The previous chief of Curve Lake First Nation will talk about the women who inspire her in a conversation with the former federal Cabinet minister responsible for women and gender equality in the third instalment of the Women United Speaker Series, presented by United Way Peterborough & District.
Held over Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, May 27th, the free talk will see Emily Whetung — Chief Emerita of Curve Lake First Nation and director of Indigenous Partnerships, Business Development at Ontario Power Generation — speak with Maryam Monsef, Women United Chair and former Peterborough-Kawartha MP and cabinet minister for women and gender equality.
For Women United Peterborough, one way to encourage women, those who identify as women, and allies to make change in the community is to celebrate those who have come before and have already used their passion, connections, and talents to challenge the status quo. The Women United Speaker Series does exactly that by giving inspiring women of diverse background the platform to share their stories.
“So much good (is) happening in our community because of great women and yet we know so little of their stories and their impact,” Monsef tells kawarthaNOW. “This is one platform to raise awareness, learn from their wisdom, and appreciate their impact.”
An international initiative of United Ways across the globe, Women United is made up of 70,000 women in more than 165 communities in North America. Locally, it is an inclusive network of those with the mission of transforming the lives of women, those who identify as women, and their families.
“By highlighting the resilience and contributions of local women of impact, Women United is raising awareness about the current status of women in our community and offering tangible practical solutions that can make a difference,” says Monsef.
Whetung grew up in Curve Lake First Nation before leaving to get her law degree. She returned to the community, got married, and practised real estate law in Peterborough for a decade while she raised her two children.
In 2019, she was elected as Chief of Curve Lake First Nation at just 34 years old and served for three years. She was also the representative plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit fighting for clean drinking water for First Nations in Canada, which reached an $8-billion settlement in 2022.
In her role at Ontario Power Generation, Whetung uses her background to encourage learning from the generations of experience of Indigenous communities.
“We have to make sure we don’t forget the lessons learned by past generations and we have to build on their successes — all of which were hard won,” Whetung says.
Such hard-earned successes is also what she will be exploring during the Women United Speaker Series, as she shares her appreciation for the women who “cleared the way” for her: the first woman in Canada to be elected as chief of a First Nation, the woman who started the first on-reserve day care centre, and her own mother who told her she “had every right to be in any space.”
“I think it’s important for women to share experiences, opportunities, and struggles so we can learn from each other,” says Whetung. “I wanted to share my gratitude for the women who have made me who I am and tell parts of their story. I hope it inspires other women the way it has inspired me.”
Whetung is the second Indigenous woman to participate in the Women United Speaker Series, with the series launching on March 25th with Dr. Dawn Lavell Harvard, director of First Peoples House of Learning at Trent University.
“Like our first speaker Dr. Dawn Lavell Harvard, Chief Whetung comes from a long line of strong, resilient women,” Monsef says. “The leadership of Indigenous women like her has benefited our communities and our country.”
“Dawn’s presentation was a topic of conversation, with much reverence for her and her mother. People wanted to learn more about her and talk more about the issues she raised. That is a tall order, I know, but I believe in the power of conversation and so far, our speakers have only reinforced that belief.”
The Women United Speaker Series continued on April 29th with Lynn Zimmer, who co-founded the first women’s shelter in Canada and was a longtime former executive director of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton.
For her part, Whetung is hopeful that speaking about the women who have inspired her will offer the same source of inspiration to those in attendance at the May 27th webinar.
“I hope everyone leaves the Speaker Series with a sense of opportunity,” Whetung says. “I hope there is a sense of opportunity to innovate, to work together, to be allies to each other and, most importantly, to challenge the status quo.”
Currently, Whetung is mentoring a workshop of Indigenous girls to promote opportunities in STEM at the University of Saskatchewan, after having held the workshop at Trent University last year, and the experience is a reminder of the goal of the Speaker Series.
“Each workshop has been a great reminder to take the time and have real conversations,” she says. “Listening and encouragement go a long way. That, to me, is the foundation of Women United.”
Visit www.uwpeterborough.ca/women-united-speaker-series/ to register for the lunch webinar on May 27th or to watch the previous two speakers in the series.
