Thunder Bay, ON – The Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) is honoured to celebrate the release of the tenth edition of She is Wise magazine. This issue marks a milestone for the publication, commemorating five years of centering Indigenous women’s voices, stories, and achievements. Today is also a day of reflection, attributed to both the summer solstice and National Indigenous Peoples Day.
From its inception, the magazine has been an empowering voice for Indigenous women. It is a platform that celebrates Indigenous women’s accomplishments and successes and our tireless commitment to end racism, discrimination and violence. The magazine’s framework centres on Indigenous women’s leadership. It honours collective wisdom by reclaiming that which colonization had targeted, our inherent knowledge as leaders in our families and communities.
In the 10th edition, we see the ways that Indigenous women are finding strength and healing through relational work across our nations. Grassroots movements and Indigenous organizations are driving change through advocacy and innovation with Indigenous women carving paths to healing by responding directly to the needs they see in their communities. Artists, writers, and educators are amplifying the voices and experiences of Indigenous women, challenging colonial narratives, and recognizing the importance of coming to understand ourselves through our healing journeys.
The special issue includes a focus on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). Key highlights include:
On the cover: Ann McGuire’s artwork which honours her sister, Jamie McGuire, and was created through ONWA’s Medicine Lines of Womanhood MMIWG Commemorative Art Project
From grassroots initiatives like Quilts for Survivors, Drag the Red, and #SearchtheLandfill, to organizations such as Ganǫhkwásra Family Assault Support Services and the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO), Indigenous women are making change to support healing paths for survivors of MMIWG and sexual violence.
Brandi Morin, Tenille K. Campbell and Cora Kavyaktok witness and reflect on Indigenous women’s realities, inviting people to look at the world through an Indigenous lens.
As we reflect on this special edition, we honor the voices that have shaped its pages—authors, experts, and everyday leaders who have shared their stories and wisdom. ONWA is honoured to carry the stories that have been shared with us, and highlight some of the significant work being done by Indigenous women in the face of the MMIWG crisis. This National Indigenous Peoples Day, we invite you to join us in recognizing the many ways that Indigenous women are unsettling cycles of trauma and using their inherent truths and knowledge in their healing journeys. When we heal ourselves, we heal our communities; it is through all our relations that we move forward with wise practices at hand.
To read the She Is Wise – 10th Edition Digital Publication, please visit: https://www.onwa.ca/she-is-wise-magazine
To learn more about MMIWG, please visit: https://www.onwa.ca/learning-resources-mmiwg
For more information and media inquiries, contact:
Andre Morriseau, Communications Manager
Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA)
Email: amorriseau@onwa.ca
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