Pioneering Métis human rights advocate Muriel Stanley Venne dies at 87

Muriel Stanley Venne is being inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence. Oct. 17, 2019. (Alberta Order of Excellence)

Muriel Stanley Venne, a trail-blazing Métis woman known for her Indigenous rights advocacy, has died at 87.

Venne, born in Lamont, Alta., was one of the first appointees to Alberta's Human Rights Commission in 1973 and later served as chair.

She founded the Women of the Métis Nation as well as Esquao, the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women. She also created programming for the Métis Nation of Alberta before serving as provincial vice president from 2008 to 2012.

"Muriel devoted her life to advancing the rights and well-being of Métis and other Indigenous peoples," reads an online tribute to Venne made by the Métis Nation of Alberta.

"Through her remarkable leadership, she transformed advocacy into action, creating lasting change in employment, education and justice."

In 2017, Venne had a provincial government building named after her in Edmonton. It was the first time a provincial building was named after an Indigenous woman in Alberta.

In a statement, the Women of the Métis Nation, also known as Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak, said Venne was an inspiration to many Indigenous women.

It said her advocacy work for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls was a catalyst for change in the justice system, as was her advocacy for Cindy Gladue.

In 2011, Gladue was found dead in a hotel bathroom. Ontario truck driver Bradley Barton was initially charged with murder but was found not guilty in 2015.

Barton was found guilty in 2021 of manslaughter, but the initial trial drew outrage as Gladue was repeatedly referred to as a "prostitute" and "native" throughout proceedings.

"She brought attention to incidents of discrimination, such as in the case of Cindy Gladue, as emblematic of the broader mistreatment of Indigenous women within the criminal justice system," the Women of the Métis Nation statement said.

"Her work in justice profoundly influenced how Canadian law and the criminal justice system respond to systemic violence against Indigenous women."

Women of the Métis Nation president Melanie Omeniho said in the statement that Venne's legacy will carry on for generations to come.

"She was a true gift to us all, and her presence will be deeply missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing her," Omeniho said.

Venne was the recipient of numerous accolades throughout her life.

She was awarded the Alberta Human Rights Award in 1998 and, in 2005, was the first Métis person to receive the Order of Canada.

She was named to Alberta's Order of Excellence in 2019.

In a statement Monday, Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson said the province "lost a guiding light" with Venne's passing.

"Muriel leaves behind a lasting legacy of advocating for the rights of Indigenous women and people," Wilson said.

Venne ran as an NDP candidate in the 2012 provincial election, and the party said on social media Friday that "her life was an inspirational model of leadership, and her legacy is profound."

"She made a real difference in many lives," said then NDP-leader and former Alberta cabinet minister Brian Mason on social media.

"Her list of accomplishments and awards could take pages."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024.