Lesley Beardy (BA 18) is more than a survivor. She is the living continuation of a legacy defined by resilience. Like the generations before her, and many Indigenous peoples like her, she has endured loss, abandonment, and grief, carrying the weight of these experiences while refusing to let them define her future. Instead, under relentless pressure from systemic barriers and personal trials, she made the courageous decision to transform pain into purpose, reclaiming her connection to culture, identity, and ancestral strength.
Her journey is not only one of personal healing, but of profound renewal, forging a path where truth is spoken, history is honored, and reconciliation is lived.
Lesley is Anishinaabe and Inninew from the Misipawistik Cree Nation in Treaty 5 Territory. At 12 years old, she lost her grandmother and primary caregiver to complications of diabetes. It wasn’t long before she was devoured by Child and Family Services (CFS) and uprooted from her family. She spent years moving around.
“I never felt stable. I never felt like people genuinely cared for me,” explained Lesley of her time in foster care.
When Lesley became a mother, a new light was ignited within her, one of renewed purpose, responsibility and hope. She turned to education as a tool for change, committing to personal growth and self-development in ways she had never thought possible.
I realized no one was coming to save me. I had to make a decision and believe that I could accomplish my goals
Lesley Beardy
“I knew that education was important,” recalled Lesley. “But I never had anyone solid in my life to tell me I needed to go to school. I realized that no one was coming to save me. I had to make a decision and believe that I could accomplish my goals.”
Education as a pathway to healing
Lesley enrolled in the Community-based Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (CATEP) at UWinnipeg. This program supports Indigenous educational assistants in earning a university degree, while continuing to work full time.
University was both challenging and the catalyst for Lesley’s personal healing journey. As a student, she became actively involved in historical research and programming. She participated in the Indigenous Summer Scholars Program (ISSP) and the Six Seasons Project, opportunities that cracked open her journey of reclamation.
With the Six Seasons Project, Lesley researched Treaty 5, her home territory. She uncovered deep connections to her own family and the revelation that she is a descendant of a Grand Chief. Further research also revealed her ancestors, like her, had been displaced from their homes and forced to leave the land. This discovery made the research process both exhilarating and difficult.
“All of this stuff came flooding back,” explained Lesley. “I was beginning to understand why our community was the way it was, and how colonization had deeply impacted me personally, my bloodline and my family. I was excited, but I was also saddened to hear that this is what happened to a lot of First Nations in Canada.”
As Lesley’s research deepened, she felt a powerful pull toward understanding the history of Indigenous peoples. This led her to a course taught by Karen Froman, an associate professor, and fellow Indigenous woman, whose presence created a space of shared understanding and trust.
The class became more than an academic pursuit. It opened a pathway to healing, offering a broader perspective on the realities of intergenerational trauma while also showing Lesley she was not alone.
“One time in class, Karen warned us about a topic that might be heavy; Indian Residential Schools,” recalled Lesley. “She played a video of people talking about their experience at Indian Residential Schools in Ontario. I had tears coming down my face. I didn’t have a crying sensation, just tears. I had no control. My body was just reacting.”
I didn’t have a crying sensation, just tears. I had no control. My body was just reacting.
Lesley Beardy
Following that class, Karen introduced Lesley to the concept of blood memory—the understanding that trauma can be carried across generations. This revelation became a turning point. Lesley began to see that the addictions and mental health challenges affecting her family were not isolated or personal failings, but part of a much deeper, historical continuum. The shame she had carried throughout her life was not hers alone, it was inherited. In that realization, she found both clarity and the beginning of release.
A deeper understanding of trauma
“I have a very deep understanding of trauma and shame and how that impacts my family and my children,” said Lesley. “Because of that, I incorporate history in everything that I do. It is just so important.”
Today, Lesley is a counsellor, curator, Indigenous advisor and community helper. She incorporates the stories of her grandfather and family to help educate, heal communities and share the impact of colonization.
In 2024, when Lesley was invited to join IKEA Winnipeg as an Indigenous Advisor, the decision was not a simple yes. It required her to confront and reconcile deeply rooted feelings about the complex and often painful history between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
In the end, Lesley chose to trust herself, her knowledge, her education, and the wisdom carried through her ancestors. That trust became the foundation for her courage to say yes, and to step into a role where she could influence real, systemic change.
IKEA Winnipeg
“I realized I had the opportunity with IKEA Winnipeg to rewrite the history in my family lineage,” she shared.
With that purpose in mind, Lesley approached her work with intention and accountability. She challenged IKEA Winnipeg to move beyond words, ensuring staff actively participated in Indigenous ceremonies, learned on the land, and engaged in authentic, ongoing relationship-building.
“I was going to hold them accountable.”
Indigenous exhibit at IKEA Winnipeg
To begin, Lesley took members of the IKEA staff to the Eagle-Wolf Sundance Grounds. Here they held a pipe ceremony, learned about the sweat lodge, harvested sage and enjoyed a ceremonial feast.
During the experience, Lesley had an unexpected teachable moment when three, four-wheelers approached the area. They passed by once, and on their return, approached the group. Curious, the conservationist and two biologists asked what the group was doing. They joked that they were harvesting sage to be incorporated into the new IKEA furniture. But it was this moment that opened the door for connection, and the staff invited the conservation officer to stay and join the ceremony.
When the conservationist left, Lesley asked the group to consider what if that individual had been an Indian agent. In a historical context, that person would have come upon a family, out collecting their harvest, and without question, arrested the members of that family. That family would have been broken, without opportunity to defend themselves.
“As they reflected on this, the staff now understood from my perspective that this is what happened to Indigenous people in Canada,” said Lesley. “These moments are why I am always incorporating history into everything that I do.”
Following this experience, Lesley began to research and curate an exhibit that would be the first of its kind for IKEA Winnipeg. The powerful exhibit includes an Indigenous room-setting and educational tipi.
The family room is inspired by a real family impacted by MMIWG2S+, and the grandparents and grandchildren who are all thriving today. The contemporary and historical images were selected with intention of representing the shared local history.
The exhibit also features an encased medicine display, which houses medicines that are replenished and cared for on a regular basis. A hanging ribbon skirt and t-shirt are periodically updated to reflect the time of year and Indigenous issue of note.
Prior to the launch in June 2025, Lesley invited youth to participate in a store-wide smudge, cleansing just under 400,000 square feet of retail space.
“I’m really proud of the work that we’re doing together. The work that IKEA is doing with me is bigger than all of us,” said Lesley. “They (IKEA Winnipeg) don’t shy away from the hard conversations or difficult teachings of our shared history.”
In the one year since its opening, Lesley noted the permanent IKEA Indigenous space is now seen as one of the more respected spaces in IKEA. It provides shoppers and visitors with the opportunity to learn and reflect on Indigenous culture in the spirit of truth and reconciliation.
Lesley is grateful for IKEA Winnipeg and its staff for their openness and commitment to their Indigenous Reconciliation Strategy.
National Indigenous History Month
As we mark National Indigenous History Month, Lesley reflects on this moment as a powerful and meaningful time for Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island. It is a season of gathering, ceremony and reconnection. It is an opportunity not only to honour shared stories, but to deeply explore personal roots and reclaim individual histories.
“The moment I found out my history and where I came from, that’s when everything changed for me,” said Lesley. “I would encourage people to find out about their history, especially now when access to knowledge and truth is that much easier.”
Shaped by profound hardship, Lesley’s journey is a testament to resilience. A reminder that even the heaviest burdens can give rise to strength, purpose, and transformation.
June marks National Indigenous History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the rich cultures, traditions, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the stories of UWinnipeg Indigenous alumni who are shaping communities, leading change, and inspiring future generations.
