“I'm a person who specializes in macro systems change, so that means zooming out and looking at the full system and trying to figure out how to make the system work more efficiently and more effectively for community,” Nicole White explains.

She is a social worker and lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She grew up in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and is a Cree Red River Métis. A long-time advocate, she worked as a Pride Centre coordinator for the University of Saskatchewan Students Union while she was in university. She was also project lead for Enough Already Saskatchewan, providing training and resources to prevent workplace sexual violence in businesses and nonprofit organizations across the province.

For the last two decades, White had been working in the nonprofit sector, doing the work of a social worker without a social worker degree. She started out as an agricultural reporter, left broadcasting and then found her way into the nonprofit sector. She ran for political office, worked in systems change and community development, helping shape policy and collaborating with partners who can create the most effective change.

Later, she founded Moon Time Connections, a flagship project of True North Aid, a national Indigenous-led period equity group supporting Indigenous menstruators with access to menstrual products and education. In seven years, with chapters in Saskatchewan, Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia, the organization has distributed over 11 million period products to schools, midwifery organizations, healthcare centers, friendship centers, shelters, and food banks. Through this work, she’s able to combine advocacy and education and community-based solutions to support menstrual equity and gender-based violence prevention. She decided to go back to school as a mature student at the University of Saskatchewan.

Motivating her in her career has been people, community and the drive to do good. White’s driven by the resilience of people who face barriers every day. “I realized that I was most fulfilled when I was helping create change at that systems level, working alongside people rather than for them, so like really deconstructing that colonial hierarchy of doing for. So we walk along the path together in this work, and really that desire to make community stronger and more equitable continues to drive my work today,” she explains.

Thinking of her education, formal and informal, when White first graduated from high school, she went to broadcasting college, something she didn’t feel ready or mature enough for. One of the most meaningful pieces of education she received was the time she spent working in harm reduction. Working with people who use drugs, she did a lot of unlearning and the most important lesson she learned was “nothing about us without us”, something she has brought into journalism, nonprofit and social work. “My path, while not linear, it really helped me become the practitioner and the community advocate I am today,” she reflects. Something that she has thought about is how her path has exemplified ‘one person absolutely can make a difference’.

Some advice White has to share is, “If you see something in your community that needs to change, figure out who are the people that can help surround you in that work to drive that journey. Because you know I am not a politician, but I've been able to change three laws in Saskatchewan before, and I still continue to do transformative work every single day. I just want to really encourage everyone who's watching this video to know that you can do that. I am not special. Every single person who's watching this video has the capacity to do incredible things.”

Thinking of Indigenous students considering leaving their home, her advice would be to think about finances and look at transportation, rent, insurance, groceries, the whole big picture of all the costs associated with going to school and to build a plan to get the support you need while you’re away. She also suggests finding your people on campus, building yourself a community and a village wherever you are.

When it comes to obstacles she’s faced, White struggled because she couldn’t stay in the job she was in and be an out person in rural Saskatchewan. She didn’t know who was safe to talk to or who she could trust. She learned to be selective about who she surrounded herself with and who she dated. She ended up finding a partner who ended up being her biggest cheerleader. She also recommends taking advantage of school-based supports.

If White could share a message with her younger self it would be “it’s okay to take the scenic route”. After spending time worrying she was behind because she wasn’t following the traditional path, she learned many things from the twists and turns she went through. She would also tell herself, “you don't need to have it all figured out; you just need to keep moving forward.” Compound interest is something she wishes she knew the benefits of so she could have started saving for retirement earlier.

To balance her mental health, White wishes she had learned more about balance earlier in her career to help her avoid burnout. In burnout, she struggled with bitterness, not bringing her best self to the table, poor quality sleep. She’s been working on prioritizing herself, moving her body, feeding herself better, dancing, trying new things, learning new hobbies and avoiding being stagnant. She spends time with her family and gets outside when she can. Spending time on the land and in ceremony also helps. “I've learned that well-being isn't something you achieve once. It's something you keep tending to, like a fire,”she offers.

When it comes to inspiration, White looks to her team at Moon Time Connections. “We're working to strengthen supports for community. It's not just about products or workshops. It's really about restoring relationships to body and knowledge and community. And I'm inspired by the people we serve, their strength and creativity and commitment to making things better for future generations. It's really truly reconciliation and action. I'm so proud of what we do every single day,” she beams.

“We're breaking down barriers, we're destigmatizing things, and we're shining a light on something that is truly sacred and powerful, and shifting the narrative of that work. And some of what we navigate in community is like the impact of colonized harm when it comes to menstruation and moon time. So I just love that we can create space for people to talk about that really powerful time for them every single month,” White continues.

Creating change, shifting narratives and breaking down stigma and barriers, Nicole White is doing important work in community as an Indigenous social worker. As the founder of Moon Time Connections, she’s changing the conversation about menstruation, providing resources and support across the country and preventing gender-based violence. An advocate and a role model, she’s changed laws and systems and showed one person can truly make a difference.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.