When Edna Manitowabi received the Indspire Award for her contributions to culture, heritage and spirituality, she says she was thinking of the elders who helped her along the way.

"It was the elders, the knowledge keepers, who encouraged me and affirmed me and told me to keep on going," she said. 

For 30 years, the Indspire Awards have honoured more than 400 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievements in their respective fields.

Manitowabi is a Wiikwemkoong…