Moving forward
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 learning how to heal from trauma while maintaining my mental health. I aim to facilitate education that helps lower the barriers for Aboriginal people.
Our culture is very different from European or white culture. One key difference is that we are judged by how much we give, not by how much we have. We believe that everything has a spirit and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Historically, many Native Nations followed matriarchal laws that honored mothers, meaning if your mom is Gitxsan, then you are Gitxsan; if your mom is white, then you are white. European laws tend to follow a patriarchal system, and when white men refused to engage with Aboriginal women, our laws began to be lost.
I’ve decided to start volunteering my time again, something I thought I would never do. I enjoy facilitating education, and it brings me happiness. However, I know that change doesn’t come easily. Canada is filled with greedy leaders who continue to neglect our Native Nations and take our children as a way to enforce control.
So I ask you, what are you doing to help?