Amplifying The Voices of Indigenous Women in Municipal Politics

By Celine Paquette

Indigenous Women Drumming. Photo credit: The Hill Times - Rose Lemay

You can’t silence the loud Indigenous woman

When I was young, my parents quickly learned that my wild spirit would be hard to tame. I didn’t like rules (and still don’t), walked to the beat of my own drum, and if I wanted something, I’d do anything I could to get it. Always being described as loud and bold by my peers was a compliment to me - I liked being heard, and being bold meant I was going after what I wanted. However, I couldn’t help but feel like maybe they meant it as a bad thing.

Growing up in a small French neighbourhood, it didn’t feel like there was much space for the loud and bold Indigenous girl. Society at the time didn’t feel like a place where the opinions or concerns of Indigenous and Metis women and girls were valued. This was a tougher pill to swallow when I didn’t have any role models growing up, but some things I didn't realize were standing in front of me all along until years later.

My mom is the epitome of a tough Indigenous woman. She grew up on the reserve, surrounded by sadness and trauma that she would carry years later. Despite these dark times, she knew she needed more and there was limited opportunity on the reserve. So she moved to the city, became an RCMP officer (where she later quit because she was not about to tolerate more racism and sexism), established a career with Winnipeg Transit and became a mom to three daughters. She always helped and cared about those in need. She always made sure we were proud of being native because I think for many years she felt shame and didn’t want us to have the same experience. As kids, she’d make us shout “Indian Power!” while throwing our fists in the air. Despite her past traumas coming up, her resilience and strong will pushed her to find and maintain sobriety so that she could be there for us.

Today, I am still that unapologetically loud girl who is now in school to become a social worker. As a social worker, I will continue to passionately challenge the status quo and advocate for the other Indigenous women and girls who are finding and growing their confidence to be heard. It’s our duty to use our voices, for the generations who were silenced for far too long.

We are Matriarchs

Leadership

Many First Nation cultures hold women in their communities in very high regard. They are viewed as storytellers, wisdom holders and stewards of the land because they bear the responsibility of passing down that knowledge and tradition to the future generations.

Equality

Indigenous women have faced disproportionate rates of violence, abuse and racism. Colonial policies like the Indian Act have had a massive influence on this mistreatment due to the sexist provisions within it. Today, Indigenous organizations are standing up to support Indigenous women and advocate for equality. That means ensuring there is equal opportunity for Indigenous women’s voices to be heard in politics.

“Indigenous women are the backbones of their cultures and communities. Indigenous knowledge tells us that when a woman is in the process of creating life, she is in her most sacred state of being. They are life givers and caregivers. They are the voices for their children, grandchildren and all those children yet to come. They are the voices for the lands and for the water. They are the carriers of languages and hold the future in their hands every time they carry their children.”

— Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters.

7 Indigenous Elders Standing Together. Photo credit: Emilee Gilpin, National Observer

Systemic Barriers to Participating in Municipal Politics

We usually speak about the systemic barriers that affect Indigenous women at a national level because those issues affect First Nations women from the Nass River in the west to the Mi’kma’ki in the east. While writing this blog post, I realized I had not considered the importance of Indigenous voices at a municipal level, because I viewed Indigenous issues as a Canadian issue.

However, making room for Indigenous women and people in municipal politics is crucial because there are major issues that disproportionately affect the urban Indigenous populations. In 2021, 3.2% of Calgary’s population and 5.8% of Edmonton’s population were Indigenous. By 2022, 30% of unhoused people in Calgary identified as Indigenous. In Edmonton, this rises to 54% (Homeless Hub, 2022). This is one drop in the bucket of what issues affect Indigenous peoples living in larger cities.

When entering politics, Indigenous women face intersecting challenges - both facing sexism for being a woman and discrimination for being Indigenous. Sexist policies under the Indian Act restricted Indigenous women from participating in elections. For example, until an amendment to the Act in 1960, Indigenous women could only vote if they married a non-status man, but this would mean giving up their inherent rights as a status person. Yet, a non-Indigenous woman who married a status man would gain status and those rights.

Different levels of government have only recently begun to consider Indigenous governance structures and establish ways to incorporate them into policies to create a more inclusive space that reflects Indigenous sovereignty and promotes Truth and Reconciliation. There still are deeply rooted colonial systems that marginalize Indigenous voices and aren’t culturally safe, which limits the participation of Indigenous women within these spaces.

Idle No More

Indigenous women have led and been the foundation of grassroots organizations and environmental protests for a long time. The Oka Crisis, IdleNoMore, and land defenders on Wet'suwet'en Territory are a few examples where Indigenous women have shown tremendous strength, courage and leadership.

Pictured above are Indigenous women leading the groups of people standing in support of IdleNoMore and their mission to dismantle the Canadian Government’s environmental law, Bill C-45. This bill affected over 60 acts including the Indian Act and the Navigable Waters Protection Act. Idle No More activists argued that these acts would diminish the authority of Indigenous communities and allow the government to make decisions without strong environmental assessments. They are devoted to protecting First Nations land sovereignty with respect to the land, water and sky.

The organization's website also advocates and brings attention to many other Indigenous-led campaigns and protests that protect traditional First Nations land and treaty rights. Take a look: Campaigns & Actions – idlenomore.ca

Indigenous Women Leading in Government

Although making moves at a provincial level, Nahanni Fontaine is an Indigenous woman from Sagkeeng First Nation and Minister of Families for the Manitoba Government. I had the pleasure of meeting Nahanni during Covid and I was in awe! Like myself, she is an Ojibway woman from the prairies. Nahanni is powerful and is using her position to bring attention and change to the issues most important to her. She is recognized for her expertise and passion for critical issues like MMIWG2S+ as well as her service at municipal, provincial, federal and international levels.

As much as policies, society and colonization have tried to keep us silent and out of the way, Indigenous women continue to persevere and demonstrate resilience when fighting for their rights in respect to their community, land and ancestors.

Celine Paquette

Celine Paquette is an Ojibway/Métis woman born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba now living in Calgary and pursuing a career in social work at Bow Valley College. She is passionate about advocating for Indigenous women and youth and committed to working towards positive change amongst rural and urban First Nations communities. Celine is currently a practicum student at Ask Her.

Ask HerJune 23, 2025