Waabshkigan Shane Monague (he/him/they/them) is a two-spirited Ojibway and Potawatomi Anishinaabe from the turtle clan born in Beausoleil First Nation, Christian Island, Ontario. His Ojibway ancestors were forcibly relocated from northern Anishinaabewi’gchi’gamig (Lake Superior), while his Potawatomi ancestors were displaced north to present-day Simcoe County from Ininiwewi’gchi’gamig (Lake Michigan). Despite being a second-generation Indian Residential School Survivor, Shane has grown into his spiritual role as an Oshkaabewis (traditional and ceremonial helper), carrying a strong passion for learning and sharing the history and culture of his people.

From a young age, Shane was involved in First Nations-led grassroots movements, such as Idle No More, where he learned from the strength of First Nations women and knowledge keepers who mentored him during those formative years. Witnessing their determination to protect lands and waters from harmful development in Southern Ontario inspired him to pursue a path in policy and community organizing, with a focus on advancing Indigenous rights and environmental protection.

Shane has served on several advisory committees and councils in his home community, such as the local School and Youth Councils, as well as through organizations such as Feathers of Hope Inc. There, alongside fellow Indigenous youth leaders, he helped advance the rights of Indigenous youth by contributing to the development of documents like the Feathers of Hope Justice and Juries Report. His testimony in the Inquest into the deaths of seven First Nations youth in Thunder Bay, along with his role on the Ontario First Nations Young Peoples Council as the Anishinaabek Nation Male Representative Alternate, catalyzed his commitment to being a stronger advocate for Indigenous youth, their collective rights as Indigenous peoples, and the protection of the lands and waters they call home.

He also acknowledges the pivotal role of programs for Indigenous youth in shaping his journey, as it was these programs and opportunities that have equipped him with much of the diverse skillset he holds today. A special mention is the “Water I <3 You” Our Water – Our Future Project by CIER, which brought him and his team to different locations all across so-called Canada to learn the skills necessary to become effective water leaders for their nations.

Shane was the first of his siblings to graduate high school and pursue post-secondary education. His creativity led him to Sault College’s Digital Film Production Program, where he honed skills in digital storytelling to help ensure Indigenous stories are told by Indigenous voices. After his first year, he took some time away to participate in an Indigenous Youth Internship Program, which led him to live abroad in Colombia where he worked closely with the local Indigenous community. He later graduated from the first cohort of the Building on Abundance in Indigenous Communities (BAIC) program through the COADY Institute, participated in the Indigenous Youth Roots Policy Hack-a-thon, and joined the inaugural Generation Power program with Indigenous Clean Energy. During this time, he also served on the Board of Directors for Feathers of Hope, an experience he continues to cherish.