Algoma University student Nevaeh Pine has been working as an advocate since she was a child, speaking out for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S).
Entering her second year of a double major in Law and Justice and Political Science, she is also a talented wrestler with the University’s Thunderbirds Varsity Athletics Wrestling Program.
A proud citizen of the Garden River First Nation, an Ojibway community located in the hub of the Great Lakes, she is the great-granddaughter of Dan Pine Sr., and the great-great-great granddaughter of Chief Shingwauk, who was a recognized leader of the Ojibway Nation and who led the Robinson-Huron Treaty negotiations. Chief Shingwauk single-handedly led 700 warriors in alliance with the British Crown during the War of 1812, fighting alongside Tecumseh and General Brock.
Coming from a long line of hereditary leadership, Nevaeh follows her Clan as a Crane Person (Chijauk Dodem) and is grounded in her Anishinaabe culture as a jingle dress dancer and in the sacred teachings she has been gifted.
She certainly impressed and inspired the crowds gathered in Victoria, BC on May 15th. At the 2025 Moose Hide Campaign Day Walk to End Violence, Nevaeh delivered a powerful keynote speech in front of over 300,000 participants from across the country. She spoke passionately on behalf of MMIWG2S, emphasizing the urgent need for justice and systemic change.
Wearing a traditional jingle dress, the student was candid about her personal experiences and shared the profound impact Indigenous cultural practices have had on her identity.
“I am a jingle dress dancer, and it is a dance for healing. The responsibility it carries keeps me grounded and connected, and I am very honoured to dance. My Papa, Dan Pine, held great knowledge passed down from his father, Dan Pine Sr., on plant medicine and healing,” says Neveah. “He told me about the time when you were not allowed to wear regalia unless dressed to perform in a school play; it shows how he was forced to hide his culture and keep our way of life hidden. He gifted me my eagle fan that I dance with.”
Neveah is honoured to be a jingle dress dancer and dance with her little sister. “Dancing has given me a gift; it has taught me to be proud of who I am. Today I can wear my ceremony skirt, my regalia, and my bead work with pride and remember the ones who were denied the beauty and strength of our culture,” she says.
Her work neatly weaves together academics, athletics, and activism, and her voice is part of a growing movement led by Indigenous youth who are working for reconciliation and justice.
“If there can be any reconciliation of the past, it consists of the retelling of what happened and recognizing and challenging systemic racism and discrimination. Silence is your compliance. This is a call to action,” she said at the event.
“Indigenous people walk two worlds to survive. We are Survivors of colonization, the Indian Residential School system, Indian day school, the Sixties Scoop and child welfare system, and face systemic racism at all levels, including justice,” says the student.
“Indigenous women have been disappearing since 1492, but only in recent years has it become documented. While MMIWG2S is receiving greater awareness, the numbers do not lie, and we need united action to work together towards justice and prevention. The rate of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women experiencing violence is highly disproportionate, and it is time to make the necessary changes to stop this.”
“The Canadian justice system continues to fail Indigenous peoples of Canada, as we are over-represented in the criminal justice system and invisible when victims of injustice,” she adds.
“Nevaeh’s involvement in the Moose Hide Campaign underscores her commitment to reconciliation and the empowerment of Indigenous communities,” says Martin Bayer, Algoma University’s Vice-President, Nyaagaaniid, Anishinaabe Initiatives, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
The Walk to End Violence unites Canadians—Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike—in a nationwide movement that calls for the end of violence towards women and children.
Moose Hide Campaign Day began over ten years ago along the Highway of Tears. Today, communities and organizations across the country join in and hold events, bringing together people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.
To see highlights from the 2025 Moose Hide event, watch the video here.
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