Jody Wilson-Raybould presented leadership award

TORONTO – Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould was awarded the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) inaugural Indigenous Women in Leadership Award.

Wilson-Raybould is a member of the We Wai Kai Nation, and her traditional Kwak’wala name is Puglaas, which means “a woman born to noble people.” She has long been an advocate for change, and has credited her grandmother, Pugladee, and her parents for ensuring that she knew her culture, her values, the laws of her Big House and how to conduct herself as a leader. The award was presented on Thursday, April 6 in Toronto.

The role of women in traditional life has long been one of leadership and strength. Through the tenacity and determination of indigenous women, the family has endured as has the culture and adaptation to changing economic and political landscapes since the arrival of the new peoples on the shores of Turtle Island.

In keeping with the changing times, CCAB is moving forward with a strong message supporting indigenous women and the leadership they have championed.

CCAB wishes to celebrate successful, accomplished, committed women with a new award that will serve not only national recognition but as a platform to the future. A future where aboriginal women take their rightful place at the national table among men and women of all cultures in true celebration of lives well lived from tradition to academia, family to prosperity they continue to lead the way.

As a Commissioner of the British Columbia Treaty Commission, and later as Regional Chief of the Assembly of First Nations in British Columbia, Wilson-Raybould helped First Nations in B.C. position themselves for increased economic opportunity and prosperity. Her support and participation in CCAB events have been a positive component in helping to bridge the business gap nationally while encouraging sustainable business practices and development. Elected as the Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville in 2015, and then appointed as Canada’s first indigenous Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Wilson-Raybould has continued her hard work in ensuring that Canada provides all its citizens with opportunities to thrive and succeed.

Wilson-Raybould is a role model for indigenous women in Canada on many levels, including at the highest levels of government. Her accomplishments and achievements are a shared national pride that we wish to celebrate.

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