Today, I want to share an important step forward.

I have become the first known Indigenous woman in Canada to bring forward a formal complaint against a registered professional planner through a provincial planning institute — without legal representation and without a lawsuit.

This is significant because:

• Planning institutes like MPPI are self-regulating, meaning they have historically been shielded from external accountability.

• Indigenous voices — especially women’s voices — have rarely been heard in these processes.

• This action has now drawn the attention of oversight bodies, including the Office of the Auditor General of Manitoba and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

This is more than just a complaint. It is a breakthrough in holding institutions accountable and ensuring that Indigenous communities have a rightful place in conversations about land, heritage, and justice.

I share this not only as a personal milestone, but as a reminder: our voices carry power, and persistence can break through even the strongest institutional walls.

I celebrate this step for all who have been silenced or pushed aside.

With gratitude,
 🌿 Diane Bousquet