Personal Reflection

       I am grateful to live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Ktunaxa, Sinixt, Secwépemc, and Sylix people, in community with diverse people including those of Metis, diverse Indigenous and immigrant backgrounds.  I identify as being of settler ancestry from mostly Northern European descent.  My ancestors began settling on Turtle Island at least 150 years ago, in the land we now call British Columbia, so I acknowledge that my ancestors were beneficiaries in the attempted genocide against the First Peoples of this land, and that my current privilege (university education, enough food to eat, land ownership) comes from wealth (fresh air, abundant biodiversity, clean water, the salmon, ancient trees, the rocks) and land that was unjustly stolen due to racist colonial policies.  While I haven't always identified myself as being "white", I have come to realize that a privilege of my whiteness, is that it feels invisible; current political structures grant me power because of my skin color.  Understanding this helps me realize my responsibility to try to use power in a good way - to help deconstruct the false narrative of racism which divides our interconnected family.  As Kwakwala Chief Robert Joseph (2023) writes in his recent book on reconciliation "Nawayut" - we are all one.  

      I am also mother, step-mother, aunty and cousin to relatives of Indigenous and Metis ancestry.  In my work, I am an Inclusion Support Teacher and Case Manager in School District 8.  I have worked in various roles and districts as a teacher for over 20 years.  Because of these relationships, I am fortunate to be able to understand the world from the view of many considered "other", and this is helping me realize the inherent racism and inequity faced by so many in our world today.  Currently, I am pursuing my Professional Master's in Education (PME) in Indigenous Education through Queen's University, as part of my personal commitment to Truth & Reconciliation with Indigenous people, including my own family members, colleagues and students.  As I am coming to learn, reconciliation is a spiritual journey (Donna Wright, 2023) which heals all of us.  It takes time and ongoing personal reflection.  It is about coming into right relationships with Indigenous Peoples, the land, and ourselves.  Together we can create new stories.