Esquao – For Immediate Release

Edmonton, AB, December 18, 2024: It is with heavy hearts that Esquao, the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, announces the passing of our founder, past president, and guiding light, Muriel Stanley Venne, CM, AOE, BA (Hon).

In 1994, Muriel created Esquao, the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, a provincial organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of Indigenous women on various social and economic issues. Through Muriel’s leadership and vision, Esquao has transformed over 30 years from a modest not-for-profit operation into a thriving entity with capital assets and millions of dollars in programming for Indigenous women throughout Alberta.

Lisa D. Weber K.C., current Esquao President, reflects on Muriel’s passing, noting that Canada has lost a visionary champion of Indigenous people. Muriel devoted decades of work to ensure Indigenous women are treated with dignity, know their rights, and have resources to live healthy and independent lives. She co-created the Esquao Awards with Marggo Pariseau to honour Indigenous women in Alberta for their accomplishments.

Through her work to bring awareness to the national tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women, Muriel Stanley Venne has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours over her lifetime, including: the Alberta Human Rights Award in 1998; the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Justice and Human Rights in 2004; being named a Member of the Order of Canada for her work in bringing awareness of the violent deaths of Aboriginal women in 2005; the Governor General’s Award in 2005; the Alberta Government Centennial Medal in 2005; the Queen’s Commemorative Medals in 2002 and 2012; in 2017, the Muriel Stanley Venne Provincial Centre was the first Alberta government building named after a Métis woman; and the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2019.

Muriel once said, “The thing I was trying to change was to have people see my family and my people with love and caring. I really wanted people to be equal – with no hierarchy – just the right to be who you are and for women to be respected.”

We will always honour Muriel’s legacy as a founder, lifelong activist, community leader, tireless champion for Indigenous and women’s rights, mentor, and friend.

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For more information, please contact:

Esquao, the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, at 780-479-8195 or 1-877-471-2171.

About Esquao

Esquao, the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW), is a non-profit organization that recognizes the role, value, and achievements of Indigenous women in society and raises awareness around the challenges facing them. Esquao offers culturally respectful programming in violence prevention, achieving justice, financial literacy, healthy relationships, housing capacity building, and leadership development for Indigenous women and girls.

Esquao is the stylized version of the Cree word for woman.

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