b'ALLYSHIPshe says. We have to collaborate, sharesee Indigenous women thriving, takingcomes to your door, let them know that our expertise and work together. their legitimate places of leadership inyou want to see this as part of their partys Her long-standing involvement withtheir families, their communities and thisplatform, she says. This is an opportunity the Canadian Association of Elizabethcountry, she says. Id love to see no moreto influence what happens next.Fry Societies and other advocacyIndigenous women in prisons. In the end, Pate believes that being groups highlights her commitmentPate also urges people to remember thatan accomplice means more than just to ensuring that Indigenous womensreal change doesnt come from a singlesupporting from the sidelinesit means voices are not forgotten in conversationsleader or law, but from collective action.practicing true allyship by taking the lead about incarceration. She stresses the importance of usingfrom those who have been doing the work, opportunities like elections to demandlearning from their knowledge and using CULTURAL APPRECIATION VS.that politicians adopt meaningful policies,your position to help push for change. APPROPRIATION such as guaranteed livable income, thatHer message is clear: the future belongs The line between cultural appreciationdirectly support Indigenous communities.to those who embrace both allyship We are going to have an election withinand accompliceship and are willing to and appropriation is something Patethe next year. No matter which politiciantake action. navigates carefully. She recalls a recent incident involving a LinkedIn post that featured her participating in a smudging ceremony. Even though the Mikmaq Elder had given permission to share the photo, Pate took it down after realizing it could be misinterpreted. The Elder was fine with it, but Im a non-Indigenous woman. Someone who doesnt know me might see it as cultural appropriation, and I didnt want to disrespect anyone, she says.For Pate, its about listening and being willing to correct mistakes. Even if your intentions are good, if you learn something is problematic, its your respon-sibility to remedy it, she emphasizes. Ive made lots of mistakes, and its on me to learn from them.LOOKING AHEAD: ACCOMPLICESHIP IN ACTIONAs Pate reflects on her decades of work, she acknowledges the incredible progress thats been made but also emphasizes that there is still much to do. Now at 65, Pate feels a heightened sense of urgency to see meaningful change happen faster. When I first started working on issues of womens equality, the issue of violence against women wasnt taken seriously, she says. I wish I could say weve made huge improve-ments, but while theres better talk and better intentions, were still telling young girls to be careful what they wear, where they go and who theyre with.For Pate, the progress made so far is encouraging, but it isnt enough. Her hope is that future generations, particu-larly Indigenous women, will no longer face the barriers that have existed for far too long. She highlights the stag-gering reality that Indigenous women represent nearly half of the female federal prison population in Canada, despite making up less than five per cent of the countrys population. I would love to Ontario Native Womens Association39'