Dr. Cora Voyageur, Social Sciences
First Nations women are often asked to do it all. Within their communities, they are teachers, sisters, cousins, librarians, midwives and friends. These overlapping responsibilities can make it hard to be an effective leader.
Empowering First Nations women to be strong leaders
Indigenous Women in Leadership, a unique Canadian program led by University of Calgary professor of sociology Dr. Cora Voyageur, is providing these women with an opportunity to address these challenges and to build leadership expertise.
For three years, First Nations women leaders have gathered at The Banff Centre to enhance their skills in strategic planning, delegation, conflict resolution and life balance. They explore the issues, challenges and inequities faced by women leaders as they strive to fulfil the responsibilities of their jobs, meet the needs of their family and answer the demands of their community.
Dr. Voyageur, from the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in northern Alberta, uses her research findings to direct the program’s content.
“Women have always been informal leaders in their communities,” says Dr. Voyageur. “After the Indian Act was changed, we saw the first woman chief elected in 1952. The female chiefs are viewed as experts on social issues, but during the study they acknowledged some gaps in leadership skills and challenges with the blurring of lines between their numerous roles and relationships. The program content responds with appropriate training, tools and the opportunity to build a network of colleagues from which to leverage support.”
Female fire
Dr. Voyageur conducted the first study of female chiefs in Canada. Of 104 women chiefs, representing 17 per cent of aboriginal leaders, Dr. Voyageur studied 64 women and their experiences. The findings of the five-year project will be published this fall in her book, Women Chiefs in Canada, which is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
Most of the women she interviewed had post-secondary education. They typically came from politically involved families and many worked within band administration before pursuing a leadership role.
Dr. Voyageur is currently collaborating on a study of women and domestic violence. She is a member of the research team of Alberta’s Aboriginal Capacity and Development Research Environment (ACADRE), which launched Pimatisiwin: A Journal of Aboriginal and Indigenous Community Health. Pimatisiwin makes training, knowledge, research, and the experience of researchers, health professionals, and aboriginal communities available in a variety of formats. It provides a forum for academics, health professionals and communities to publish research in a cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural setting, referenced and accessed worldwide.
“Our program at The Banff Centre attracts aboriginal women from across Canada from all walks of life," says Dr. Voyageur. Some hold leadership positions in the reserve community while others work in urban centres. They are chiefs, band counsellors, teachers, administrators, social services facilitators and police officers. As leaders, they are involved at all levels in the day-to-day running of their communities. This program informs, empowers, validates and propels them on to expand their work, commitment and influence.”
www.soci.ucalgary.ca
www.banffcentre.ca
www.acadre.ualberta.ca
