Naomi Sayers
Naomi Sayers is a Three Fires Aboriginal female from the Garden River First Nation and is currently studying the Honors Specialization in Criminology program at The University of Western Ontario. Currently she works as a part-time law clerk in the area of Labour and Employment law. She also is a brain injury survivor and currently a peer mentor for other brain injury survivors, their families or their friends. On the side, Naomi writes about issues that Indigenous women face in Canadian society today.
Most recently, one of her essays that she wrote for Women’s World 2011, a global feminist conference, was published by Girls Action Foundation and Native Youth Sexual Health Network. Her essay was on the topic of Aboriginal women leadership and the importance of it. Naomi writes in her essay titled Aboriginal Women’s Leadership: Lead-HER-Ship:
“Aboriginal women’s leadership is important because it helps Aboriginal women to regain their identity and roles as mothers, wives and women in their own community, which was once undermined through the effects of colonialism. Without Aboriginal women, there would be no carriers of life, no family, and no community. If it were not for Aboriginal women, Aboriginal people would not exist.”
This full essay can be seen on her blog called “Kwe Today.” On “Kwe Today,” she also writes about her experiences as “an Aboriginal female living in Canadian society.”
Naomi also believes in giving credit where credit is due especially when it comes to leadership. She first met Chadwick Cowie, who is also a Liberal party member and a First Nations member, during her first year at university and it was since then that her interest in the Liberal party has grown. Mr. Cowie has been a great mentor to her and he has been an inspiration to her when it comes to education and politics, especially Aboriginal people in politics. Naomi’s personal goal after completing her education is to continue to work with Aboriginal women and with policies that affect them on a daily basis, especially those that come into contact with the criminal justice system.
