History
.Time Travel
.This Month in
Herstory
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This Month in Canadian Herstory:
June
Aboriginal History Month
E. Pauline Johnson, ca. 1895 (Cochran/Library and Archives Canada/C-085125, copyright expired)
| June is Aboriginal History Month in Canada, an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Aboriginal peoples. Here are a few examples:
Susan Aglukark. Talented singer and songwriter from the Canadian Arctic.
See her biography on heroines.ca.
Anna Mae Aquash. Canadian activist, born on a Mi'kmaq reserve in Nova Scotia, who dedicated her life to helping Native people.*
Pitseolak Ashoona. A talented Inuit artist from the Canadian Arctic.*
Molly Brant. An influential Mohawk diplomat.*
Pauline Johnson. Mohawk poet and performer who increased awareness of Aboriginal culture.*
See Pauline Johnson Performs in Winnipeg, 1897.
Mikak. Inuk leader who worked to develop peaceful relationships with Europeans in Labrador.*
Nahnebahwequay. Heroic pioneer in the battle for Native rights.*
Alanis Obomsawin. Distinguished filmmaker from the Abenaki Nation.
Buffy Sainte-Marie. Talented musician and activist, born to Cree parents in Saskatchewan.
See her biography on heroines.ca.
Shaaw Tlaa (Kate Carmack). The woman in the party that found gold in the Klondike, and possibly the true discoverer.*
See Discovering Gold in the Klondike, 1896.
Shanawdithit. Courageous woman who was the last of the Beothuks in Newfoundland.*
Tookoolito. An important guide and interpreter in the Arctic.*
Kateri Tekakwitha. Mohawk woman who maintained her religious beliefs even when persecuted.*
Thanadelthur. A Chipewyan Dene woman, influential in the fur trade.*
* This woman is featured in the book 100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces. Just ask for it at your local bookstore.
- June 1904
During the month of June a group of 13 female journalists formed the Canadian Women's Press Club. The women were travelling home from the St. Louis World's Fair - in a CPR pullman car - when they decided to form the organization. Kit Coleman of the Toronto Mail and Empire was elected as the first president.
- June 1, 1984
Betty Hughes was appointed Chair of the Canadian National Railways, becoming the first Canadian woman to head a crown corporation.
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June 7, 1917
Louise McKinney and Roberta MacAdams became the first women in Canada elected to a provincial legislature, in Alberta.
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June 10, 1925
Canadian artist Françoise Sullivan was born in Montreal. She gained renown as a sculptor and painter, becoming a member of the Automatiste group.
 Dr. Emily Stowe(NAC/C-009480) | June 12-13, 1890
The first Dominion Women's Enfranchisement Association Convention was held in Toronto, where Dr. Emily Stowe as re-elected as president of the organization. Guests included American suffragists such as Susan B. Anthony, Dr. Anna Howard Shaw and Dr. Hannah Kimball - Emily Stowe's sister.
- June 14, 1921
Jennie Dill and her husband Frank completed a walk across Canada. The couple left Halifax on February 1 and completed the trek in Vancouver. Dubbed the pluckiest woman in Canada, Jennie noted that "The hike taught me a great lesson - what men have done women can more than do."
More pages from This Month in Canadian Herstory:
January | February | March |
April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
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