Shayla Oulette Stonechild is a Metis and Nehiyaw Iskwew (Plains Cree Woman) from Muscowpetung First Nations. She has always been a catalyst for Indigenous youth and women unlocking their full potential and reclaiming their voices.
Shayla is at the forefront of Indigenous women’s wellness. She is a trauma-informed yoga instructor with over 500+ yoga teacher training hours and has been named internationally as one of the Top “20 Yoga Instructors of Color to Watch in 2020”.
Utilizing her skills as a powerful speaker and thought leader, Shayla is the founder of the “Matriarch Movement’, a non-profit organization dedicated to highlighting Indigenous voices and providing wellness workshops to BIPOC women across Canada.
Through her work, Shayla hopes to bring difficult, yet necessary Indigenous topics into mainstream conversations. From impacts of intergenerational trauma to First Nation’s “Life Promotion” and suicide awareness, she’s bringing stories to the light and using her platform for future sustainable change in society.
She has a history of collaborations and partnerships with brands such as Paris Jewellers, Audible, Saje Wellness, Sephora, Expedia, John Freida, and Lululemon, among others. Shayla has been featured by CTV, APTN, CBC, The Social, and ETalk. In March 2021, she became the first Indigenous woman to be on the cover of “Yoga Journal” magazine across Canada and the United States.
In this episode: Social Activist
- Shalya shares why she has become a social activist
- What is the Indian Act and how it negatively impacted Indigenous people
- She shares her father’s journey and loss of life
- Basic human needs and rights continue to not be met in Canada
- How you can get involved as an entrepreneur and leader?
- Intergenerational trauma and working toward taking your power back as an Indigenous people
- 94 Calls to action in Canada where you can begin
- What other topics do you need to be aware of?
- Mass graves discovered-Truth and Reconciliation Report
- Advocating to begin court proceedings for those who have caused harm to Indigenous children and genocide
- Shayla shares taking time away due to burnout
- Being grateful and compassionate with advocates, activists, and marginalized people for taking care of themselves vs Capitalistic and patriarchy
- Decolonization our own minds
- Having speakers coming into your organization and education system
- Listen to her podcast (Matriarch Movement) for more information and how you can continue to make changes
- Shayla shares her self-care practices
Resources Mentioned
Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change by Sherry Mitchell*
*Disclaimer: Some links are Amazon affiliates links which means I receive a small portion of the proceeds. This helps me continue to produce the podcast for you for free.
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