Onashowewin Justice Circle

Published purpose

This 13-month project will support a feminist response and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19, through systemic change. Onashowewin Justice Circle will achieve this by bringing together Indigenous women from across Canada in a Summit to discuss leadership and decision-making in a post-pandemic context, and to reclaim their inherent role as matriarchs. The gathering will allow for the creation of an informal network of matriarchs and address the low number of Indigenous women in leadership positions, centering matriarch teachings, resistance, healing and sacred knowledge for future generations. Multi-media products on the role of Indigenous women as matriarchs will be developed and shared. At the end of the project, the organization will have contributed to addressing systemic barriers by increasing networks and collaboration to accelerate systemic change, addressing persistent harmful gender norms and attitudes, and supporting positive distribution of authority, voices, and decision-making power to support women’s equality. This project will engage with local Indigenous female leaders from elected parties, as well as from health, justice and education organizations, to shape the gathering content, participate in the advisory committee, and speak at the gathering.