b'EQUALITY OR EQUITY?Mary Simons office disabled commentsnot intended to respond to theIndigenous women lead in many on her social media platforms due toneeds of Indigenous women andsystems: in Indigenous governments, abusive, misogynistic and racist comments,their families. colonial governments and in our including violent threats. communities and families. In every When Indigenous people talk aboutIndigenous community and on the A 2023 international report highlightedgovernance, it starts with community:ground, Indigenous women are several high-profile female leaders whorestoring communities, creatingworking as leaders in social services left the political arena that year, includingcommunities based on Indigenous waysand health, in the administrative office former Prime Minister of New Zealandof knowing and being, and buildingand at the governance tables. Their Jacinda Ardern. Many of these leaders citednew urban Indigenous communities.expertise and knowledge are not always burnout and increasing online harassmentA conversation about governance is a and threats as the main reasons for leaving.discussion about restoring balance torecognized or honoured, yet they And Chatelaine magazine in 2023 notedindividuals, families, communities andcontinue to help shape community and that in Canada, online abusefromNations and honouring each person andfamily life. threats of violence to denigrating, sexual- their contributions to the community.Indigenous women leaders prepared ized commentshas gotten worse forIt is about ensuring that through ourto work within political governance female politicians over the last few years. practices, the knowledge, systems andsystems, fighting to gain an incre-Indigenous women in these roles arepeople that were made invisible in 1867mental inch towards fundamental seeking to embody Indigenous ways ofare being made visible again. systemic change, need to be honoured being and bring positive change on behalfMikki Adams, the executive director ofand supported, as do the women of community. But the reality remains thatInuuqatigiit and co-chair of the Ottawaworking in community as our leaders. the establishment of the Canadian nation- Aboriginal Coalition, describes leader- Wherever Indigenous women lead, state in 1867 made many people invisible.ship from her understanding: I havemany show what Indigenous govern-Indigenous women are directly impacted bynoticed something about people whoance looks likekindness, balance decisions that governments at all levels aremake a difference in the world. I noticedand collaboration.making on behalf of Indigenous peoplesthat people who make a differenceand the decisions are sweeping. Theunderstand that every life matters, thatWe are likely to have a federal election oppressive nature of the Indian Act remains;people who make a difference in theand provincial election in Ontario in the Canadian child welfare system continuesworld get excited over a smile. They are2025. Many provinces had elections in to forcibly remove Indigenous children fromwilling to feed one stomach, educate2024. And First Nations governance, families; Canadian governments continueone mind and treat one wound. Peoplestill bound by the Indian Act, continue to influence whether Indigenous childrenwho make a difference are satisfied withto have elections every two years. As succeed in their education system orsmall changes, knowing we arent goingwe select new governance, let us focus contribute to disproportionate incarcerationto revolutionize the world in a day. Overon priorities for Indigenous women rates; and Canadian governments maintaintime, the small changes add up whereand support the Indigenous women control over validating the cleanliness of ourwe can transform towns, cities andwho are stepping into those leader-drinking water. even nations. ship roles. How can we help these Indigenous women thrive in a system that was essen-tially designed to deny the existence of Indigenous people? And how canGreetings to our members, and to all of our healthcare providers.Indigenous communities support the Indigenous women and men who take onWe want to take this opportunity to seek your engagement as we continue to address these roles? The work that they are doing isthe issues that are common when addressing Indigenous health outcomes for all extraordinarily hard. nations. To our Indigenous, and non-Indigenous, healthcare providers, we are Recognizing the realities of life forinviting you to register as a member of CINA. We have just updated our membership Indigenous women in Canada, we knowenrollment and have provided a section for you to indicate your health expertise.that it does not matter if you are a memberWhy are we seeking your expertise? We are preparing committees based on our of Cabinet or an activist in your Indigenousmembership of those who have experience in a number of health topics.community. Indigenous women are dispro-portionately likely to have: Take a moment to fill out the membership forms, and in the meantime, check out our website and social media platforms. Experienced some form of sexual or domestic violence;Had to address intergenerational trauma of colonization; andCANADIAN INDIGENOUS NURSES ASSOCIATIONNavigated multiple systems embeddedSuite 1004, 1 Nicholas Street, Ottawa, OntarioK1N 7B7with racist values and practices, whichT: (613) 724-4677 Toll Free: 1-866-724-3049 F:(613) 724-4718are not designed within IndigenousWebsite: www.indigenousnurses.ca knowledge frameworks and are Ontario Native Womens Association31'