Métis Women's Organization Confronts Rising Political Violence Targeting Indigenous Women and Gender-Diverse Individuals

OTTAWA, ON, April 3, 2025 /CNW/ - Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak (LFMO), the national organization representing Métis women and gender-diverse people, is deeply concerned about the escalation of political violence towards Métis women and gender-diverse individuals across the Métis Motherland. This deeply troubling surge in hostility is not only endangering lives but also fracturing communities, silencing voices, and eroding the fundamental Métis values of respect, kinship, and collective leadership.

"The acts of violence we're witnessing aren't just personal attacks—they're a deliberate, systemic effort to silence and erase Métis women and gender-diverse leaders," said Melanie Omeniho, LFMO President. "From online harassment to exclusion from critical spaces, these tactics are meant to intimidate and divide. But let me be clear: we will not be pushed aside. We are the daughters and descendants of resilience itself, rooted in resistance, and we are not stepping back—we are stepping forward, together."

LFMO stands unwavering against any attempt to silence Métis women and gender-diverse voices. In response, LFMO has launched Métis Women's Leadership Phase 2, a 49-month effort focused on building leadership from the ground up. The project will cultivate culturally rooted leadership models, strengthen support networks, and challenge the lasting impacts of colonialism which influence the way Métis women and gender-diverse people are seen and included in leadership within Métis communities.

"This work isn't just about reclaiming traditional roles," said Omeniho. "It's about rethinking what leadership looks like through a Métis lens — where care, responsibility, and truth-telling come first. We're rebuilding something powerful, rooted in who we are."

As part of this renewal, LFMO is prioritizing trauma-informed care. Recently, we released the toolkit A Place from Which We Grow—a resource developed with guidance from Knowledge Keepers, trauma specialists, and community members. Designed to support Métis women and gender-diverse people, this toolkit helps navigate the complex impacts of colonialism, violence, and intergenerational trauma. The toolkit creates space for reflection, reconnection, and collective care, recognizing that healing and leadership are not separate paths, but often one and the same.

"Many of our people are leading while carrying grief, pressure, and pain that often go unseen," said Omeniho. "This toolkit is a gentle companion for that journey. It reminds us that we're allowed to heal while we lead, and that we don't have to do it alone."

As LFMO forges ahead, we do so with the unshakable knowledge that Métis women and gender-diverse people have always been leaders—guiding our families, strengthening our communities, and shaping our Nation. Their strength, vision, and compassion are building a future where leadership is not about power, but about responsibility, kindness, and mentorship. Rooted in resilience and united in kinship, we are not just rising—we are reclaiming, rebuilding, and leading boldly, together.

About Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak (LFMO):
LFMO speaks nationally for Métis women and gender-diverse individuals from Ontario to British Columbia. The organization works to uphold Métis rights, amplify leadership, and advance well-being through community-led, strength-based approaches rooted in Métis worldviews.

SOURCE Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak

Media Contact: Meara Belanger, Director of Communications, [email protected], 613-255-0557