In 2010, several Indigenous women leaders, Coady International Institute, and Imperial founded the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership (IWCL) Enhanced Mentorship Program – an initiative for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women who are committed to supporting development and social change, in their organizations, communities, and Nations.

Applying Coady’s innovative and blended approach to asset-based community-driven leadership development and prioritizing Indigenous women’s knowledge and ways of learning, the program focuses on building capacity by sharing expertise and teachings between participants, mentors, and Elders.

Nearly a decade later, graduates continue to make a significant impact in communities across Canada as leaders of social change. For the first time ever, 100+ Indigenous women – graduates of Coady’s IWCL program, their mentors, Elders, and invited guests – came together for a transformative 4-day Alumni Gathering on the campus of St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people.

This unique gathering took place November 1 to 4, 2019.