Michèle Audette facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michèle Audette
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Audette in 2021
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| Canadian Senator from De Salaberry |
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| Assumed office July 29, 2021 |
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| Nominated by | Justin Trudeau |
| Appointed by | Mary Simon |
| Government Liaison in the Senate | |
| In office August 9, 2023 – December 26, 2023 |
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| Leader | Marc Gold |
| Preceded by | Patti LaBoucane-Benson |
| Succeeded by | Frances Lankin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michèle Taïna Audette
July 20, 1971 Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada |
| Political party | Non-affiliated (2021; since 2023) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent Senators Group (2021-2022) Progressive Senate Group (2022-2023) |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | President of the Native Women's Association of Canada |
Michèle Taïna Audette (born July 20, 1971) is a Canadian politician and activist. She has dedicated her career to supporting Indigenous women and their rights. She served as president of Femmes autochtones du Québec (Quebec Native Women) for several years. She also led the Native Women's Association of Canada.
From 2004 to 2008, she worked for the Quebec government. She was in charge of the Secretariat for Women, which helps women in the province. In 2017, she became one of five people chosen to lead a national study. This study looked into the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada. In 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed her to the Canadian Senate. She now serves as a Senator for Quebec.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
Michèle Audette was born in 1971 in Wabush, Labrador. Her mother was traveling by train when she unexpectedly went into labor. A helicopter took her mother to the nearest hospital. Michèle grew up in different places, including Schefferville, Maliotenam, and Montreal.
She is from the Innu community of Uashat mak Mani-Utenam in Quebec. Her mother, Evelyne St-Onge, is Innu. Her father, Gilles Audette, is French-Canadian. Because her mother married a non-Native man, the family was not allowed to live on her mother's reserve. This was due to a federal law called the Indian Act. This law treated Native women differently from Native men. Native men who married non-Native women did not face the same restrictions.
Michèle's mother helped start the Quebec Native Women Association in 1974. This group worked to change the unfair part of the Indian Act.
Advocacy and Leadership Roles
As Michèle Audette grew up, she also became a strong voice for Indigenous rights. She served as president of Femmes autochtones du Québec (FAQ) from 1998 to 2004. She returned to lead the FAQ again from 2010 to 2012.
After that, she became the president of the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC). She held this role from 2012 to 2014. She was the youngest woman ever elected to lead NWAC.
Michèle also appeared in a short film called Heritage Minutes. In this film, she played a member of an Attikamek family. They were shown teaching early French settlers how to make maple syrup.
From 2004 to 2008, Audette worked for the Quebec government. She was an Associate Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Relations with Citizens and Immigration. Her job was to lead the Secretariat for Women. She has also worked in public relations for many festivals. She was a researcher for a news magazine called Aboriginal Nations. This show was broadcast on Télé-Québec.
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
In 2017, Michèle Audette was chosen for a very important role. She became one of five commissioners for a national inquiry. This inquiry focused on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada. The goal was to raise awareness and encourage the government to take action.
The inquiry looked at why so many Indigenous women and girls faced violence. It also examined what factors and systems contributed to this issue. The commissioners delivered their final report to the government in 2019. This report included 231 "calls for justice," which are recommendations for change.
In May 2021, she appeared on Ici Radio-Canada's literary debate show Le Combat des livres. She supported Michel Jean's novel Kukum, which won the competition.
Political Career
After her work in government and advocacy, Michèle Audette decided to enter politics. In the 2015 Canadian federal election, she ran as a candidate for the Liberal Party. She ran in the Quebec area of Terrebonne. However, she was not elected.
In July 2021, she was appointed as a senator for Quebec. When she first joined, she was an independent senator. On September 27, 2021, she joined the Independent Senators Group. Later, on June 27, 2022, she became part of the Progressive Senate Group.
On August 9, 2023, she received a new role. She was appointed Government Liaison by Representative of the Government in the Senate Marc Gold. In this role, she helps gather votes for government laws in the Senate. After taking on this role, she left the Progressive Senate Group. She became an independent senator again.
Personal Life
Michèle Audette is a mother of five children. She lives in two places: Wendake, near Quebec City, and the Innu reserve of Maliotenam, near Sept-Îles, Quebec. Her partner is Serge Ashini Goupil. She also works as a consultant for Nation Innue, a group that supports Indigenous rights.
Awards and Recognition
Michèle Audette has received several awards for her work:
- Woman of Distinction Award in the Inspiration category from the Women’s Y Foundation of Montréal (2018)
- Woman of the Year by the Montreal Council of Women (2014)
- Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
See also
- Missing and murdered Indigenous women
