DAWN Canada has announced its recipients of the Hummingbird Award in 6 categories.
Wauzhushk Onigum Nation’s Chordyn Skead has been named a recipient in the special recognition category for her courage, persistence and unwavering commitment to justice and her contributing awareness efforts around MMIWG2S+ and engaging in community education and advocacy. She is helping to reshape systems, amplify survivor voices and drive change toward a more equitable and compassionate future.
Founded in 1985, DAWN Canada (which stands for the Disabled Women’s Network of Canada) is an intersectional feminist human rights organization that works to address systems of oppression.
Their mission is to end the poverty, isolation, discrimination and violence experienced by women and gender-diverse people with disabilities, including those who are Deaf.
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DAWN CANADA WRITE UP ON CHORDYN:
Chordyn Skead is a 20-year-old neurodivergent Anishinaabe Kwe and multidisciplinary artist whose work and advocacy are rooted in justice, resilience, and the fight to end violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ people. Living with AuDHD, she brings a powerful intersectional lens to her advocacy, using both her lived experience and creative voice to challenge systemic inequities.
At just 14 years old, Chordyn made the courageous decision to report her abuser after years of psychological harm, becoming one of the few survivors to come forward in a case involving widespread violence against young girls. Since then, she has spent years navigating a justice system marked by delays, systemic barriers, and inequities—an experience that has exposed critical gaps in how survivors, particularly Indigenous and neurodivergent women, are treated.
Despite these challenges, Chordyn has remained steadfast in her pursuit of justice. Her case, still ongoing, has brought attention to issues such as inequitable legal representation for victims, harmful courtroom questioning practices, and the broader need for culturally informed and trauma-informed approaches within the legal system. Through her advocacy, she is helping to push for meaningful change in how survivors of sexual violence are supported and represented.
Beyond her own case, Chordyn actively supports others on their healing journeys, contributing to awareness efforts around MMIWG2S+ and engaging in community education and advocacy. She continues to use her voice to empower survivors—particularly Indigenous and neurodivergent youth—to see their identities as strengths and to speak out against injustice.
Through her courage, persistence, and unwavering commitment to justice, Chordyn Skead is helping to reshape systems, amplify survivor voices, and drive change toward a more equitable and compassionate future.
