Muriel Stanley Venne

Muriel Stanley Venne (, 1937–2024) was a Canadian Métis community leader and Indigenous rights activist. She was one of the first seven members of the Alberta Human Rights Commission and was elected Vice President of the Métis Nation of Alberta. She founded The Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW) and Women of the Métis Nation.

Early life and education Venne was born in Lamont, Alberta, Canada in 1937 and moved to Edmonton as a child. She had a twin brother and they were the eldest of ten children in their family.

Venne attended Eastwood School. When she was in Grade 10, Venne contracted tuberculosis (TB) and spent a year undergoing treatment at Aberhart Memorial Sanitorium in Edmonton.

Venne was married aged 17 and had four children, before her marriage ended due to domestic violence towards her.

Venne worked on upgrading courses by correspondence while she raised her children.

In 1973, Venne was one of the first seven members appointed by Premier Peter Lougheed to the Alberta Human Rights Commission. During her term as President, Venne hosted the "Aboriginal Women’s Human Rights Symposium and the Gathering Our Strength – Violence Against Aboriginal Women Conference" in Edmonton.

Venne wrote The Rights Path, a booklet explaining human rights to all Indigenous Albertans. The booklet was endorsed by Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In 1993, Venne criticised how some communities and women were not represented at the Canada Royal Commission on Aboriginal People's National Round Table on Aboriginal Economic Development and Resources, asking why the panellists were all men and why no business women were asked to contribute.

In 1994, Venne founded The Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW). Venne campaigned with IAAW to raise awareness about the cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada, highlighting that Indigenous women were murdered at disproportionate rates. She called out failures in specific cases due to systemic racism, in partnership with the Women’s Legal Action & Awareness Fund (LEAF), such as in the cases of Cindy Gladue, Colten Boushie and Tina Fontaine. With IAAW, Venne also established a community-based awards program for Indigenous women. She led the creation of the "Esquao Awards" in 1995 to recognise First Nation, Métis and Inuit women in Alberta, advocating for the reclamation of the word esquao (meaning woman in Cree) and the derogatory slur squaw by women.

In the early 2000s, Venne became active in the Alberta Labour History Institute (ALHI). serving in this role until 2012.

In 2010, Venne was awarded a Distinguished Citizen Honorary Bachelor of Arts Degree by MacEwan University. At the 1988 Canadian federal election she stood as a New Democratic Party candidate for the Yellowhead electoral district, taking 15.4% of the vote.

She stood as a New Democratic Party candidate for the new Edmonton-South West district in the 2012 Alberta general election, taking 8.61% of the vote. becoming the first Métis recipient.

In 2021, artist Amanta Scott painted a portrait of Venne titled Boudica Impression of Muriel Stanley Venne.

In 2022, a biography titled The Life and Legacy of Muriel Stanley Venne: A Métis Matriarch was written by Christine Mowat and was released by Heritage House Publishing. Venne was also featured in the 2021 book Stories of Métis Women: Tales My Kookum Told Me, part of the Indigenous Spirt of Nature series from Durvile and Uproute Books in Calgary.