"To me, celebrating Aboriginal Day means remembering our history and above all celebrating our resilience. We have unqiue cultures, traditions and languages that have thrived generations. Although some may have been lost as a result of colonial and post-colonial affects, such as systematic oppression, generational trauma, lateral violence etc. I still see our people striving to love and support one another - that's powerful.
As a Gwich’in woman I feel empowered by my identity, my culture and my people. To have come from such resilient people is why I consistently try to better myself for the next generation to come and pass on the resilience – it is my owing to honour those that come before me" - Marlisa Brown
"This submission is pretty special to me, Marlisa is my little sister. I couldn't be more proud to have a sister like her. We have lived in different parts of the country all our lives. Marlisa is sweet, smart and has a really strong head on her shoulders. She's absolutely gorgeous, but her heart is pure gold. One of my goals in life is to be able to spend more time with all of my siblings. Family is always important." - Alexandra Jarrett Social Media Trailblazer
“You don’t have to do everything alone. In fact, you’re not alone. There are a bunch of people who care about you deeply; you might not even know who they are yet. But they’re there, accessible, and want to see you thrive in the world. You are a contribution and you’ll continue to be a contribution. Just be patient.”
These are the words Indigenous law school graduate Harpreet Ahuja would tell her 12 year old self. Years later, she’s moments away from becoming a lawyer and a challenger. I could share more about this fearless Indigenous woman changemaker (talking with her on Zoom was a joy -- highly recommend!), but her words hold great wisdom -- colouring these pages with resilience and courage. And so, without further delay, here is our first interview together!
