When the City of Saskatoon began looking for Auntie Advocate in the fall of 2024, there was a lot of anticipation and curiosity about who could fill a role unlike any the City had created before.
“The Auntie Advocate is an innovative position, based on the core ideal of matriarchal leadership and reclaiming the important role of Indigenous women and as far as we know, it’s the first of its kind for a municipality across the country,” says Melissa Cote, Director of Indigenous Initiatives.
The recommendation for the position and the creation of the Office of the Representative of the Matriarchs came from a report, IWG2S* – Coming Home, that the City commissioned and released in 2021, as a response to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit National Inquiry Calls for Justice.
“’In many Indigenous families, Aunties often serve as an extra parent who provides guidance, emotional support and advocacy” says Cote. “We knew we needed someone who could lead the development of strategies, plans and programs with the aim of supporting and making Saskatoon a safe and equitable city for Indigenous Women & Girls and Two-Spirit people (IWG2S).”
Enter Dorthea Swiftwolfe.
Dorthea, a Cree woman from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, came to the City from the Saskatoon Police Service where she worked on the front lines, assisting families navigating trauma, victimization, the justice system and healing. She is also a mother of 8 and a Kokum to 15 grandchildren.
Here at the City, Dorthea’s work has centred on supporting the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, sharing cultural teachings with staff and Mayor and Council, providing guidance and advice to various City departments, and working with community partners. A key goal is to establish the Calling Home Centre as an essential coordination hub offering crisis support, referrals, cultural support, advocacy, and community-driven solutions.
While the nature of her work is often heavy, Dorthea brings warmth, compassion, and empathy. She is naturally attuned to others’ emotions and has a gift of making people feel seen, heard and valued. Dorthea thrives on the deep relational connections that she makes with people, both inside and outside City Hall.
In many ways, Dorthea embodies exactly what the City hoped the Auntie role would become: a source of wisdom, care, and leadership and an Auntie not just for families, but also for colleagues and the community as a whole.
