Female, Indigenous, Born in Northern Turtle Island (aka Canada) and First to

1 Travel to England and successfully petition Queen Victoria to intervene in a land claim dispute near Owen Sound, Ontario. The Queen granted Catherine legal ownership. However the Canadian government did not honour the Queen's decision. 2 Become a registered nurse 3 Officially serve in the Canadian Armed Forces 4 Publish the first novel Sanaaq in the Inuit language 5 Become an elected chief of a First Nation (Curve Lake) 6 Become a professional wood carver 7 Construct a Cree syllabic typewriter

Name
Nahnebahwequay (Catherine Sutton)

Nation
Mississauga

Year
1860

Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture Private Mary Greyeyes Mitiarjuj Nappaaluk Elsie Knott Ellen Neel Marie Maria Neegan-Gagnon

Mohawk Cree Inuit Ojibwe Kwakwaka'wakw Cree Kwakwaka'wakw

1914 1943 1951 1954 1954 1956 1956

8 Graduate from the University of British Columbia. Also the Gloria Cranmer-Webster 1st to work for the John Howard Society, where she counselled female prisoners. 9 Become a Flight Attendant 10 Be on a Canadian stamp (1st author & 1st women other than the Queen) 11 Publish an Indigenous newspaper Tekawennake Annie Weetaltuk Pauline Johnson Wilma Jamieson

Inuit Mohawk Mohawk Mohawk

1959 1961 1963 1967

12 Challenge the Royal Commission on gender discrimination Mary Two-Axe Earley and win back her Indian status This ruling is connected to the UN holding Canada in breach of human rights in '81 (see Lovelace) and would later become Bill C-31 in '85. 13 Be appointed Officer of Order of Canada Promoted to Companion of Order of Canada in '82 Kenojuak Ashevak

Inuit Mohawk

1967 1968

14 Be the recipient of the Tom Longboat award for the most Phyllis Bomberry outstanding Aboriginal Athlete of the Year. She led her softball team in the Cdn. Women's Championship. She was also a member of the Ontario gold-medal winning team at the Canada Games in 1969. 15 Become a registered Public Health Inspector Rita Swakum (Manuel)

Sylix Dene

1969 1972

16 Become Olympians (cross-country ski) Sharon & Shirley Firth And the 1st Cdn. women to compete in 4 straight Olympics. 17 Become a Human Rights Commissioner for Alberta Also founded the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women 18 Host Radio-Canada (CBC's French station) Muriel Stanley Venne

Mtis

1973

Myra Cree

Mohawk

1973

Author: Sally Simpson. Subject to change. To contribute to this list: sally.simpson@rogers.com. This list belongs to the courageous leaders identified. Our role is to acknowledge, honour and respect these trailblazers. Please pass this list along.

Female, Indigenous, Born in Northern Turtle Island (aka Canada) and First to
19 Become the Assistant Director of Training at the Nechi Institute on Alcohol and Drug Education. Rebecca is a leading expert on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. 20 Become President of NWAC (Native Women's Association of Canada) 21 Own and operate a radio station called SPIRIT 91.7 (now CIXL-FM) 22 Become a commerical pilot (Land, Sea & Block Airspace) 23 Become a lawyer 24 Become a prison guard (at the Prison for Women in Kingston) 25 Attain a black belt in martial arts (Tae Kwon Do) 26 Become a medical doctor 27 Earn a Masters in education 28 Earn a Ph.D. in educational theory 29 Succeed in having the United Nations declare Canada in breach of human rights Indigenous woman's Indian status was revoked if she married a non-Indigenous man. 30 Earn a Masters in library science 31 Earn a Ph.D. in biological psychiatry 32 Become a Member of Legislative Assembly of a Territory (NDP MLA for Yukon Territories).

Name
Rebecca Martell

Nation
Cree

Year
1974

Bertha Clark-Jones Suzanne Rochon-Burnett Dr. Alis Kennedy Marion Ironquill Meadmore Jane Chartrand Nokomis Janet Bernard Dr. Elizabeth Steinhauer Verna Kirkness Dr. Marlene Brant Castellano Sandra Lovelace

Mtis Mtis Mtis Ojibwe-Cree Algonquin Mi'kmaq Cree Cree Mohawk Maliseet

1974 1974 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1980 1981 1981

Phyllis Lerat Dr. Lillian Dyck Margaret Commodore

Cowessess Cree Sto:lo

1981 1981 1982

33 Be appointed non-parliamentarian ex-officio member of a Roberta Jamieson House of Commons Committee. In '89 the 1st female to serve the Legislative Assembly as Ombudsman of Ontario. And in '92 the International Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution awarded her the 1st Mary Parker Follett Award. 34 Win an Oscar for the song "Up Where We Belong" 35 Be ordained by the United Church of Canada 36 Produce a professional play, Flight , with the 1st all Indigenous cast. She also wrote the famous novel Half-Breed in '73. Buffy Sainte-Marie Christina Baker Maria Campbell

Mohawk

1982

Cree Cree Mtis

1983 1983 1985

37 Become a full university professor (UoA) Dr. Olive Dickason She also wrote A Concise History of Canada's First Nations. The 1st Canadian Indigenous history book for university level education that was written by an Indigenous person

Mtis

1985

Author: Sally Simpson. Subject to change. To contribute to this list: sally.simpson@rogers.com. This list belongs to the courageous leaders identified. Our role is to acknowledge, honour and respect these trailblazers. Please pass this list along.

Female, Indigenous, Born in Northern Turtle Island (aka Canada) and First to

Name

Nation
Heiltsuk

Year
1986

38 Become a Chartered Accountant Charlene Taylor And the 1st Director at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada. 39 Direct an Indigenous documentary film called Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief 40 Become a Federal Member of Parliament (Liberal) And the 1st appointed to privy council when named Minister of State for Youth and Training in '93. 41 Anchor a national news television broadcast (CBC) 42 Launch Canada's first Indigenous commercial fishery 43 Become a dentist (She started as a dental assistant in '73, dental nurse in '77 & dental therapist in '79) 44 Be appointed a Provincial Court Judge 45 Be elected Premier of a Canadian Territory (Northwest Territories) 46 Earn a Masters in civil engineering 47 Become a CEO of a steel company Carol Geddes Ethel Blondin-Andrew

Tlingit Dene

1986 1988

Carol Morin Wendy Grant-John Dr. Mary Jane McCallum

Cree-Chipewyan Musqueam Cree

1989 1990 1990

The Honourable Justice Terry Vyse Nellie Cournoyea Karen Decontie Hilda Broomfield-Letemplier

Mohawk Inuit Algonquin Inuit Mohawk

1991 1991 1991 1991 1992

48 Refuse and win the right to not pledge her oath to the Patricia Monture-Angus Queen of England (The oath is a requirement to be called to the bar as a lawyer) 49 Win an Olympic medal (Bronze in 3,000 meter) 50 Become a Journeyperson in carpentry 51 Chair the council for Yukon Indians (CYI) when they signed the first Modern Day Treaty that included the right to selfgovernment. In '95 she became the 1st Commissioner of the Yukon. 52 Receive a Rudy Martin Award 53 Serve as the Speaker of the House (Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories) Also the 1st Cabinet Minister in NWT serving in '87. 54 Be appointed a Superior High Court Judge 55 Be appointed Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs (1st person in Canada) 56 Become a Provincial Member of Parliament (Liberal MHA for Newfoundland). 57 Become a Canadian Senator Angela Chalmers Deborah Nelson Judy Gingall

Sioux Nuxalk Tagish Kwan (Southern Tutchone)

1992 1992 1993

Tantoo Cardinal Jeannie Marie-Jewell

Cree Dene

1993 1993

The Honourable Madam Justice Rose Toodick Boyko Mary May Simon Yvonne Jones Thelma Chalifoux

Tsek'Ehne Inuit Mtis Mtis

1994 1994 1996 1997

Author: Sally Simpson. Subject to change. To contribute to this list: sally.simpson@rogers.com. This list belongs to the courageous leaders identified. Our role is to acknowledge, honour and respect these trailblazers. Please pass this list along.

Female, Indigenous, Born in Northern Turtle Island (aka Canada) and First to

Name

Nation
Cree

Year
1997

58 Write, produce, direct and act in a dramatic film in Canada Shirley Cheechoo called Silent Tears 59 Become registered midwives (they graduated from the same class) 60 Become a psychiatrist 61 Become the World Champion Hoop Dancer In the adult female and male combined division (1st female in the world). 62 Become a dual Justice of the Peace (Federal & Provincial, 1st person in Canada) 63 Earn a Ph.D. in Aboriginal economy 64 Win a gold medal at the World Champion Junior Wrestling (Also a gold in '03 at Pan American Championship Senior Wrestling) 65 Achieve the rank of full university professor based on traditional knowledge (Trent). 66 Be an Olympian for the sport of modern pentathlon (1st for both men & women) A pentathlete must compete in 5 disciplines: pistol shooting, epee fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping & a 3 km cross-country run 67 Become a Sous Chef/Pastry Chef at 24 Sussex Drive (residence of the Prime Minister of Canada) 68 Become a RCMP Superintendent 69 Represent Canada at the Venice Biennale Her video installation was titled Fountain 70 Participate in an international cycling expedition (Canada, Russia, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia & South Africa) 71 File the first class action suit against the Federal Government for over 70,000 Residential School Survivors 72 Become an archaeologist 73 Become a climatologist 74 Conduct the first study of 64 Canadian female chiefs 75 Hold the most senior position at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (formerly INAC). Her title was Senior Assistant Deputy Minister 76 Become a Conservative Federal Member of Parliament Carol Mercedes Couchie Julie Hill Dr. Cornelia Wieman Lisa Odjig

Nishnawbe Kwe Mohawk Ojibwe Odawa-Ojibwe

1998

1998 2000

Her Worship Norma General-Lickers Mohawk Dr. Wanda Wuttunee Tara Rose Hedican Cree Ojibwe

2000 2001 2001

Shirley Ida Williams Monica Pinette

Ojibwe-Odawa Mtis

2003 2004

Lea Nicholas-MacKenzie Shirley Cuillierrier Rebecca Belmore Miranda Huron

Maliseet Mohawk Ojibwe Algonquin

2004 2004 2005 2005

Nora Bernard

Mi'kmaq

2005

Brandy George Dr. Jeannine-Marie St. Jacques Dr. Cora Voyageur Gina McDougall-Wilson

Chippewas Mtis Athabasca-Chipewyan Algonquin

2006 2007 2008 2008

Leona Aglukkaq

Inuit

2008

Author: Sally Simpson. Subject to change. To contribute to this list: sally.simpson@rogers.com. This list belongs to the courageous leaders identified. Our role is to acknowledge, honour and respect these trailblazers. Please pass this list along.

Female, Indigenous, Born in Northern Turtle Island (aka Canada) and First to
77 Become a veterinarian dentist (1st person in the world) 78 Lead negotiations and sign the first Modern Urban Treaty (Tsawwassen Treaty in BC) 79 Become a certified Hydro Operator (Island Falls Facility in Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan) 80 Have a solo exhibit at the National Art Gallery of Canada 81 Become a deaf medical doctor 82 Win an Olympic medal in the Winter Games (Silver in Curling)

Name
Dr. Candace Grier-Lowe Kim Baird

Nation
Cree Tsawwassen

Year
2009 2009

Nicole Stewart Daphne Odjig Dr. Jessica Dunkley Carolyn Darbyshire

Cree Ojibwe Mtis Mtis Mohawk Nipissing Dene

2009 2009 2010 2010 2010 2010 2011

83 Earn an Indigenous environmental studies bachelor degree Teyotsihstokwthe Dakota Brant 84 Earn a Ph.D. in geography Dr. Cynthia Anne Jones

85 Co-found & become President of the Aboriginal Gabrielle Scrimshaw Professional Association of Canada. At age 22, she was also the youngest associate accepted into one of Canada's most competitive post-graduate finance programs, RBC's Graduate Leadership Program. 86 Earn a Ph.D. in criminology 87 Be awarded a Performing Arts Award in Nunavut (for Inuit drum dancing) 88 Be appointed a Supreme Court Justice of a Territory 89 Become a Roman Catholic Saint (the 1st Indigenous person in the world) 90 Become a Canadian Red Cross National Director, Aboriginal & Northern Affairs, Disaster Management 91 Become a RCMP Chief Superintendent 92 Earn a Masters in infrastructure protection and international security Dr. Lisa Monchalin Veronique Nirlungayuk Supreme Court Justice Shannon Smallwood Kateri Tekakwitha

Algonquin-Huron-Mtis 2011 Inuit Dene Mohawk 2012 2012 2012

Melanie Goodchild Brenda Butterworth-Carr Teresa Nadon

Ojibwe Tr'ondek Hwech'in Algonquin

2013 2013 2013

Author: Sally Simpson. Subject to change. To contribute to this list: sally.simpson@rogers.com. This list belongs to the courageous leaders identified. Our role is to acknowledge, honour and respect these trailblazers. Please pass this list along.