Date: October 2025
Featuring: Leibham, B., Mirasty, J., Zoobkoff, K., Villeneuve, L., Turning Robe, S., Robinson, M., Fontaine, N.
Executive Producer: Wells, L.
Producers: Reimer, K., Williamson, G., Martin, K.
Assistant Producers: Ireland, L., Fournier, J.
Editor: Zacharias, C.
Together 
with Indigenous researchers, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Grandmothers, Shift continues to explore primary prevention strategies to end gender-based violence, grounded in Indigenous knowledge and leadership.
This film – the third in a series produced through the Strong Women’s Circle project – is advancing this work by centring the voices of young Indigenous women to stop violence before it starts.
“Strong Women’s Circle: The Next Generation” highlights the experiences of young advocates Brooklyn, Jorja, Kaitlyn, Lazaya, and Sadie, alongside activist and organizer Michelle Robinson and Nahani Fontaine, Minister of Families for the Government of Manitoba.
Together, they speak to the impacts of ongoing colonial child welfare practices and the world-building power of Indigenous youth.
Rooted in honesty, resilience, and hope, this film is both a reflection and a call to action — a reminder that the future of child welfare must be shaped by those most affected by it.
Shift is honoured to collaborate on this film with the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY), whose work continues to centre Indigenous leadership, knowledge, and community in the movement to end family and gender-based violence.
Key Quotes
- “[The child welfare system] doesn’t connect with the values that we value as Indigenous people. Continuing to separate our families and separate that power and kinship that we have within our families, keeping the traditional heritage away… how does that provide that support? How does that stabilize Indigenous families? Where is the circle here?” – Sadie Turning Robe, collaborator
- “…look at all of our women who show up in colonial spaces in their beautiful ribbon skirts, earrings, their beautiful moccasins, taking up space in space that we weren’t supposed to be in. That is the power of our youth…. Youth, in my mind, play a fundamental role in affecting and dismantling colonial structures.” – Nahani Fontaine, Government of Manitoba Minister of Families
Quick Facts
- In 2020, Bill C-92 became law in Canada/Turtle Island, formally affirming the jurisdiction of all Indigenous Peoples – including First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities – over child and family services to develop policies and laws based on their particular histories, cultures, and circumstances; ¹
- In 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously upheld the jurisdiction of Indigenous peoples over child welfare, affirming that First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities have the right to lead their own child and family services; ²
- 74% of the 9,363 children in Alberta today receiving child intervention services are Indigenous, despite Indigenous people only comprising 10% of the youth population; ³
- As of 2019, compared to non-Indigenous children, First Nations children of all ages were more likely to be under child welfare investigations and to have increased service involvement. ⁴
Associated Resources
- Film 3: Strong Women’s Circle – The Next Generation
- Film 2: Strong Women’s Circle – Achieving Sovereignty in our Children’s Welfare
- Film 1: Strong Women’s Circle – A Systems Change Approach to Addressing Family Violence Within Communities
- Report: Strong Women’s Circle – Supporting Alberta Primary Prevention Framework by Mapping Root Causes of Violence and Identifying Policy Recommendations to Stop Violence Against Indigenous Peoples Before It Starts
- Shift’s work with Indigenous communities
- Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth Website
- Studio Lumen Website
References
1 Government of Canada. “An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families Receives Royal Assent.” Indigenous Services Canada, 21 June 2019, www.canada.ca/en/indigenous-services-canada/news/2019/06/an-act-respecting-first-nations-inuit-and-metis-children-youth-and-families-receives-royal-assent.html
2 Government of Canada, Department of Justice. “The Court Cites the UN and Family Services is Constitutional.” Justice Canada, www.justice.gc.ca/eng/declaration/stories-histoires/01.html#:~:text=The%20court%20cites%20the%20UN,and%20family%20services%20is%20constitutional.
3 Government of Alberta. Child Intervention Information and Statistics Summary 2022-2023 Q4. Open Alberta, https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/de167286-500d-4cf8-bf01-0d08224eeadc/resource/1fb466ae-1e6b-49e4-8909-10beea550e6d/download/cs-child-intervention-information-and-statistics-summary-2022-2023-q4.pdf
4 Métis Women of Canada. MMIWG Report. Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak, June 2021, https://metiswomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/LFMO-MMIWG-Report.pdf
