Mary Burton is a Cree woman born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. For over 30 years she has been a passionate community helper, advocate, and super granny for countless families and youth in Winnipeg’s North End neighborhood, including her own.
Mary has sat on many boards nationally and internationally as well as advised child welfare service delivery and policy within both Canadian provincial and First Nations governments. In addition to this work, she has participated and helped lead several community-based development initiatives, programs, and research projects.
Through her experience working in Manitoba’s social service sector and herself being a child in care, Mary co-founded the grassroots community organization Fearless R2W Inc in 2014 with Michael Redhead Champagne to support families experiencing challenges with Manitoba’s child welfare system and seeking to reunify their families.
As one of the only existing Indigenous and women-led parent advocacy groups in North America, Fearless R2W has grown over several years. In 2024 Fearless R2W changed their name to ZOONGIZI ODE and has been guided by the wisdom of families, grandmothers and traditional Indigenous knowledge systems.
Mary Brings her charismatic nature and strength-based approach to supporting families, Mary remains a committed champion for transforming systems and institutions that negatively impact families, but also a visionary that seeks to reclaim kinship ties within her own community and envisions a world where families have the necessary supports to love unconditionally and take care of one another.
