Canada has been printing faces on its currency for over 150 years, yet an Indigenous woman has never been featured. Their absence is a glaring reminder of the systemic marginalization that Indigenous women have faced since the colonization of Canada. The Native Women's Association of Canada is a national Indigenous organization who have long fought to improve representation of Indigenous women in Canada.

After the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Canadians debated who would replace her on the $20 bill. Indigenous women were unsurprisingly left out. NWAC saw this tension as an opportunity to campaign for greater representation of Indigenous women in Canadian culture, to bring awareness to the many issues they face today and to start the important process of reconciliation. But first we had to bring their absence to the attention of government institutions that control the process – The Royal Canadian Mint and the Bank of Canada.

We called on underrepresented female Indigenous artists to reimagine the $20 bill with their female Indigenous heroes. The artwork we received back was launched as a virtual gallery and in physical form at leading art and design festivals.

A national outdoor and print campaign using the artwork encouraged everyone to support this historic initiative. The collection became a travelling exhibit, visiting museums, schools, and galleries, educating people on Indigenous culture and the impact of these incredible women.

Prints were sold for $20 (with 100% of sales going back to the artists) and QR codes at every touchpoint led to a petition used to lobby MPs.

Changing a country’s currency is a complex process that can take years. Before we could convince the Royal Canadian Mint and the Bank of Canada to make a change, we had to make them aware of the absence of Indigenous women by rallying public support from all Canadians and members of the Indigenous community. The only way to achieve this was to launch a large-scale PR campaign that could reach across the country.

By using the ongoing conversation of replacing Queen Elizabeth II as a springboard, we were able to interject our message into the public consciousness and receive more attention from the national news outlets.

Sending our physical artwork to Canada’s largest design and art festivals and using it to launch an outdoor and print campaign, we brought the issue to the attention of the entire country and converted that support into tangible results through an online petition.

We first designed a $20 bill template and invited Indigenous artists across Canada to participate in our project. After a month, they sent it back with their heroes on the bill. The resulting collection was launched in January 2023 as a virtual gallery, allowing people to purchase prints of the artwork for $20, with 100% of sales going back to the artists. This evergreen platform showcased Indigenous talent and celebrated the stories of these remarkable women.

Throughout the rest of 2023, the collection was displayed at prestigious art and design festivals, even becoming a travelling exhibit, reaching museums, schools, and galleries. We used the artwork to launch a national outdoor and print campaign, encouraging everyone to take part in this historic initiative. QR codes at every touchpoint invited people back to the virtual gallery where they could sign a petition, allowing them to take an active role in the movement.

NWAC is now a leading voice in Canada for reconciliation and gender representation. After only 21 days, the overwhelming coverage and support our campaign received from the country’s largest news outlets led to NWAC receiving meetings with both the Royal Canadian Mint and the Bank of Canada, and for the first time in history, they will be providing these organizations with an Indigenous perspective on currency figures.

Change is closer than ever. Pitseolak Ashoona, an Indigenous woman and acclaimed artist, is now one of 8 finalists to appear on the $5 bill, and we are once again calling on people to reimagine the bill to support her nomination.

In total, the campaign garnered 552 unique pieces of coverage and reached 790 million people. Over 600 prints were sold, and more than 60,000 supporters have signed the petition. The collection is currently on display at the AGO, Canada’s premier art gallery.