The Founder Story

My name is Victoria Prue, a proud Métis woman, entrepreneur, Child and Youth Worker graduate from George Brown, Indigenous Relations Business Associate, and aspiring to become a healthy-eating and weight-loss coach after losing 235lbs. I am also a single mother whose greatest purpose is to help women believe they can rewrite their own stories. My spirit name is "The One Who Stands in the West," and the name Ningaabii comes from Ningaabii'an, representing the West, the childbearing years, the strength of women, the protection of children and water, and rebirth. Those teachings are the heart of everything I create. My journey has not been easy. Growing up, I struggled with learning disabilities, bullying, and feeling like I never fit in. I experienced abuse, neglect, time in the child welfare system, sexual violence, homelessness, addiction, mental health challenges, serious health issues, financial hardship, and bankruptcy. There were many seasons of my life when I questioned whether I would ever break the cycle. But I did. Instead of allowing my past to define me, I chose to heal. My weight-loss journey became about far more than changing my body—it became about reclaiming my confidence, my health, my culture, and my future. Every pound I lost represented resilience, courage, and another step toward becoming the woman I was always meant to be. That journey inspired me to create Ningaabii Appeal. Ningaabii Appeal is more than a luxury Indigenous shapewear and dress brand. It is a movement that celebrates strength, culture, femininity, healing, and confidence. Every piece is designed to help women feel beautiful, supported, and empowered, no matter where they are in their journey. As a Métis woman, I want my business to honour Indigenous culture while creating opportunities for others. My vision is to employ and uplift Indigenous women, especially those rebuilding their lives after violence, addiction, homelessness, or other hardships, while giving back to organizations that support Indigenous women, children, and families. My professional journey reflects the same purpose. As a Child and Youth Worker and Indigenous Relations Business Associate, I have dedicated my career to supporting people and building stronger communities. As I continue my education, I hope to combine wellness, fitness, healing, and entrepreneurship to help women transform not only their bodies but also their confidence and their lives. Finally, for the first time, I chose to invest in my own healing—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. My weight-loss journey wasn't about becoming someone different. It was about finally becoming the woman I had always been underneath the pain, trauma, and self-doubt. I know what it feels like to be rejected, underestimated, and told you will never amount to anything. I also know what it feels like to prove those voices wrong. If there is one message I hope every woman takes from my story, it is this: You are not defined by what happened to you. You are defined by what you choose to become. No matter your past, you can pick up the pen and rewrite your story. That is the heart of Ningaabii. It is a story of standing in the West—protecting, healing, rising again, and helping other women do the same. If my story helps even one little girl believe she is beautiful, worthy, and capable of achieving her dreams despite the obstacles she faces, then every hardship I endured will have found purpose. If it helps one woman find the courage to leave an unhealthy situation, begin healing, reclaim her confidence, lose the weight, start the business, go back to school, ask for help, or believe in herself again, then Ningaabii Appeal has become so much more than a clothing brand. My greatest hope is that every woman who wears Ningaabii Appeal remembers this: You are not broken. You are becoming. Your past does not define you. Your trauma does not define you. Your mistakes do not define you. You can pick up the pen and rewrite your story - with confidence and in style. And if my journey gives even one person the courage to begin writing a new chapter, then everything I have walked through was worth it.