Ellen Gabriel, Mohawk, 196?-
She is president of Quebec Native Women’s Association.
She grew up in Kanehsatà:ke, , where her role models included
her grandmother, mother and aunts who joined the Native women’s
movement to fight for the equality of rights for Native women
that were violated by the sexist policies of the Indian Act. Gabriel
always had a passion for art that was encouraged by her parents.
A child during the 1960s, the various revolutions that took place
at that time inspired her to have an interest in justice and human
rights. Gabriel received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in
Studio Art, from Concordia University in 1990. She joined the
members of her community of Kanehsatà:ke in March 1990
as they erected barricades to protect The Pines from the expansion
of a golf course in the municipality of Oka. She was chosen by
the People of the Longhouse and then by her community to be a
spokesperson for them during the 1990 Oka Crisis. She has traveled
across Canada, and has been to the Hague in Holland and to Strasbourg,
France to address the European Parliament on the human rights
violations that occurred during the Oka Crisis. She also traveled
to Japan to sensitize the public on the history, culture and identity
of Aboriginal people. Gabriel worked as an Illustrator/Curriculum
developer for Tsi Ronteriwanónha ne Kanien’kéka/
Kanehsatà:ke Resource Center in Kanehsatà:Ke for
10 years and also worked as an Art Teacher for the Mohawk Immersion
School for Grades 1-6. Part of a hard working team of researchers
and illustrators for the preservation of the Mohawk language,
Gabriel also worked on videos illustrating some of the legends
of the Iroquois people and the local stories of the community
of Kanehsatà:ke. She presently sits as an executive director
for Kontinón: stats – a local organization whose
mandate is to preserve the Kanien’keha language. Gabriel
worked at McGill University as the Coordinator of the First Peoples’
House, which supports Aboriginal students studying at McGill.
She believes that education is one of the key factors for Aboriginal
people to overcome oppression and the effects of colonization
while still maintaining their languages, cultures and traditions.
In October of 2004, Ellen was elected as the president of Quebec
Native Women’s Association.
