Aboriginal Women’s Action Network (AWAN) was established in 1995 due to a pressing need for an Aboriginal women’s group to provide a much-needed voice for Aboriginal women’s concerns regarding policy making, women’s rights, employment rights, violence against women, restorative justice, sexual exploitation, Indian Act membership and status, and many other issues affecting Aboriginal women in contemporary society.
The founding members of AWAN conceived of themselves as salmon swimming upstream with determined vision to create new life, and therefore, renewed hope and possibilities for our children. For members of AWAN the Salmon Nation’s legacy of survival depends on an unwavering commitment to future generations, a commitment which serves to guide AWAN in our political involvement and quest for social justice for Aboriginal women and children.