b"COVER STORYMessage fromTHE PRESIDENTTAKING UP OUR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP ROLEW th edition of She is Wise magazine. For some of us,elcome to the 8June 21st marks the longest day of the year and the first day of summer. In this time of rejuvenation after a long winter, we are honoured to share stories from all over Mother Earth that speak to Indigenous womens ways of thinking, knowing and doing. Indigenous women across the globe are working on rematriation, returning to our ancestral Debra Vermette knowledge of our role as mothers. Traditionally, our role has been that of leaders in our families, President, ONWA communities and Nations. For us, the time is critical to decolonize the worlda world we are living in that has not historically been our own. In doing so, we have become vulnerable to those that marginalize our needs and fail to see the value of our voices.onwa.ca Critical to reclaiming our role as leaders is the need to decolonize the language that has @ONWA7 influenced our thinking. Our languages hold our ways of being and knowing of our ancestral teachings. In picking up our language and carrying it on for the next generations, we will @_ONWA_ continue to guide our childrens children on the road to follow. It is through our arts and our culture that we continue to reflect on who we are as a people in the broader world. It seems that it @onwa_official is through our artistic expression that others hear us best. For Indigenous women, we have been patient and we have been kind in our thinking and knowing. As you will read on the following pages, now is the time for doing. Globally, Indigenous women are taking up their role as leaders, prioritizing Indigenous womens needs and fulfilling them with Indigenous, women-led solutions. Indigenous women are acting and creating the change they need to see in the world, to live their lives free from violence, to care for their children, and to develop businesses that support their dreams.Indigenous womens ways of thinking, knowing and doing have ensured their resilience to stand up to oppression, fight for safety and create a better world for those to come. Indigenous women are leaders in creating safety, and in doing so, they recognize how interconnected and small this world really is. Indigenous women are making changefor themselves, their children and their communitiesand will continue to do so.In listening to their stories, we see that many reflect the values of ONWAs She is Wise framework. The framework positions Indigenous womens knowledge and practices as an understanding of leadership, and from it we honour the gift that all Indigenous women carry: the gift of life! That is who we are and who we will always be. DebraVermet tePublished by: CONTRIBUTING EDITORDESIGN SPECIALISTAll rights reserved.Ingrid Green Bethany Giesbrecht The contentsof this is published for Ontario Nativepublication may not beWomen's AssociationASSISTANT CONTRIBUTING EDITOR PRESIDENTreproduced by any means, in www.mediaedgepublishing.com Sarah McPherson Kevin Brown whole or in part, without the SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTprior written consent of the 33 South Station StreetEDITORRobert Thompson association.Toronto, OntarioM9N 2B2Roma IhnatowyczToll Free: 1-866-480-4717BRANCH MANAGER She is Wise is printed robertt@mediaedge.ca NATIONAL SALES EXECUTIVESNancie Priv on 10% post-consumer Return undeliverables to: NATIONAL DIRECTOR OFBrenda Ezinicki, April Hawkes, FSC certified paper using P.O. Box 15-684 City Road,PUBLISHINGNolan Ackman, Pat Johnston, Published soya based inks. When Fort William First NationMaurice P. LaBorde Ashley Huston June 2023 necessary to mail an issue ON P7J 1K3in an enclosure, we use an 807-577-1492MANAGING EDITORSENIOR DESIGN SPECIALISTPublication Mail environmentally-friendly, 100% www.onwa.ca Andr MorriseauMarisa Giesbrecht Agreement #40787580 oxo-degradable poly-wrap. 8Spring/Summer 2023"