Antoinette Gravel-Ouellette

Antoinette Gravel-Ouellette is a Métis woman whose spirit name is Wankiya ska Shunka wanka wi, which means “white thunder horse woman.” She got involved in substance use health–related work from facing many barriers and misconceptions while supporting loved ones through their substance use disorders. After directly experiencing the harms of stigma when one of her adult children was trying to access substance use health services, Antoinette became driven to amplify the voices of people who experience stigma and shed light on ways to bring positive change.

Antoinette is inspired by making heartfelt, authentic connections with people, which motivates her to keep creating and supporting nonjudgmental wellness communities.

She believes in never judging or assuming things about people, saying that we don’t know what anyone is truly experiencing, even if they may present in a certain way. She lives by a lesson from one of her teachers, that we can turn hard experiences into bitterness or beauty — we decide.

Antoinette chooses to spread positivity. She has four adult children, three heart children, 18 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She considers her children as gifts, supports their unique life paths and learns from them as much as they do from her.

Antoinette manages grief, loss and trauma by having learned and continuing to learn to identify and navigate uncomfortable feelings and by being kind to herself. She does what is often called shadow work, connecting with inner self, the Creator and everyone around her.

She feels that she has lived many lifetimes in that she has experienced many things, including substance use disorder, being unhoused, being a teen mom and receiving her education later in life. She finds opportunities to learn new things daily from everyone she is in contact with and the Creator