ceremony, traditional teachings, and guidance from Elders and mentors, he started to see himself not as the mistakes he had made, but as someone capable of healing and responsibility. Cultural identity became his anchor. Following traditional ways helped him rebuild his spirit, mind, and sense of belonging.
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After his release, Joey committed fully to transformation. He sought support through recovery networks and accountability circles to address his addiction and trauma. Rather than returning to old environments, he chose to build a life rooted in humility, discipline, and service.
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Today, Joey is a devoted husband and father of three children, two daughters and a son, and centers his life around family, faith, and community. His lived experience positions him uniquely to speak on gang exit, reintegration, cultural reclamation, and restorative approaches to justice.
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Joey believes that true rehabilitation requires more than punishment, it requires identity, connection, and opportunity. His work is grounded in the belief that when individuals reconnect to culture, community, and purpose, real change becomes possible.