Wabusk (Polar Bear Woman)

Margaret has been working in the shelter movement for over a decade. She comes to this role honestly, having experienced family violence in her own life, leading to the use of shelters in the past with her children.

Margaret's leadership is evident in her current roles as the President of NICAFV and a board member of the Aboriginal Shelters of Ontario. Her influence is felt in the initiatives she has advised on, such as the Stay or Go and a family violence worker certificate initiative, which significantly impacts the field.

Margaret's commitment to supporting the growth of NICAVF in the coming years is unwavering.

Margaret is a granddaughter and daughter of St. Anne’s Residential School survivors. She hails from Fort Albany, a small, isolated First Nation in Northern Ontario, raising nine (9) children and has 16 grandchildren.

Alissia is of Nicomen Band, a mother of five boys, including fostering two nephews.

She likes to think of herself as a cultural person, having been raised taking part in the seasonal rounds of food gatherings and becoming a bit of a native artisan. She has the privilege of learning from her mom and relatives while being self-taught in beading, basketry, baby moccasins, hand drum making, and ribbon skirts.

Alissia feels that bringing Nlaka’pamux and other Indigenous cultural knowledge to her work and professionalism contributes to the decolonizing goals of our healing nations today.

She has been working at Han Knakst Tsitxw Society for 13 years, of which 12 were as the Executive Director.

Alissia has led the team of support workers under the mentorship and partnership of House Manager Brenda Abbott.

She is currently working on getting her Bachelor of Social Work degree and hopes to transition into counselling more, as much of her previous background has been in financial management, administration, and leadership.

Alissia would like to see the Han Knakst Tsitxw Society become the beacon of supportive services for families undergoing family violence and abuse with the capabilities of educating people and empowering anyone who has felt victimized to improve their lives and move forward on their healing journey to emotional health and wellness.

Juanita Wyatt is a Métis woman who has called the Yukon home since childhood. With deep roots and strong connections across the territory, her work is grounded in community, relationships, and a lifelong understanding of the unique strengths and challenges of northern living.

She has worked in the residential support field since 2022 and holds a Recreation Therapy designation, along with multiple trauma-informed care certifications. Juanita specializes in the management of semi-independent and transitional living programs, bringing a compassionate, practical, and strengths-based approach to supporting individuals and families as they move toward stability and wellness.

Juanita currently serves as the Director of the Family Preservation Wellness Centre, which provides housing and wrap-around supports for up to 35 women and children experiencing homelessness, fleeing violence, or in transition related to substance use recovery, including those preparing for or awaiting access to treatment from Indigenous communities across the Yukon. In addition, she oversees 18 second-stage housing units that support individuals and families who have transitioned out of the Wellness Centre and are living more independently while still maintaining access to ongoing supports. She sits on the Board of Directors for the National Indigenous Circle Against Family Violence (NICAFV), where she contributes to Indigenous-led systems change rooted in safety, dignity, and cultural respect.

Tanya Powell is the Director of the Sapotaweyak Women’s Shelter in Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, Manitoba. Her work has given her the opportunity to support women, children, and families while also seeing firsthand the challenges our shelters and communities face.

Along with her role at the shelter, she serves as a Town Councillor and is involved with several boards and community organizations. These experiences have taught her the importance of listening, building relationships, asking questions, and being willing to speak up when something needs to be addressed.

She would be proud to represent Manitoba with NICAFV and bring the voices, experiences, and concerns of Manitoba shelters to the national table. She also sees it as an opportunity to learn from other communities across Canada and bring that knowledge back home.

She believes good leadership is about showing up, listening to people, working together, and following through.

Mi’kmaw Family Healing Centres, Millbrook First Nation & We’koqma’q First Nation, Nova Scotia

Bev Walker is the Director of the two Mi'kmaw Family Healing Centres in Nova Scotia, located in Millbrook & We’koqma’q First Nations. The Centres are transition houses for Indigenous women and their children who have experienced violence; with an outreach program serving Indigenous men, women & children across Nova Scotia. Bev has worked at the Healing Centre in Millbrook for 28 years, becoming director of both Centres in June 2018. 

Bev is a Mi'kmaw woman who loves to work with and for Indigenous communities, is a proud Grammy of 4, humble servant of 2 cats and in her spare time loves to crochet and create many forms of Art and crafts.