This is what our Ancestors prayed for.

Matriarchs Rising Consulting Co.

Indigenous women leading nationally in strategic planning, leadership, gatherings, and organizational and community transformation. Indigenous women owned and operated, and part of a rising generation of Indigenous women leading change across Canada.

Book a conversation

Who we are

Matriarchs Rising Consulting Co. is an Indigenous women-led firm grounded in matriarchal leadership and community accountability. Co-founded by Tamara Bernard and an Indigenous woman in Canada, we partner with First Nations, Indigenous organizations, and companies to deliver strategic planning, leadership development, and organizational transformation rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems and relational ways of being.

We believe strong organizations are built the same way strong communities are: through respect, reciprocity, and leadership that centres the wisdom of women and matriarchs. Our approach blends rigorous strategic and research expertise with deep cultural grounding, helping the organizations we work with build capacity that lasts and leadership that reflects their own values and self-determination.

Braiding Indigenous knowledge. Growing movements.

When Indigenous women lead, Nations rise

Across Canada, Indigenous women are stepping into leadership at every level: in First Nations governments, in policy rooms, in courtrooms, in universities, and in community. Matriarchs Rising exists inside that movement, not apart from it.

Our circle's work has shaped national conversations, including contributions to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Ontario's first Indigenous Death Review, and Canada's National Autism Strategy, alongside decades of work directly with First Nations, Tribal Councils, and Indigenous organizations from coast to coast.

We don't just consult on leadership. We practice it, in relationship with the communities and Nations we serve.

Our Social Impact Fund

Every contract, partnership, and project creates impact beyond the work itself. A portion of every engagement is reinvested directly into Indigenous women, families, and communities.

Donations to Indigenous women's shelters and transitional housing programs
Grants and bursaries for Indigenous women pursuing education
Support for community-led initiatives
Investments in opportunities that strengthen Indigenous women and future generations

As an Indigenous women-owned firm, we are committed to lifting up other Matriarchs across Canada while recognizing the ongoing national crisis of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit+ people. When you work with Matriarchs Rising, you become part of a movement that invests in Indigenous women. For us, this is what meaningful reconciliation looks like.

Why leaders partner with Matriarchs Rising

Senior-level expertise without the overhead

The judgment of executives, researchers, and subject-matter experts who have built and run these programs themselves, scaled to your file and budget.

Relationships that get you in the room faster

Our circle's standing with First Nations, governments, funders, and Indigenous organizations across Canada.

A track record you can verify

MMIWG Inquiry contributions, Ontario's first Indigenous Death Review, and more than $16M in secured grant funding.

One point of contact, a national circle of specialists

You work with Matriarchs Rising directly, and we bring in the right associate for your specific file.

How we can help

Our services are built around the outcomes leaders need: plans that get used, policies that hold up, and programs that work for the communities they serve.

Strategic planning

Facilitated planning, governance-ready plans, and leadership and government advisory for First Nations, Tribal Councils, and government partners.

Policy, Indigenous research and evaluation

Evidence-based policy, Indigenous research methodologies, and evaluation frameworks.

Leadership and staff development

Training and mentorship grounded in matriarchal leadership, for boards, staff, and emerging leaders.

GBV, justice and survivor services

Program design, protocol development, and subject-matter expertise built on the ground.

Mental health and community wellness

Culturally grounded, neurodiversity-affirming program design and training.

Communications, report writing and fund development

Grant and report writing, funder relations, board development, and communications strategy.

Land and climate justice

Land-based knowledge, seed sovereignty, and climate resilience planning rooted in traditional ecological knowledge.

Indigenous and reconciliation education

Curriculum design, land-based learning, and reconciliation education.

Story gathering and multimedia knowledge mobilization

Oral history, interview-based research, and knowledge mobilization.

Who we work with First Nations governments and Chiefs, Tribal Councils, Indigenous organizations and non-profits, and companies and institutional partners.

Our circle

Two co-founders and a national circle of associates, each bringing direct, hands-on experience, not just credentials.

Tamara Bernard

Tamara Bernard

Co-Founder · PhD Candidate, Lakehead University · Owner, Tamara Kwe Consulting

Tamara Bernard (Anishinaabe Kwe) is an Indigenous researcher, educator, author, and entrepreneur from Gull Bay First Nation. She partners with First Nations, Indigenous organizations, governments, and institutions to advance Indigenous rights, culturally grounded policy, research, education, and systems change. An award-winning advocate, TEDx speaker, and published author, she has contributed to the National Inquiry into MMIWG and Ontario's first Indigenous Death Review.

Tamara is a published author with the Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC) and co-led Ontario's first Indigenous Domestic Violence Death Review report. She has also led death review reports and frameworks in other provinces, with a focus on Indigenous intimate partner violence, human trafficking, and family violence case analysis.

How Tamara can support your organization

  • Strategic planning and governance facilitation for First Nations, Tribal Councils, and Indigenous organizations
  • Design and review of GBV, MMIWG2S+, and child welfare policy and programming
  • Indigenous research, curriculum, and training development
  • Land-based knowledge, food and seed sovereignty, and climate resilience planning
  • Climate justice strategy and Indigenous ecosystem-based planning
  • Government and leadership advisory for First Nations and Tribal Councils navigating transitions and complex policy files
  • Indigenous Death Review expertise

Co-Founder

Co-Founder, Matriarchs Rising Consulting Co.

Our co-founder is an Indigenous woman in Canada.

Our associates across Canada

Matriarchs Rising works with a trusted circle of associates across Canada: Indigenous women and allied experts who bring decades of hands-on experience to every engagement. When you work with us, we bring in the right expertise for your file.

Justice

Survivor services, GBV protocols, and justice and community safety partnerships.

Mental health

Trauma-informed, culturally grounded, and neurodiversity-affirming care and program design.

Health

Community health, addictions, and wellness services in Northern and remote communities.

Reconciliation

Matriarchal and institutional reconciliation across corporate, government, and community settings.

Business

Indigenous economic development, business planning, and investment strategy.

Funding development

Grant and proposal writing, funder relations, revenue diversification, and multi-year funding strategy.

Costing analysis

Program and project costing, budget development, and financial analysis for proposals and operations.

Education

Curriculum development, Indigenous language revitalization, and reconciliation education.

Governance

Board development, governance structures, and leadership advisory.

Matriarchal governance

Governance models and leadership structures grounded in the knowledge and authority of Indigenous women and matriarchs.

Land stewardship

Land-based knowledge, seed and food sovereignty, and climate resilience.

Strategic development

Strategic planning, partnerships, and organizational growth.

Healing and empowerment

Traditional knowledge, ceremony, cultural protocol, and gatherings of women.

Want to join the national movement?

Boozhoo. We look forward to working with you.

Matriarchs Rising Consulting Co. · tamarab@matriarchsrising.ca
© 2026 Matriarchs Rising Consulting Co. Boozhoo, we look forward to working with you.