Margaret Penasse-Mayer: chief of Nipissing First Nation Band Council - Nipissing First Nation. (2002 Winner).

The plight of indigenous women across the world, many of whom still face sexual violence, poverty, genocide and negative stereotypes, only serves to strengthen the resolve of Margaret Penasse-Mayer who has worked tirelessly to provide a voice for the world's indigenous women.

Penasse-Mayer, chief of the Nipissing First Nation band council, has contributed much of her time and expertise at the national level as co-chair of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Gender Equality Advisory Committee. The committee's primary focus is on creating balance in the AFN to ensure that the voices of women are heard.

This focus has led to a resolution calling for an amendment to the AFN charter to establish a Council of Women as a recognized "principal organ" of the assembly.

"The creation of a Council of Women will make our organization and nations stronger," Penasse-Mayer says. "I believe it is important for the national organization to recognize the contribution of women and to deal with our issues in an equitable fashion."

Penasse-Mayer also gives her time to Federal, Provincial, Territorial, and Aboriginal Leaders, a national group that is addressing Aboriginal participation in the economy, with a specific focus on women and youth. She has been asked by the Ontario municipal affairs and housing minister to sit on a panel examining job creation and ways of encouraging young people to stay in north-eastern Ontario.

For nearly 10 years, she has taken part in land code legislation discussions on behalf of Nipissing First Nation and says the community hopes to vote on the land code issue in September.

The legislation will mean band members will "directly have a say regarding the land that they live on," explains Penasse-Mayer. "Control will be transferred out of the federal government's hands and into our own (hands)."

The passion that drives Penasse-Mayer has simply been her desire "to make a better community, and make a better life" for all indigenous peoples, she says.

Rick Evans, manager of economic development for the City of North Bay, has worked closely with Penasse-Mayer for nearly 14 years, and says she has been a "phenomenal role model" for young women and has worked endlessly at bringing First Nations issues to the forefront.

"What she's done in promoting First Nations issues and women's issues, not just nationally, but internationally, is remarkable," Evans says.

Indeed, child and youth issues are very close to her heart, and Penasse-Mayer says she sees them as vital to the well-being of her community. Her concern for the well-being of children was the catalyst for her community involvement. She served her community for years as a volunteer for children's activity programs, the Holy Spirit Church parish council, and as a member of the recreation, housing and police and bylaw committees.

She notes that she is very proud of her part in the establishment of her community's innovative high school. Opened four years ago in Dushaney on the First Nation, the school is designed to accommodate different learning styles. Students progress by stages rather than through a semester system.

"I can't credit this (high school) all to myself," Penasse-Mayer says. "The school was a community effort. We asked 'How do elders participate? How do parents participate?' (We wanted) to make sure that the ownership was with the community."

Nipissing First Nation is presently looking at establishing an elementary school utilizing the same concept, and it may be up and running in the next couple of years.

Penasse-Mayer leads her community of 1800 with the assistance of the seven-member Nipissing First Nation band council. She describes the councillors as her partners, and says it is wonderful to work with such excellent people.

She consults with them before accepting a new responsibility, she says, because they handle matters and make decisions when her position with the Assembly of First Nations takes her to national and international destinations. Over the past year she travelled across the globe, from Ecuador to Peru to Mexico, to congregate with indigenous women from countries throughout Central and South America. The indigenous women developed a declaration and resolutions regarding the impact of racism on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of indigenous peoples, specifically women.

Penasse-Mayer also attended the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa in 2001, and found the issues African women faced reflected similar issues First Nations women encounter.

"My most memorable part of (the conference) was meeting with African women," Penasse-Mayer says. "What they've been doing (to overcome racism) are small steps, but that's better than no steps - sometimes small steps take you to the solution."

She is currently participating in decisions on how the world's indigenous peoples will work within the United Nations now that they possess a permanent seat in the United Nations and have status as a non-governmental organization.

She served as a band councilor in 1986 and deputy chief in 1988 and in 1994 she was elected as the first female chief in the history of Nipissing First Nation, and has been voted in to four consecutive terms.