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By Karyne Holmes

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In 1978, Marion Meadmore (née Ironquill) set a historical milestone by becoming the first Indigenous woman lawyer called to the bar in Canada. This pivotal moment amplified a legacy that had been building for over two decades. Long before this significant achievement, she had already established herself as a prominent leader dedicated to creating supports and services for the well-being of the urban Indigenous community.

Originally from the Peepeekisis Nation in Saskatchewan, Marion Meadmore attended residential school for ten years before travelling to Winnipeg to pursue studies at the University of Manitoba. When she arrived in Winnipeg in the early 1950s, no organizations existed to support the specific needs of new residents of Indigenous heritage. Drawing from her personal experience, Marion became a passionate advocate for creating spaces where Indigenous people could connect and help one another in an urban environment.

In 1954, she connected with other First Nations and Métis Nation activists, including Mary Guilbault, to establish the Urban Indian Association. This organization aimed to identify and address the needs of urban Indigenous people. Marion and Mary collaborated to identify the specific challenges faced by the community. Their primary objectives included assisting people in obtaining housing, employment, and health care, as well as providing a social gathering space. They placed a particular focus on supporting young people who were moving to Winnipeg in high numbers after surviving residential school.

Their ambition was to establish a referral centre—a dedicated place to welcome and provide information and assistance to anyone in need. The efforts of the Urban Indian Association included meeting with several government agencies to obtain their support, and organizing fundraising events.

Members of the Planning Committee for the Indian and Métis Conference in Winnipeg. Left to right: Marion Meadmore, Mrs. Ronald Robinson, Gladys Bear and Dorothy Betz, 1961. (e011052439)

In June 1958, Mary and Marion participated in the Indian and Métis Conference, an annual meeting sponsored by the Winnipeg Welfare Planning Council. During this meeting, Mary made the pivotal motion to establish a referral centre for Indigenous people in Winnipeg. The recommendation was for a service “to guide and council in matters of employment, housing, education, and other community services.” That day, a resolution was adopted and a planning committee was immediately formed to develop the centre.

The Urban Indian Association achieved their goal soon after when their envisioned referral centre was established as the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre in 1959 at 376 Donald Street. At the time, it was estimated that 5,000 Indigenous people were living in Winnipeg. Mary and Marion, along with Dorothy Betz, were among those most instrumental in founding the new centre.

Dorothy Betz (née Nepinak), born at the Pine Creek First Nation in 1929, arrived in Winnipeg alone by train in 1948 in search of employment. Having spent 15 years in residential school and lost both her parents and grandparents during her childhood, Dorothy felt isolated in the unfamiliar city. Upon arrival, she walked along Main Street, where she had been advised she could “always find a relative.” She recognized and approached two cousins in a café, who provided her with her first place to stay in the new city. Her own experience of feeling overwhelmed fueled her devotion to helping others for many years to come. She recalled that before the Friendship Centre “we didn’t have a place of our own—all we had was Main Street, but we weren’t too ecstatic about it.”

Celebrating the first anniversary of the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre. Left to right: Harriet Mason, Marlene Brant, Ethel Blacksmith, Pauline Vanier, Dorothy MacKay, Mary Guilbault, Dorothy Betz, 1960. (MIKAN 23956)

The opening of the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre in Winnipeg marked the onset of the Friendship Centre Movement, the most significant off-reserve Indigenous service delivery infrastructure in Canada. Friendship centres are not-for-profit charity organizations that are mandated to serve the needs of urban Indigenous people by providing culturally appropriate resources and services. They have become renowned for their range of effective programs in areas of culture, family, recreation, language, housing, health, justice, education, employment, and more.

Since the earliest years of Winnipeg’s Indian and Métis Friendship Centre, group programs have been at the core of the organization’s work. Initial popular programs included recreational activities like sewing groups, and the Education and Library Committee, which planned lectures on history and established a resource library on Indigenous experiences, knowledges, and cultures.

The Indian and Métis Friendship Centre continues its work today as the Winnipeg Indigenous Friendship Centre. There are now over 120 friendship centres nationwide. After the centre opened its doors, Marion, Mary, and Dorothy continued to be influential women of action in Winnipeg.

Marion Meadmore co-founded the National Indian Council in 1961, the first national organization advocating the needs and rights of First Nations people, both with and without “Indian Status.” The National Indian Council is recognized as the predecessor to the Assembly of First Nations and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. Marion later returned to the University of Manitoba to earn her law degree, opened the first all-female law firm in Winnipeg, and co-founded the Indigenous Bar Association of Canada.

Temporary Committee of the new National Indian Council of Canada. Left to right: Telford Adams, George Manuel, A.H. Brass, Marion Meadmore, David Knight and Joe Keeper, 1961. (e011373501)

Mary Guilbault was a dedicated social worker for 26 years at the Manitoba Department of Health and Social Services. She played a significant role in establishing the Manitoba Métis Federation in 1967, where she served on the Board of Directors specializing in the Education Portfolio until 1974.

Dorothy Betz provided seven years of volunteer service to the Friendship Centre before managing the organization’s Court Program. She was appointed as the Canadian delegate to the Fifth United Nations Congress in Geneva, Switzerland, where she drew international attention to the discrimination and barriers faced by Indigenous people in the justice system.

When Dorothy’s father passed away when she was just seven years old, his final message to her, spoken in Anishinabemowin, was a heartfelt wish: for her to grow up “to be kind and generous, always helpful to people, and forgiving.” Dorothy’s devotion to helping her urban Indigenous community in Winnipeg earned her an unparalleled reputation for optimism, kindness, and generosity. Fluent in Anishinabemowin, she applied her language skills to interpret and guide many in understanding their rights and the law, and was influential in developing the first Court Communicators Program with the Province of Manitoba.

Percy Bird and Dorothy Betz. (OCLC 35881259, page 8)

These accomplishments are only a fraction of the extraordinary work they achieved. These three inspiring women, instrumental in the early years of the Friendship Centre Movement in Winnipeg, contributed countless hours as board members, volunteers, and advisors for several local and national organizations, all while raising their young families. Their stories of strength, action, and wisdom represent the many remarkable urban Indigenous women across Canada, past and present, who uplift their communities every day.

Additional Resources:

• Chippeway, Louise, Brian Orvis, and Indian and Metis Friendship Centre (Winnipeg, Manitoba). 1983. History of the Winnipeg Indian & Metis Friendship Centre, 1958–1983: 25 Years of Service and Development in the Winnipeg Community. Winnipeg: Indian and Metis Friendship Centre. (OCLC 35881259)
• Hall, Leslie Elizabeth Macdonald. 2009. ““A Place of Awakening”: The Formation of the Winnipeg Indian and Métis Friendship Centre, 1954–1964.” Dissertation, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba. (OCLC 1033225444)

Karyne Holmes is a curator in the Exhibitions and Loans Division at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and was an archivist for We Are Here: Sharing Stories, an initiative to digitize and describe Indigenous content at LAC.