Sheila DeCorte

Sheila DeCorte-Ojibwe Elder, Knowledge Keeper, and Advisor.

Animkii Wajiw (Thunder  Mountain), which is more commonly known as Mountain McKay located in Fort William First  Nation.

Sheila DeCorte is an Ojibwe Elder and knowledge keeper from Animkii Wajiw (Thunder  Mountain), which is more commonly known as Mountain McKay located in Fort William First  Nation in the Robinson Superior Treaty Territory of 1850. Her spirit name is Niibin Giimiwan (Summer Rain), and she is Turtle Clan.  

Through Sheila's volunteer work with the Thunder Bay National Aboriginal Day Committee in 2000, she was introduced to her first pow-wow and to the heartbeat of the big drum. This began her pull and reconnection to her Anishinaabe way of living. She entered the pow-wow circle in 2002 as a fancy shawl dancer and has since transitioned into a women’s traditional dancer. She picked up her hand drum in 2014 and began singing with the Animkii Wajiw Ikwewag (Thunder Mountain Women Drummers) within her community.  

Sheila retired from her Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union leadership roles in  December 2019 and the Federal Public Service in January 2020 to allow her to continue her cultural journey and to also be afforded the free time to share her traditional knowledge and teachings with others.  

She now sings and leads the “Sisters of Turtle Island Drum Group” where songs, teachings, and knowledge are shared as well as the sharing of the group’s community initiatives supporting Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), Truth and Reconciliation, Orange Shirt Day,  215+ Residential School Children that never made it home, and other important Indigenous community initiatives and events. 

Her cultural journey continues to pull her into many related areas which include walking for the water to bring healing and awareness of the importance of protecting the water. “Water is Life” 

Sheila sits on the Elder’s Council for the Indigenous Relations Corporate Strategic Initiatives &  Community Engagement for the City of Thunder Bay where she offers support and guidance on Indigenous-related issues. She also provides cultural support and teachings to youth within the Public School Board as well as to other organizations and community providers who call upon her.