​This paper is a collection of herstories woven together to describe the journeys that Claudette—a Cree Indigenous Women—and Niloufar—a Persian immigrant settler—went on together to find and practice allyship. The collaboration between the diversity of these two women’s herstories and how their time together unfolds in a beautiful tale of women from different backgrounds and how they came together to create meaningful memories and learn from each other’s’ experiences. The valuable living wisdoms that Claudette carries inspires her peers and all who know her to challenge themselves and go out of their comfort zones to engage with things that they are passionate about. Allyship is listening with an open mind and heart, celebrating each other’s successes, simultaneously learning from changes in trajectory, and championing each other’s voices. Allyship is trust in a person or peoples that their/her/histories and perspectives are true and powerful. Allies and peers can empower one another, learn from each other, and carve their ways of knowing into the world side by side.

About the Authors

Claudette Cardinal is a Cree Indigenous woman from Alberta who currently resides on the Unceded Coast Salish Territories; the traditional lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and gives thanks for allowing her to be a longtime resident of these lands. Claudette brings twenty-five years of Living Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and works with multiple community-based research projects at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS as a Peer Indigenous Research Associate. Claudette is currently involved in research surrounding Indigenous peoples living with HIV/AIDS and is passionate about the relationships between community and researchers. She is dedicated to bringing like-minded individuals together to share their her/histories, and to honour all that are on this path of Allyship. Claudette has completed a social work program and has dedicated herself to a history of community outreach work. She has been involved in research projects since 2011 and is currently dedicated her passions to equity and ensuring work is done in a meaningful and respectful way—bringing culture and teachings to our work every step of the way.

Niloufar Aran is a research coordinator at the BC-Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) and has worked in research since 2015 while completing her undergraduate degree (BSc Hons) in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Population and Quantitative Health, and minoring in Sociology at Simon Fraser University. She has worked with both quantitative and qualitative projects. Niloufar is currently involved with several studies at the BC-CfE, coordinating the CANOC study. She works closely with Indigenous Elders and peers and has been gifted the title of “Ally”. She strives to learn Indigenous ways of knowing and embraces teachings she is gifted and practices allyship in all she does.