Laws of Matriarch

My Gitxsan culture and spirituality have always been a part of my upbringing, even if I didn’t fully realize it until I was in my 20s. As a young child entering elementary school, I was punished for speaking my language, and I faced discipline for many things I didn’t understand. I can’t say I learned much during my time in elementary or high school. In fact, I found most subjects easy and often wondered why others struggled with math, even though I ended up failing everything. Both of my parents attended Indian Residential School, and because of that, I carry the intergenerational impacts of those experiences.  What does that mean?  It means there’s a lot of work to do in mending the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people living on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples in Canada and North America. Until we start working on these relationships and take action to improve things for future generations, not much will change. My life has been about ...

Reflections on the Fight for Freedom: A Gitxsan Perspective Most of the time, I find myself debriefing about my thoughts when things get tough in my daily fight for freedom. The last few days have shown me some differences, and I’ve caught glimpses of humanity that give me hope. Throughout my life, I’ve taken on many projects, primarily focused on advocating for Aboriginal issues. My main goal, like many others, is to secure a better future for our children and grandchildren. We all want our grandchildren to have a good life, but more than that, we want them to be FREE. I often remind myself of my mantra: Free the Indians! Free the Indians! We are all going through a cleansing—whether we like it or not. It’s uncomfortable for those who hold white privilege and for those who are used to social and economic stratification. You might wonder who would want this change, and the truth is, it’s almost everyone making a living under the system. I’ve decided to get back into some volunteer work...