Birth: 1962
I went to elementary school in Goodeve, Saskatchewan, a small Ukrainian town. I played a lot of hockey, a lot of ball. Because of that I fit in - eve….
Canada was founded by two nations: the English and the French. But what about the Mi'kmaq, who opened their doors, who shared their food, their knowl….
My mom could have been a CEO of any company. She was very organized, very strict. She showed us the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. There w….
The seven sacred teachings: love, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility, truth. These are the seven virtues that lead to a full and healthy lif….
Education will lead to understanding; understanding will lead to action. Education and understanding are going to be key to moving us forward. That's….
Now is the time to take stock of a painful part of our history. Only then can we move past it. Anything less would render generations of courageous s….
Growing up, the major institutions were school and church. We were taught our culture was no good. We didn't have sundances. The last ones were in th….
We focus on bringing back Indigenous languages, ceremonies, cultures, traditions - all that was lost over the past 150 years. This is how we'll gener….
Being the only Indian in class, I had to be able to stand up and defend myself and debate the others when they tried to say: "You Indians get everyth….
Indigenous languages are Canada's national treasures. They are our identity. We simply have to put greater effort into rejuvenating and revitalizing ….
Some will say: "Why should we celebrate the birth of colonialism, of oppression, of cultural genocide through Canada 150?" It's 2017. In spite of the….
If you want to change a mind, there's no better way than a dialogue over coffee..
In Cree, an oskâpêwis is a servant or a helper, someone who hauls in rocks for sweats, or pipes or medicines. I equate that to leadership. You're a s….
Indigenous people made huge contributions to this country. The biggest is in sharing the land and resources. People need to see that, understand that….
We are a nation within a nation..
To be treaty person means coexist in peace and with mutual respect. That's at the core of these treaties. They intended for us to mutually benefit fr….
I experienced racism in different settings: I was followed in stores, in cars. The way you experience racism depends on how you deal with it. My memo….
My dad died when I was 17. He had heart and other problems. He was a good father, lots of love. But he was affected by it. When he died, mom picked u….
Living on reserve we hunted; we fished; we trapped. We lived off the land. If we didn't hunt, we didn't eat. In summer, we hauled water from the slou….