Waneek Horn-Miller

First Nations Issues Speaker

Waneek Horn-Miller , keynote speaker
Waneek Horn-Miller , keynote speaker The Perfect Storm: Young Native Canadians and Social Change Waneek Horn-Miller , keynote speaker Waneek Horn-Miller , keynote speaker After Oka, a Personal Turning Point Waneek Horn-Miller , keynote speaker Waneek Horn-Miller , keynote speaker Strength in Diversity Waneek Horn-Miller , keynote speaker
Young, frank, and hopeful, Waneek Horn-Miller has overcome discrimination, self-doubt, and an infamous incident of violence to emerge as one of North America's most inspiring Native speakers. With purpose and poise, she traverses the intersection of two generations of Native people, working to mend—finally—the dysfunctional relationship between Native and non-Native communities through social and political change.
Highlights "If we're building something where people are developing self-worth, self-confidence, respect, and they see opportunity, it transfers for the rest of their life."
Book Speaker

Waneek Horn-Miller, a Mohawk from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory near Montreal, was behind the lines during the Oka crisis, in 1990, when she was stabbed by a Canadian soldier's bayonet. This near-death experience marked a turning point in her life. Instead of recoiling, she came back stronger than ever. In 2000, she appeared on the cover of TIME magazine, in her role as co-captain of Canada's Olympic women's water polo team. More recently, Horn-Miller has worked to attract Aboriginal youth to higher education by building self-esteem and emphasizing a balance between education and sports.

Horn-Miller teamed up with the Aboriginal Peoples' Television Network and health experts to launch a fitness and healthy-eating initiative called Working It Out Together, which follows six Mohawks on their pursuit of better health. She is the Coordinator of the First People's House at McGill University.
  • Motivation


    Suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome after being stabbed during the Oka stand-off, Waneek Horn-Miller could have recoiled from life. Instead, she embraced it like never before. On stage, she traces the powerful journey she took from beleaguered youth to star Olympic athlete to one of the most articulate and vibrant voices in Aboriginal culture today. A model of perseverance, good-natured humor, and preternatural wisdom, Horn-Miller inspires audiences to follow their own dreams, fight for their heritage, and achieve their full potential in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

  • First Nations Rights

     
    "The Canadian public doesn't want to hand down to their children this dysfunctional relationship between Canadian culture and Aboriginal people," says Waneek Horn-Miller. In this talk, she deftly navigates the complicated past and increasingly bright future of First Nations issues. Bringing us face-to-face with a new generation of Native youth, she shows us how a polyphony of Aboriginal voices are participating fully in the democratic process, building bridges to the non-native community, and--thanks to the rise of social media--contributing like never before to their shared future, while celebrating their rich cultural past. "To make the big change in Aboriginal culture," she says, "there's going to have to be a concerted effort from the non-native side and from our side. I think now is the time. It's the perfect storm."



  • Twitter: Lavin

    about 43 years ago
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