Indigenous Women In Community Leadership
4780 Tompkins Lane B2G 2W5 Antigonish, NS, Canada

10 years ago, we began a journey Together, we shared the goal of helping Indigenous women leaders across Canada develop their leadership skills and abilities fo...r community-led and community-driven development. We envisioned social and economic change led by Indigenous women in solidarity with others and prioritized equity and inclusion. The generosity and commitment of Imperial Oil and Exxon Mobil in supporting Coady Institute and more than 150 Indigenous women has given us a solid foundation for making a difference across the country. The positive impacts will continue to be felt for decades to come. Our sincerest thanks and appreciation.

We at Coady International Institute and StFX Extension Department are appalled by the hatred and racism that has been exhibited toward Sipekne’katik First Nation fishers and their families this week. These deliberate acts of violence, interference, and intimidation have no place in our society. Read the full statement below.

Local Women’s Voices for Peace: A Community Leadership E-Conference Coady Institute to Host Global Conference on the 20th Anniversary of UNSCR 1325 Indigenous (...Canada) Session: From Where We Stand: Indigenous Women’s Voices & Perspectives Sep 23, 2020 05:00 PM Universal Time UTC 10am Pacific Time https://us02web.zoom.us//tZYvfumqpz4qE90n-Evmd1OuY-Kul-ZkG Moderator(s): Karri-Lynn Paul (Wlastkwiyik, Woodstock First Nation, NB) Speakers: Fay Blaney (Xwemalhkwu woman of the Coast Salish Nation, BC), Karla Stevens, (Mi’kmaq, Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation, NS), Martina Saunders (Cree, York Factory First Nation, NS), Lorelei Williams (Interior Salish/Coast Salish woman from Skatin Nations/Sts’Ailes, Vancouver, BC), Jeneva Dennis, (Mi'kmaq, Potlotek First Nation, NS) Keynote Listener: Ambassador Jacqueline O'Neill (Canada) This session will be offered by a diverse group of Indigenous women discussing topics such as gender-based violence, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), and Indigenous women as refugees in their homelands. You will hear the voices and stories of Indigenous women and their experiences living in Canada followed by a Q & A’s. #global #local #nationwide #womensvoices #community #communitylove #communityleaders #leadership #leaders #econference #coadystfx #indigenous #indigenouswomen #indigenousleadership #globalconference #2020 #fromwherewestand #loreleiwilliams #butterfliesinspirit #butterfliesinspirit #interiorsalish #coastsalish #skatinnations #stsailes #vancouver #musqueam #squamish #tsleilwaututh #ambassador #diverse #mmiw #mmiwg #mmiwg2slgbtq #residentialschool #genocide #canadaisnotinnocent #canadaisnotperfect #racism #systemicracism

Thank you Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for supporting this program with a $200k donation to launch the Circle of Abundance - Amplifying Indigenous Womens Leadership fund! Donate today at coady.stfx.ca/indigenouswomen #CircleOfAbundance #IndigenousLeaders #WomenLeaders #Indigenous

Local Womens Voices for Peace: A Community Leadership E-Conference Coady Institute to Host Global Conference on the 20th Anniversary of UNSCR 1325 Indigenous (...Canada) Session: From Where We Stand: Indigenous Womens Voices & Perspectives Sep 23, 2020 05:00 PM Universal Time UTC 10am Pacific Time https://us02web.zoom.us//tZYvfumqpz4qE90n-Evmd1OuY-Kul-ZkG Moderator(s): Karri-Lynn Paul (Wlastkwiyik, Woodstock First Nation, NB) Speakers: Fay Blaney (Xwemalhkwu woman of the Coast Salish Nation, BC), Karla Stevens, (Mikmaq, Paqtnkek Mikmaw Nation, NS), Martina Saunders (Cree, York Factory First Nation, NS), Lorelei Williams (Interior Salish/Coast Salish woman from Skatin Nations/StsAiles, Vancouver, BC), Jeneva Dennis, (Mi'kmaq, Potlotek First Nation, NS) Keynote Listener: Ambassador Jacqueline O'Neill (Canada) This session will be offered by a diverse group of Indigenous women discussing topics such as gender-based violence, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), and Indigenous women as refugees in their homelands. You will hear the voices and stories of Indigenous women and their experiences living in Canada followed by a Q & As. #global #local #nationwide #womensvoices #community #communitylove #communityleaders #leadership #leaders #econference #coadystfx #indigenous #indigenouswomen #indigenousleadership #globalconference #2020 #fromwherewestand #loreleiwilliams #butterfliesinspirit #butterfliesinspirit #interiorsalish #coastsalish #skatinnations #stsailes #vancouver #musqueam #squamish #tsleilwaututh #ambassador #diverse #mmiw #mmiwg #mmiwg2slgbtq #residentialschool #genocide #canadaisnotinnocent #canadaisnotperfect #racism #systemicracism

Upcoming FREE workshops for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people residing in Canada!

Join us beginning on the International Day of Peace, Monday September 21st for the Local Women's Voices for Peace Conference. Featuring a session on September 23rd with Indigenous Women Leaders at 1pm EDT, titled From Where We Stand: Indigenous Womens Voices & Perspectives. Please adjust to your time zone. To register for any of the sessions below, please go to: https://coady.stfx.ca/local-womens-voices-for-peace/ September 21...Continue reading

Exciting news! The Jeannine Deveau Education Equity Endowment Fund has matched the $200,000 donation by Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively and are now matching any new donations up to another $300,000! Join the #CircleOfAbundance - Amplifying Indigenous Women's Leadership campaign by donating at coady.stfx.ca/support

Joint Statement from Indigenous Women Leaders "With good spirits, we are grateful to work with Coady International Institute, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, and other partners. We have a shared vision for raising the profile of Indigenous womens leadership and voices in Canada and globally. We know that magic happens when women lift each other up and share their Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, cultures, and traditions...." Read the full statement on our website.

The Donner Canadian Foundation has awarded Coady International Institute a $30,000 grant that will help enhance the award-winning Indigenous Women in Community Leadership (IWCL) program, and ensure participation of Métis women in a newer program of online workshops and courses. This funding means additional opportunities for Métis women leaders and thats exciting. It means that we can purposefully engage with Métis women by providing scholarships and online workshops, and i...t gives us the chance to gather and develop Métis specific leadership resources. - Karri-Lynn Paul (Indigenous Program Lead, Coady International Institute) Read more in the link below! #Indigenous

Congratulations and thank you to all involved in the #IWCLGathering. We can't wait to see what you do next!

Meet Karri-Lynn Paul, lead facilitator for the Indigenous Women In Community Leadership program for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis self-identified women. "We're interested in all different kinds of communities and all different kinds of leaders." Interested in this program? Learn more or apply now: coady.stfx.ca/indigenous-women-in-community-leadership

Join us for the 2020 Indigenous Women in Community Leadership program. Applications are now open!

Congratulations to these 18 incredible women leaders!

Dr. Te Awekotuku delivered the Keynote Address for the Indigenous Women In Community Leadership Alumni Gathering in November. Te Awekotuko has worked across the heritage, culture and academic sectors as curator, lecturer, researcher and activist. Her areas of research interest include gender issues, museums, body modification, power and powerlessness, spirituality, and ritual. Watch the presentation here:

"You've had those opportunities to lead, and then now, what are you doing for others? How are you bringing others up? How are you starting to connect on that national, or even global level?" - Karri-Lynn Paul (Lead Program Facilitator) #IWCLGathering

Thank you to all who came to the #IWCLGathering keynote, and especially to Dr. Ngahuia Te Awekotuku who crafted an impactful message about #Indigenous women's leadership and the importance of storytelling.

Approximately 100 Indigenous women leaders are at Coady International Institute and StFX University for the #IWCLGathering. The weekend is an opportunity for In...digenous women to come together, forge connections, collaborate, and amplify their impact. Learn more: https://coady.stfx.ca/iwcl-gathering/

Welcome back! Over the course of four days, the participants will hear from keynote Indigenous speakers, share stories of impact, attend master classes, hold a marketplace, enjoy entertainment, and go on field trips to visit local Indigenous communities as they examine collective issues and formulate a collective response.

For those of you in the area!

Take some time to watch this beautifully produced video called My Blood Memory is Couture, featuring Teresa Snow. Written and Produced by Angel Aubichon (IWCL 2017) and Directed and edited by Alex Manitopyes (IWCL 2017). Funded by Telus.

Kathia Carrillo of Peru, a graduate of Coady Institute's 2019 Global Change Leaders Program, conducted an interview with Elder Kerry Prosper from Paq'tnkek First Nation while she was here last month. The interview is being broadcast in Spanish on Radio Encuentros in South America. Elder Kerry Prosper speaks about the history of the Mi'kmaq people and territory, the challenges of colonization and the importance of the Mi'kmaq teachings and their protection of the land. He is the Mi'kmaq Knowledge Keeper on Campus at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.

Every child matters. Orange Shirt Day is an important reminder of the abuses and injustices imposed by the residential school system, and how there is still muc...h work to do to move forward together in reconciliation. We wear our orange shirts in honour of survivors and of those who did not make it. We must do better.

In 2010, several Indigenous women leaders, Coady International Institute, and founding funder Imperial launched the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership (IWCL) Program an initiative for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women who are committed to supporting development and social change, in their organizations, communities, and Nations. Applying Coadys innovative and blended approach to asset-based community-driven leadership development and prioritizing Indigenous women...s knowledge and ways of learning, the program focuses on building capacity by sharing expertise and teachings between participants, mentors, and Elders. Nearly a decade later, graduates are making a significant impact in communities across Canada as leaders of social change. For the first time ever, 100+ Indigenous women graduates of Coady programs, mentors and Elders will come together for a transformative 4-day Alumni Gathering on the campus of STFX in November. The time has never been more important to create these types of spaces for women to come together and determine how best they can collectively mobilize. Coady Institute is proud to engage with these amazing leaders and look forward to sharing more about the Gathering and its outcomes over the month.

We are pleased to be collaborating with Pembina Institute and indigenous community leaders toward energy planning for diesel reduction in arctic communities, as... we work together to combat energy poverty and climate change in Canada. Coady's Corrine Cash and Brianne Peters co-facilitated sessions yesterday focused on the "leaky bucket" and asset-based community development (ABCD), and had the opportunity to visit a local solar project in TSou-ke Nation, BC. #climatechange #climatejustice #climateweek

October 1st and Treaty Day mark the beginning of Mi'kmaq History Month. Learn more about the Mi'kmaq Nation and the treaties that connect us. "In 1985, the Sup...reme Court of Canada affirmed the Treaty of 1752 was still strong and called upon Her Majesty to honour the Treaty and others made with the Mikmaw nation. In 1986, the then Grand Chief Donald Marshall Sr. proclaimed every October 1st as Treaty Day. It commemorates the key role of treaties in the relationship between the Nova Scotia Mikmaq and the Crown." (https://mikmaqhistorymonth.ca/treaty-day/)

Meet our Alumni: Shianne McKay (2013), Pine Creek First Nation, Manitoba Since IWCL, I have integrated the environmental youth mentorship program framework int...o numerous projects within CIER : Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources. I am now a project manager. I manage several projects in the areas of youth, Elder-led arts and culture, climate change adaptation and awareness, energy conservation and efficiency, and waste management. The IWCL program provided me with the experience, skills, and confidence I needed to develop my leadership potential. -- More than 100 of Canadas Indigenous women leaders will gather in November at St. Francis Xavier Universitys Coady International for the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership Alumni Gathering: Community Spirit, Collective Action. Learn more: coady.stfx.ca/iwcl-gathering #IndigenousLeaders #WomenLeaders #Leadership #WednesdayWisdom

Meet our Alumni: Helen Knott (2011), Fort St. John, British Columbia/ Prophet River, Saskatchewan Since the IWCL program, I have graduated with my Bachelors in... social work, and have worked in my field in the Okanagan and at home. I have participated in land defense related events and initiatives across Canada. I am finishing my Master's in First Nations Studies this year. I [released my] first book through University of Regina Press on August 24, 2019 called, 'In My Own Moccasins'. I recently started my own company, Fierce With Heart, to fill gaps in wellness service delivery in the region. -- More than 100 of Canadas Indigenous women leaders will gather in November at St. Francis Xavier Universitys Coady International for the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership Alumni Gathering: Community Spirit, Collective Action. Learn more: coady.stfx.ca/iwcl-gathering #IndigenousLeaders #WomenLeaders #Leadership #WednesdayWisdom

Meet our Alumni: Devon Fiddler (2012), Saskatoon, SK. Graduate Devon Fiddler just opened her first storefront for SheNative, which she founded in 2014. The bus...iness prides itself on being fully operated by Indigenous women with a mandate to lead by example to inspire other Indigenous women to pursue their own dreams. (Read more about her journey in the news article below.) -- More than 100 of Canadas Indigenous women leaders will gather in November at St. Francis Xavier Universitys Coady International for the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership Alumni Gathering: Community Spirit, Collective Action. Learn more: coady.stfx.ca/iwcl-gathering #IndigenousLeaders #WomenLeaders #Leadership #WednesdayWisdom

Strengthening Community, Building Bridges, and Collaborating for Change More than 100 of Canadas Indigenous women leaders will gather in November at StFX Unive...rsitys Coady International Institute in Mikmaki, the unceded territory of the Mikmaq people. With the generous support of Imperial Oil (founding partner), Comart Foundation (strategic partner), and numerous individual, foundation, and organizational sponsors, the Indigenous Women In Community Leadership program and the gathering support Indigenous women as leaders in our communities, workplaces, and governments.

There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. August 9 is commemorated as the International Day of the Worlds ...Indigenous Peoples in recognition of the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva in 1982. Each year this day is celebrated around the world. #IndigenousLeaders

Congratulations to #CoadyGrad Devon Fiddler (Indigenous Women in Community Development, 2014) on opening the first SheNative storefront! #IWCL #IndigenousLeaders #WomenLeaders

Coady Institute is pleased to announce that we are once again in partnership with the Nobel Women's Initiative for the 2019 Sister-to-Sister Mentorship Program. Six young women peace activists to take part in a six-week residency program, from late October to end of November 2019, taking place in Ottawa, Canada. Nominations are being accepted from First Nations, Métis and Inuit organizations for the participation of a young Indigenous woman leader between the ages of 21-30 w...orking on social justice issues. Additionally, applications will be accepted from nominating organizations operating in conflict or post-conflict countries in the South, with a preference given to the following countries/regions: the Middle East and North Africa, Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Great Lakes Region/East Africa, Liberia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. For more information and the application, see the link below. Deadline to apply is Monday June 17, 2019. https://www.awid.org//sister-sister-mentorship-program-nom

Sharing the work of this amazing IWCL graduate, Lorelei Williams!

Our deadline is extended until April 14th! Complete your application to the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership program, open to First Nations, Metis and Inuit women who are interested in helping communities create the change they want to see!

Deadline is approaching! Apply before March 31st to take part in the 2019 Indigenous Women in Community Leadership program (full scholarship)!

Fourteen Indigenous women leaders concluded Coadys five-month Indigenous Women in Community Leadership program with a virtual graduation ceremony March 1. I c...ant remember a time when I felt more hopeful, more connected, and more excited to see the world with these new eyes." -- Applications are now open for the 2019 program. Learn more or apply now at coady.stfx.ca #IndigenousLeaders #WomenLeaders #Leadership #CoadyGrad