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17 July 2025 – New York: A group of Indigenous children from across the United States visited the United Nations Headquarters to hear some people speak on the Indigenous experience. Joining them was Brenda Reynolds, a social worker from Canada and a member of the Fishing Lake First Nation.
Reynolds was awarded the 2025 United Nations Nelson Rolihlala Mandela Prize on 18 July alongside Kennedy Odede, a social entrepreneur from Kenya. The award, which symbolizes an important honor, is given to two individuals whose life work exemplifies service to humanity.
Reynolds was joined by Mirian Masaquiza Jerez, an Ecuadorian Kichwa woman and Social Affairs Officer at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). Displaying her traditional regalia from her Salasaka community, Masaquiza encouraged the visiting children to “be free to be who [they] are.” She also challenged them to uphold their cultures and languages, urging them to see themselves as catalysts for change.
Reynolds shared to the youth stories of her past, specifically the challenges and strides she experienced as a counsellor at Gordon’s Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan.
The youth came from the Daughters of Tradition and the Sons of Tradition, part of an initiative led by Milwaukee’s Healing Intergenerational Roots (HIR) Wellness Institute, which aids Indigenous communities with free mental healthcare and other services.
The day was filled with appreciation, both from the youth and the participating adults.
“I started my work with children,” Reynolds said. “And today, I spoke to children. This feels full circle for me.”
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