Authenticity, Storytelling and Grit: Lessons from Female Leaders in NWT
Our third study tour took us to the Northwest Territories (NWT), also known as Dënéndeh – the Dene people’s name for the region, meaning “Land of the People”. Although Yellowknife is only a two-hour flight north of my hometown of Edmonton, this was my first time travelling to the North.
Coming to the North, I anticipated that my most profound takeaways would focus on the visible and devastating impacts of climate change, such as thawing permafrost, rising drought and wildfires. Instead, the greatest lesson of the week came from an unexpected source: the opportunity to meet and learn from fiercely resilient and tenacious female community leaders. These women are not only experts in their fields; they are actively making a lasting impact in their communities facing climate change.
We had the privilege of hearing from several women leaders whose work is influencing public policy and creating positive change. Shirley Coumont of the North Slave Métis Alliance exemplified authentic passion. Through hands-on environmental initiatives and community-based education, she demonstrated how collective action can be grounded in trust and lived experiences. Shirley’s warm welcome to Fellows, including homemade bannock, birch butter, and syrup, was followed by a tour of nearby community gardens.
Katłı̨̀ą Lafferty, a Dene author and community leader from Dënéndeh, spoke compellingly about climate injustices in the North. Drawing on storytelling and traditional Dene narratives, she confronted difficult truths about environmental racism, including the legacy of the Giant Mine, a former gold mining operation near Yellowknife that left the community grappling with the long-term containment of arsenic trioxide, now at risk of leaking into nearby waters as climate change accelerates. Katłı̨̀ą’s reflections on her own experiences with imposter syndrome added a human dimension, highlighting the pressure and burden faced by female leaders.
We also had the honour of carrying forward the spirit of former Action Canada Fellow Sarah Robinson, whose life and work were commemorated throughout the week. Through heartfelt stories shared by her friends, we learned of her passion, humility, generosity, and commitment to advancing policy conversations on Indigenous histories and reconciliation. Her legacy reinforces the importance of women’s leadership in policy spaces and the enduring influence a single leader can have within their community.
Experiencing the resilience, humbleness, and authenticity of these trailblazing figures was a profound gift. At the same time, the week served as a reminder that leadership spaces for women are not always readily available; they must often be intentionally created, championed, and advocated for. As such, we need to empower one another and work together to create spaces where we can thrive.
As I reflect on my own leadership journey, I reaffirm my commitment to showing up authentically and supporting other women in their advocacy and leadership. I am also reminded of the value and importance of storytelling as a tool for connection, influence, knowledge-sharing, and creating change.
