Aboriginal - Girls Action Foundation

Sparks of leadership
An Introduction by Girls Action Foundation
As TJ Lightfoot says in her piece, “Indigenous women are in many positions of leadership
that often go unrecognized.” The young women whose voices are gathered here are
changing that. Her art and writing shine light on the fact that sparks of leadership exist,
in many different forms, in all young women.
Girls Action Foundation is proud to help make this publication happen. We believe in the
potential of girls and young women to be change agents. We also believe in the power of
intergenerational exchange and mentorship. In many of the artworks, young women
talk about women who influence them and what they have learned: “I have many
strong women in my life who have taught me to ask why,” says Binaeshee-Quae Couchie
-Nabigon.
We hope these words and artwork will keep you asking why. We hope that the negative
images of Indigenous women that pervade Canadian society are transformed by the real
images of young women making change and strength shared through the generations.
- From the team at Girls Action Foundation
Thank you to our funding partners. The project Indigenous Young Women: Speaking Our Truths, Building
Our Strengths was made possible in part by Department of Justice Canada, Status of Women Canada, and
the Catherine Donnelly Foundation.
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