b'FROM THE COOS DESKWorking TowardsLong-lasting Changefor Future GenerationsTRACY ANTONE S hekoliChief Operating Officer, Chiefs of Ontario On behalf of the Chiefs of Ontario Secretariat, I am pleased to welcome you to another edition of the official Chiefs of Ontario magazine, Advocate.For decades, families, survivors, and communities have been demanding justice, healing, and concrete actions to end systemic discrimination and inequality against First Nations women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ community members.In this issue, we feature the voices of various prominent Indigenous women, such as Laurie Carr, Chief of Hiawatha First Nation; Nancy Johnson, Director of Womens Initiatives at Chiefs of Ontario; Elder Mary Elliot from Atikameksheng Anishnawbe; and Toronto-based designer Sage Paul of English River First Nation. These women all graciously shared their stories of integrity, triumph and creativity with us. We also touch on women in politics, the sacred relationship between First Nations women and water, traditional and contemporary Indigenous knowledge in design, and the empowerment of women and girls in gender-balanced spaces. We are grateful for those who shared their knowledge and perspectives in this edition of Advocate. We honour them for their continued commitment and advocacy toward increasing womens economic security and prosperity, encouraging womens leadership and participation, and most importantly, ending violence against women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ community members. This edition also features important articles on the work of First Nations leadership, including a recap of the Chiefs of Ontarios first in-person Annual Chiefs Assembly (ACA) in Toronto since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the theme of the ACA, Every Child Matters: A New Legacy, many key issues were discussed and resolutions were passed on a variety of priorities, including governance, child welfare, education, environment, First Nations laws and jurisdiction, and more. Other highlights included the attendance of the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services. Events like the ACA are essential for First Nations leadership to discuss mutual priorities and collaborate on the next steps for building healthy and safe communities. While this event was a success, there is still much work to do to create long-lasting changes for our children, grandchildren and future generations.As we move forward with Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaching on September 30, our communities continue to grapple with the horrific findings made in the last year at former Indian Residential Schools across Canada. I encourage all to wear orange to honour Survivors, families and communities, and to acknowledge the truth of the Residential School system through education and/or by attending an Orange Shirt Day event near you. It is with this that we also encourage everyone in Canada to mark May 5 as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and wear red to honour all lives lost, and those whose lives have been forever changed by violence toward Indigenous women, girls and the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.Yaw^ko 12l I ssue1 2022C hIefs ofo ntarIoA dvocAte magazIne'