About Us

Esquao, the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW), is a non-profit organization that recognizes and celebrates the role, value, and achievements of Indigenous women in society and raises awareness around the challenges facing them.

Our organization is open to all First Nations, Métis and Inuit women and their families. We offer culturally-respectful programming in violence prevention, achieving justice, financial literacy, employment and training, healthy relationships, housing capacity building, and leadership development for Indigenous women and girls.

Our projects, services, and programs are developed by, and for, Alberta’s Indigenous women, and serve Indigenous women living on and off reserves, on and off Settlement lands, and within rural and urban settings.

Serving as a conduit to government, boards, academia, funders, and the public, we are at the forefront of breaking down systemic barriers—as leaders experienced in taking on larger issues, shaping policy, collaborating with our partners, and developing positive outcomes and opportunities for the women we serve.

Founded in 1994 by Muriel Stanley Venne CM, AOE, BA (Hon.), the organization strives to empower all Indigenous peoples in the reinforcement and rediscovery of their language, culture, and spiritual practices.

Incorporation Information

Scope of Territory: Provincial/Territorial
Incorporation Information: Non-Profit Society
Date of incorporation: September 29, 1995
Charitable Status: Currently not registered as a charitable organization, but in the process of applying