A Saskatchewan First Nations leader says women are too often beat down, and that’s why a new gala is looking to lift them up.
“If we don’t do it then who will? FSIN interim Chief Kim Jonathan said.
She said First Nations women are often humble about their accomplishments, yet are marginalized by mainstream society.
When she presented the idea for the “Strength of Our Women Awards” gala to the Saskatchewan First Nations Women’s Commission, they ran with it.
She said they’ve been encouraged to “make as big of a splash as we can because oftentimes our women are kicked while they’re missing, they’re kicked while they’re murdered, and feel that in many cases they don’t have a voice.”
The awards are accepting nominations for categories that cover business leaders, lawyers, athletes, artists, and community champions.
One particularly important award will be the matriarch award. It recognizes a woman who acts a pillar in her community, the head of a household “that makes sure everyone is warm and fed,” Jonathan said.
She said younger generations, or “matriarchs in training, truly are watching everything that the women do, everything that their role models do – their mothers, their aunts, their grandmothers. And so as such they’re also watching how we honour – or don’t honour.”
Jonathan acknowledged First Nations communities face huge struggles, like suicide and youth at risk of addictions. That’s what makes a return to traditional values so important.
“Historically, the role of the matriarch was that of elevated respect, was that of something that when she said no, we did no. When she said yes – their role was so respectful and we want to return it to that,” she said.
The awards ceremony will donate its proceeds towards developing FSIN’s murdered and missing indigenous women strategy.
Nominations will be accepted until the end of this week, and the awards will be in Saskatoon on Thursday.
More information is available here: fsin.com