By Sydney Alexandra, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On Feb. 25, Grandmother’s Voice organization hosted a profound event, “An Evening with Jody Wilson-Raybould,” as part of their two-day conference, “Truth with Reconciliation: Respect, Restore, Relearn.” Jody Wilson-Raybould — an author, former Minister of Justice, and the first Indigenous person to hold the role of Attorney General of Canada — spoke with passion and urgency about reconciling history: the true story of Canada.
Through her speech, Wilson-Raybould spoke to her personal experience, her grandmother’s teachings, and a powerful call to action for all Canadians. She spoke of the relentless will required to keep cultural traditions alive, the invisible battles fought by Indigenous communities, and the work still needed to break down silos and build a truly equitable future.
Wilson-Raybould’s journey in leadership began long before she held political office — it began with her grandmother. Raised within the customs and traditions of her people, she was guided by the bold and unwavering goal of her ancestors: to ensure that their language, culture, and governance systems survived against all odds.
“My grandmother and her generation had to toil in the shadows,” Wilson-Raybould, who is a member of the We Wai Kai Nation, recounted. “The only way to preserve our culture, our traditions, our language, and to know our roles and responsibilities was to do it invisibly. If it was done visibly, it would have been crushed.”
During the time when Indigenous ceremonies and governance systems were outlawed in Canada, her grandmother and other elders found ways to adapt. They practiced the work of the Potlatch — an integral governance and cultural system — while ensuring that if “Indian agents” were present, they would seamlessly transition into singing Christian hymns or other practices that the government deemed acceptable.
“These workings kept our traditions alive,” Wilson-Raybould emphasized. “It kept our big house alive so future generations — my generation and those to come — could know it, live it, and exercise it.”
Government policies systematically sought to dismantle Indigenous governance, culture, and legal traditions. Residential schools tore children from their families, the Indian Act imposed foreign legal structures, and the creation of the reserve system restricted movement and autonomy. Until the 1950s, First Nations peoples were even prohibited from hiring lawyers to fight for their rights.
“These laws and other policies were all about trying to eradicate our way of life, our systems of governance, and our knowledge,” Wilson-Raybould stated.
She recalled stories from her grandmother, who recorded how they would maintain the practices of the big house in secret when the Indian agents, federal government officials, or the RCMP were not around. “When they seemed to be coming, we would shift, ensuring the traditions endured even in the face of oppression.”
Wilson-Raybould acknowledged that her own path as a leader was shaped by this history. She described leadership in Indigenous communities as requiring a formidable will of spirit to endure relentless challenges — political, social, and economic. The struggle against colonialism, she noted, has been fought in waves, each generation taking up the fight with unwavering determination.
“But also, of course, being a leader, a true leader in any context — whether in families, communities, or government — requires relentlessness in making tangible and real change,” she stated. “The best leaders are those who persevere despite the obstacles that may appear from any and many directions.”
As a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Wilson-Raybould often found herself as the “first” or the “only” Indigenous person in her role, the only woman at decision-making tables, and often the sole voice advocating for Indigenous perspectives.
“In my own experience, serving as the first Indigenous person to be Minister of Justice, I have unfortunately had to reinforce that no matter what table one sits around, or in what position, the experience of marginalization still follows,” Wilson-Raybould shared. “But this does not determine us. It only makes my resolve stronger.”
Her political journey, including her decision to leave the governing party to sit as an independent MP, further illustrated the challenges of breaking barriers. “I moved from the front benches of government to the farthest back corner seat, simply for doing my job,” she said. “Yet my experience was not that of invisibility like my grandmother’s. Mine was very visible — watched by thousands, discussed on the front pages of newspapers.”
Wilson-Raybould was clear: reconciliation cannot be performative. While gestures such as lowering flags, wearing orange shirts, or creating new national holidays are valuable, they are not enough.
“These actions can help educate, they can place emphasis on what has to change, but they do not feed a hungry child,” she declared. “They do not resolve 150-year-old land disputes, they do not build houses, or remove the scourge of addiction. Too often, governments focus on the performative instead of the impactful and urgent.”
She challenged both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to break down silos that prevent real progress.
“We cannot advance true reconciliation without knowing what has transpired, why, and what it means for us today,” she explained. “We must tell the honest stories of our communities — stories that do not shy away from pain but also celebrate success and challenge failure. These stories, shared with authenticity, transform our divisions into bridges.”
Wilson-Raybould spoke of a critical role in reconciliation: that of the in-betweener, those who work to bridge Indigenous and non-Indigenous realities, often at great personal and professional cost. She acknowledged that not everyone in Indigenous communities wanted her to join Crown government and that her presence in those spaces was often unwelcome.
“Not everyone in my Indigenous world wanted me to join a Crown government,” she admitted. “And even now, I can imagine what my beautiful grandmother might have said, had she still been living.”
“But the role of an in-betweener is often not appreciated,” she continued. “The experiences and knowledge I had in Indigenous politics were not often valued or even able to be heard around the cabinet table, just as, in many Indigenous communities, we sometimes struggle to hear and understand those from the outside.”
She emphasized that reconciliation is not just for politicians or Indigenous leaders — it is for everyone.
“Leaders exist in all spheres of society — in families, workplaces, schools, and communities,” she said. “Whoever we are, wherever we are, whatever we may be doing, we can all use our voices. We can all act and inspire action.”
Wilson-Raybould proved reconciliation is more than just recognition of past injustices; it is about building a future rooted in justice, equity, and shared understanding. It is about honouring the resilience of those who came before us by ensuring the next generation does not inherit the same struggles. And it requires the relentless effort of all Canadians to make that future a reality.
