What's New > Elder Pauline Shirt dies at 80
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Grandmother (Nokomis) Pauline Shirt, Nimikiiquay or Thunder Woman as she was also known, died on May 7. (Bawaadan Collective/Photo)
‘Beacon of inspiration’: Elder Pauline Shirt, founder of Canada’s first Indigenous-focused school, dies at 80.
By Joanna Lavoie, CP24.com Journalist / Published Thursday, May 9, 2024 6:55PM EDT
One of Canada’s most beloved Indigenous elders, leaders, and visionaries has died.
Grandmother (Nokomis) Pauline Shirt, Nimikiiquay or Thunder Woman as she was also known, died on May 7. She was 80.
A Plains Cree elder from the Red-Tail Hawk Clan, Shirt was born on July 13, 1943, in Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Alberta, but had called Toronto home for many years. The mother of five was a long-time resident of Riverdale’s Bain Co-op.
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Shirt was a life-long educator and Indigenous rights advocate.
Her activism and community work began more than 40 years ago when she established the Ontario leg of the Native People’s Caravan to Ottawa in 1974 with her late husband, Vern Harper.
Two years later, the couple founded Canada’s first Indigenous-run and focused school because they wanted a culturally safe and appropriate space for their son to learn.
It was initially known as Wandering Spirit Survival School and operated out of their home. In 1983, the Toronto District School Board recognized the alternative school as a Cultural Survival/Native Way program and six years later, it was renamed the First Nations School of Toronto. Since 2018/19, the Kindergarten to Grade 12 program at 16 Phin Ave. has been known as Kâpapâmahchakwêw - Wandering Spirit School.
More recently, Shirt, who spoke and sang in Cree, served as the Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Keeper at downtown Toronto’s George Brown College.
In a news release, President Dr. Gervan Fearon said that her impact on and contribution to the school was “profound and will always be cherished.”
“She served as a beacon of support to many, generously sharing her cultural knowledge, spiritual wisdom, and guidance,” he wrote.
“More than just a leader, Grandma Pauline illuminated our path with profound insights and a gentle spirit, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts. Elder Pauline Shirt's teaching, way of being and knowledge sharing will live on with all of us who she has touched.”
In 2022, Shirt was appointed to the Order of Ontario for her life-long dedication to Indigenous education.