In this episode, Stephanie talks with Willow Allen, a model, mother, and social work student whose story goes from her childhood in Inuvik, Northwest Territories to international magazine covers. Willow shares about life in the Arctic, cultural representation in modeling, and the realities of grocery prices and winters up north. She opens up about her path into modeling, her work in social media, and the role of family and community in shaping her identity. Willow also reflects on becoming a mother, balancing career and studies, and the responsibility she feels to pass down her Inuit culture. Together, they explore ambition, mental health, and what it means to create space for women to pursue their dreams while staying true to themselves.

Willow Allen grew up in Inuvik, NWT, a small Arctic community where locals experience an average of 30 days of polar night every winter. “I was raised in both worlds,” says the 23-year-old Inuvialuk model. “I learned to live off the land at my family’s bush camp, hunting and trapping the way my ancestors did and being told traditional stories by my parents, and attended school and university in Saskatchewan.” While initially her goal was to follow in her mother’s footsteps and go into social work, Allen was launched into an unexpected modelling career after being spotted by an agency on social media a couple of years ago.
“It has been so empowering to represent the beauty and culture of my people,” she says. “[With] this platform, I’m hoping to inspire younger generations and raise awareness about the issues that Indigenous peoples face.” One of these issues is the intergenerational trauma that’s a result of residential schools; it’s what prompted Allen’s dream to work in mental health in her community of just under 3,400. “We will not forget the children who never made it back home, the survivors and their descendants who are hurting or the attempts to erase Indigenous culture in the name of assimilation.”
For Allen, there’s still a long way to go on the path to reconciliation. “Having a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a start,” she says. “Beginning to search residential-school sites for unmarked graves is a start. Acknowledging that Indigenous women and girls are missing is a start. Canada is just starting.” Proudly embracing Inuit culture is Allen’s way of calling for more significant change, which will lend to the healing of her people. “I will never change myself or my image because I know my strength comes from my identity as an Inuvialuk woman,” she says. “Wear your traditional dress with pride, learn your language and speak to your elders. We are strong, we are resilient and we are Indigenous.”

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