5 indigenous voices changing the conversation

As celebrations for National Aboriginal Day gear up andwe honourNational Aboriginal History Month, CBC Aboriginaltakes a look at five people who are changingthe conversation.

These five individuals were chosen for their work that began with passion for theircommunity. They did not expect recognition from their peers or the public. Theydidnt do it for financial compensation. Simply, they are the change they want to seein the world and for that we salute them.

Grassroots Michael Champagne (Cree) is a founding member of AboriginalYouth Opportunities (AYO). He has been an agent of changefor one of Canadasroughest neighbourhoods Winnipegs North End. He has been a tireless supporterof Aboriginal youth rights, Idle No More, andMeet Me at the Bell Tower.ananti-violence weekly rally that is in its third year. More recently Champagne hasbeen travelling across Canada to bring his message of positivity to indigenouscommunities and conferences.

Media Chelsea Vowel (Mtis) first gained national attention with herpihtawikosisn blog entry Dealing with Comments about Attawapiskat in2011. She broke down the $90 million funding budget Ottawa claimed to have giventhe community. What started as a Cree language blog has turned into a go-to mediaresource for a diverse collection of aboriginal issues and what they really mean,with no political agenda.

Philanthropy Althea Guibouche (Mtis) is a Winnipeg woman whohad the idea to feed the homeless and poor with chili and bannock. Also known asthe Bannock Lady, Guiboucheherself struggles with poverty but that has not heldher back from bringing her food offerings to the streets for the better part of a yearand a half now.

Relying on donations for ingredients and gas money, Guibouche wasrecently invited to speak at a TedX event about her compassion for feeding thoseless fortunate.

Environment ErielDeranger(Dene)is aneco-warriorfrom AthabascaChipewyan First Nation. She is dedicated to saving the land around her homecommunity from the expansion and impacts of the Alberta oilsands.

It was herconversation with rocker Neil Young about her communitys legal battles thatwas the catalyst for his Honour the Treaties concerts this past winter. Moniesraised went to the legaldefencefund of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation to fightcompanies like Shell Canada on broken agreements in the development of the oilsands.

Derangeris also the communications manager for the first nation and hasspoken at Harvard University on the effects of oil development on her cultural lands.

Awareness ChristiBelcourt(Mtis)is the artist behind the art installationWalking With Our Sisters. Her idea? To create moccasin tops or vamps torepresent the more than 600 official missing or murdered indigenous womenin Canada, according to 2013 numbers.

What she got was more than 1,700 vamps from across North America. The exhibition is still travelling across the country. (New stats released by the RCMP a few months ago brought the official count to over 1,100 missing and murdered.)

Belcourtalso started the 'bluedot'movement this past winterthat took social media by storm. The inspiration came after people were given blue dots to signifythey had not made the cut to be in the same room as the prime minster and then National Chief ShawnAtleo,during the announcement of the First Nations Control of FirstNations Education Act.

Who do you know that has changed your life? Your community? Your world-view?

Share your game changers in the comments below or on CBC Aboriginals Facebook and Twitter pages with the #IndigenousGameChangers.