Muriel Stanley Venne, a trailblazing Metis woman known for her tireless advocacy for Indigenous rights, passed away at 87. Her legacy includes groundbreaking work with the Metis Nation of Alberta, founding organizations like Esquao and Women of the Metis Nation, and championing justice for Indigenous women, including the case of Cindy Gladue.
Muriel Stanley Venne , a trail-blazing Metis woman known for her Indigenous rights advocacy, has died at 87. Venne, born in Lamont, Alta., was one of the first appointees to Alberta ’s Human Rights Commission in 1973 and later served as chair. She founded the Women of the Metis Nation as well as Esquao, the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women. She also created programming for the Metis Nation of Alberta before serving as provincial vice president from 2008 to 2012.
“Muriel devoted her life to advancing the rights and well-being of Metis and other Indigenous peoples,” reads an online tribute to Venne made by the Metis Nation of Alberta. “Through her remarkable leadership, she transformed advocacy into action, creating lasting change in employment, education and justice.” In 2017, Venne had a provincial government building named after her in Edmonton. It was the first time a provincial building was named after an Indigenous woman in Alberta. In a statement, the Women of the Metis Nation, also known as Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak, said Venne was an inspiration to many Indigenous women. It said her advocacy work for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls was a catalyst for change in the justice system, as was her advocacy for Cindy Gladue. In 2011, Gladue was found dead in a hotel bathroom. Ontario truck driver Bradley Barton was initially charged with murder but was found not guilty in 2015. Barton was found guilty in 2021 of manslaughter, but the initial trial drew outrage as Gladue was repeatedly referred to as a “prostitute” and “native” throughout proceedings. “She brought attention to incidents of discrimination, such as in the case of Cindy Gladue, as emblematic of the broader mistreatment of Indigenous women within the criminal justice system,” the Women of the Metis Nation statement said
Indigenous Rights Metis Alberta Muriel Stanley Venne Cindy Gladue
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