Indigenous > First Nations Canadian Archives

Elsie Knott

Elsie Knott was the first Anishinaabe Kwe O’gimaa (first woman to serve as chief of a First Nation in Canada).

RoseAnne Archibald

National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, which represents 634 First Nations with 900,000 members. She was elected on 8 July 2021 and is the first woman to hold the position.

Canadian Rebecca Belmore has contributed to the international contemporary art world by developing a performance vocabulary for the representation of a (distinctly female) First Nations identity in art.

Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture

Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture traveled far and wide to become a registered nurse. Her determination paid off, and she was the first Native Canadian registered nurse. It was illegal for Native Canadians to get a diploma after elementary school, so Monture had to move to the United States for nursing training. Monture found a way to receive an education and served as an Army nurse during the first World War. She is also reported to be the first Native Canadian woman to receive the right to vote in a Canadian federal election.