OTTAWA—Wiikwemkoong’s Aurora Ominika-Enosse is one of 338 young women taking part in this year’s Daughters of the Vote (DoV) program in Ottawa as the representative for the federal riding of Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing.
“I’m pretty proud to be able to represent Manitoulin Island. I love being from Wiikwemkoong,” said Ms. Ominika-Enosse.
Equal Voice Canada launched the DoV initiative in 2017 to commemorate 100 years since women obtained the right to vote, with a special significance that it took place over International Women’s Day. This is the second iteration of the program.
These young women aged 18 to 23 will have their travel and accommodations paid for a four-day workshop session in Ottawa. Ms. Ominika-Enosse won’t have much use for the travel grant as she’s currently studying at Ottawa’s Carleton University for her Bachelor of social work with a minor in Indigenous studies. However, the 19-year-old happens to be attending DoV alongside a friend and classmate.
“There’s people coming from all over Canada, from the Northwest Territories to PEI. There’s so many federal ridings and looking at all the delegate profiles on the website, there’s so many talented girls going. It’s amazing,” said Ms. Ominika-Enosse.
The workshops include spending a day in the House of Commons, a day in the Senate and other sessions in which the young women will learn about leadership, policymaking, networking and an Indigenous forum for those who identify as First Nations, Metis and Inuit. New for 2019 is a $1,000 micro-grant that each delegate can access to help fund advocacy efforts in their home communities, subject to program approval.
Ms. Ominika-Enosse also has a unique role in this year’s proceedings.
“I have been chosen to make a one-minute statement in the Senate, and I’ve decided to speak about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG),” said Ms. Ominika-Enosse.
She described attending a school in Toronto when she was in Grade 11. Nobody in her drama class had heard of the MMIWG crisis before so she decided to write a monologue about the issue.
“I’m Ojibwe, from Wiikwemkoong, and there’s a lot of unfairness that goes into it. It’s something incredibly wrong and needs to be talked about. Me, living in Ottawa, I shouldn’t be afraid to leave the house. I shouldn’t be afraid for my little sister that she might go missing and nobody would care,” Ms. Ominika-Enosse said.
From that perspective, it’s fitting that the dates for this year’s program coincide with the anniversary of Indigenous women gaining the right to vote in Canada on March 31, 1960. They were the last group of women to be granted said right in Canada.
“We’re not seen enough; that’s my biggest thing. Not even just Indigenous women but girls in general. There’s often a stigma that you can’t be in politics or you’re not strong enough or can’t compete. Even in the House of Commons, there’s a huge ratio gap between men and women and I just think it’s crazy,” said Ms. Ominika-Enosse.
She said that passion comes from a desire to create a better world, especially for her loved ones.
“I have a little sister and I want her to know she can do anything she wants. It may seem like a ‘guy thing,’ but she can do whatever she wants,” said Ms. Ominika-Enosse. “I think it’s a cool program to get out there for other girls from Manitoulin Island to apply.”
Activism is nothing new for Ms. Ominika-Enosse. Back in Wiikwemkoong she helped organize a protest to allow the Hope Youth group back into the community’s schools after they were disallowed from participating.
“I’ve always found politics very interesting and my dad (Lawrence Enosse) is on council in Wiikwemkoong,” said Ms. Ominika-Enosse. “I get pretty angry when I hear about some of the things Trudeau is doing and sometimes I really question it.”
Through the program, Ms. Ominika-Enosse said she hopes to find out whether politics is something she may be interested in for her career.
“And I’m looking forward to meeting other people, being inspired and to learn,” she said.
After the first day of the program, Ms. Ominika-Enosse contacted The Expositor to say she had a great time but felt that Canada was missing the voices of Indigenous women in its political system.
“Hopefully one way or another I can change that. I’ve always been afraid of speaking up but I think now I don’t feel so intimated or scared. Things that I say have value and there is always contributions that I can make,” Ms. Ominika-Enosse said.
The Daughters of the Vote 2019 program began on Monday, April 1. It runs until tomorrow, Thursday, April 4.
