In the early 1990s, at an Annual General Meeting of the Grand Council of the Crees of Eeyou Istchee held in Whapmagoostui, Regional Director Bella Mianscum advocated for a resolution recognizing Cree Women in Eeyou Istchee, which received unanimous support from all Chiefs. However, no immediate funding or support followed, and women continued associating through Quebec Native Women with minimal allocated resources.
Women's gatherings typically occurred at summer's end, when many were away on hunting trips. Developing the organization's mission statement and logo required many years of effort.
In 2007, former President Doris A. Bobbish, previously the Quebec Native Women's Association Nation Director, was elected — a turning point where “CWEIA started networking to seek funding.” Various government agencies and the Cree Regional Authority subsequently approached the organization.
In 2008, the Ministry of Culture, Communications and Status of Women of Quebec established a funding agreement to support capacity building and program development through five collaboratively-developed objectives.
By 2009, the GCC/CRA Executive Board approved the agreement and provided funding. CWEIA officially became a provincial association in January 2009, signing service agreements with the CRA and the Ministry.
The organization later entered a four-year agreement with the Ministry, the 2011–2015 Agreement on Equality between women and men in the Northern Quebec region.
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