b'SPIRIT MOONA LIFETIME OF LOBBYINGBy Ashley AlbertCharlotte Wolfreys campaign to end violence against Indigenous womenA well-known advocate forIn 1993, one of Wolfreys daughters washer time and effort into one pursuit, she Inuit women and chil- killed by her partner. It brought a lotcontinued to lobby for change, eventually dren, Charlotte Wolfreysof guilt, because here I was, lobbying forgetting a womens shelter established in career and advocacy workwomen so they wouldnt live in violenther community. I really did start to deal spans over 40 years, including a key role insituations, and my daughter was living inwith the loss of my daughter, the enormity advocating for a police presence in remoteviolence. I didnt really know, I guess, but Iof it. I still struggle with that, and I dont Labrador communities after she witnessedlived in violence, toothat was part of mythink I will ever be able to fully feel it.women experiencing violence in herfirst marriage, she explains. community, Nunatsiavut. Her efforts ledWolfrey moved away for a few years but to the establishment of an RCMP detach- After her daughters death, Wolfrey puteventually returned home. She worked as ment in the community and a womensher energy and anger towards the lacka town manager for many years and then shelter, helping to provide safer environ- of police services in her community. At ments for women experiencing violence. the time, there were three communities in northern Labrador that didnt have Wolfreys parents lived out on the landany police, leaving people experiencing when she was born, and she grew updomestic violence, like her daughter, with in a very traditional Inuit lifestyle. Sheno one to call for help. After eight years of currently lives in Rigolet, close to wherelobbying, Wolfrey and her colleagues were she was born. She continues to embracesuccessful in getting an RCMP detachment a traditional Inuit lifestyle, gathering andin two of the three communities, which eating food from the land and relying onare still there today.the land for healing. She is also a crafts-person, specializing in sewing parkas andWolfrey explains that throughout the traditional clothing. different roles that she has held, she would always advocate for police services In the early years of her advocacy, womenand would share the story about what in the community wanted to work buthappened to her daughter. I shared lacked childcare supports. They formed ahow she didnt have justice, [how] she womens group where they started to talkcould never have justice, how we were about violence and how things were notliving and how people were being put in progressing in their community. They feltdanger. There was still violence going on women were getting left behind and thatin our communities, and the only way that violence in the community was hidden.women could be safe was to leave their These discussions inspired Wolfrey tohomes and go to their extended familys speak out: A few years later, there was ahomes, she shares.young woman that was killed, and then I really started to lobby to try to changeAfter the success of her lobbying efforts, things, to try to bring violence to theWolfrey realized that she had to take forefront and to try to get police in ourtime to heal and come to terms with what communities, she shares. I was trying tohappened to her daughter. While she felt ensure that women had safe places to go.scared to move on after having put all 16 Fall/Winter 2025'