VRPDF Family Members

Ruth Dudoward, a lifelong advocate for battered women, unfortunately fell prey to evil at a very vulnerable time in her life.

The Valerie, Ruth & Pamela Dudoward Foundation, originally founded as The Valerie Dudoward Foundation, was created by her sister Pamela following the sudden passing of Valerie. The family was successful in a legal battle, but unfortunately, the abusive predator was not held accountable for his crimes. At least not in this world. Those who loved and cared for Val leave that to the universe.

Valerie was so much more than what she endured and continues to be a beacon of light for survivors of domestic violence and Battered Women Syndrome through this organization, including through one of its important community-focused endeavours.

Valerie was a brilliant, accomplished, and talented gentle soul. She was a proud and accomplished Tsimshian woman who held her Hereditary Name with great pride and knowledge. She was the first Indigenous woman hired by CBC as a radio broadcaster at a young age, while still in high school. She later founded the first Indigenous radio program, Talking Stick, in Vancouver, B.C.

Valerie was a published playwright and writer. Her play, Teach Me the Ways of the Sacred Circle, was staged in 1985 and was later produced and co-directed by her sister Pamela at The Firehall Theatre in Vancouver in 2009. The production was then taken on the road to The Lester Centre of the Arts in Prince Rupert in 2010.

Valerie was a trailblazer who held significant and notable roles and paved the way, without recognition, for many Indigenous women and Peoples in ways most remain unaware of. But that was Val. She made significant contributions as a woman, as an Indigenous quiet leader, and as a truly wonderful human being.

The sisters co-founded the Professional Aboriginal Women’s Network in the 1990s. Valerie remained a skilled interviewer and won an award for an interview she conducted for the television show Pressure Point in the 1990s, on which she was one of the hosts.

Her accomplishments are too numerous to list, but her legacy and work live on through the organization that carries her name. Her passion and dedication to raising awareness and providing support for Indigenous youth at risk, survivors of domestic violence, and Elders, as well as preserving and celebrating Indigenous culture and heritage, continue to live on.

Her lifelong commitment to improving the quality of life, education, and well-being of Indigenous Peoples, as well as her contributions to Performing and Literary Works, remain an important part of her legacy through the Foundation.

Ruth Dudoward, the mother of Valerie, Pamela, and Jim, was a Hereditary Princess and high-ranking Matriarch originating from the Royal House of (Medik or Medig) of the Tsimshian Nation. A survivor of residential school, Ruth, through resilience and strength, became an amazing and loving mother to her three children.

Ruth was a petite woman in stature but a fierce force of spirit and nature, overcoming immense odds and considerable marginalization. She became a businesswoman and company co-owner in an extremely male-dominated industry. She was a truly remarkable knowledge keeper of her culture, protocols, traditions, and heritage. Throughout her life, countless people reached out to her for her knowledge and expertise. She was extremely generous in providing this knowledge and was renowned throughout her life for her generosity and kindness toward others.

Ruth was genuinely a remarkable woman who spoke her language fluently from the young age of five. She ensured her children were raised, groomed, and prepared to take their Hereditary Names and understand their positions of responsibility. Each child was raised from birth with a strong cultural identity and traditional knowledge in all aspects of life, with strong relationships with, and influence from, their maternal and paternal grandparents.

Ruth’s passing in late 2011 was an immense and life-changing loss, particularly, of course, for Pamela. Her name was added to the organization in early 2012 in recognition of her substantial contributions and to continue her legacy as well.

Pamela Dudoward, the youngest child and last survivor of her immediate family, was the first to pursue a university education, earning a major in Psychology. She has worked in senior management in both federal and provincial government positions, in the corporate sector, and in leadership capacities within the Indigenous community. She is a published writer and poet.

In 2006, she founded the Indigenous organization and registered charity Vancouver Venture for Diversity, where she remains CEO today. The organization’s incorporation took place that same year, shortly before her beloved sister passed tragically. Pamela remains grateful that Val was still alive to bear witness to this accomplishment and that she was able to convey how proud she was. It was the last time Pamela would see her sister alive in person.

Pamela is the Founder and President of what is now The Valerie, Ruth & Pamela Dudoward Foundation. Her name was added at the same time as her mother’s for legal purposes, on the advice of her lawyer. She remains dedicated to the legacy of the Foundation and to honouring and remembering the two women who were the most influential throughout her life through the important work the Foundation continues to do.

Through Feasts, Pamela carries both her sister’s and her mother’s Hereditary Names and remains dedicated to practicing and preserving her culture, heritage, and protocols. The Hereditary Princess and Matriarch Name is her predominant Indigenous Name, which she has held through two Name Strengthening Ceremonies since her Feast in 2012. This is the Name she held for one year and one day following the sacred ceremonial removal of the Name at her mother’s services after her passing.

As part of the promise she made to her mother, and as a condition of receiving the Name, Pamela has committed to having it buried with her when she passes.

Pamela has dedicated 20 years of her life to this organization and remains committed to helping others while continuing the legacy of her sister and mother.