I live in an area where men have long spoken what we, Indigenous women can do and how we must live. Pushing us to the edges of any conversation or Ceremony. I am only part Cree from my mother's side. I don't believe in Patriarchy. That is colonial in nature. Men should respect the rise of women and their power. It will be women who lift the people, they will go into the fire for their relatives, their communities if necessary. Men should honor their path. Not try to tell us what or how we do things. Those days are ending. As will the violence and harm

When I was a little girl, our home was not a place of safety. My mother was in residential school for most of her impactful years, denied love and care. This is how it was for us. A thick leather belt hung on the wall in case we stepped out of line. You could see her anguish at what the only way she understood caring for children was as a result. I recall barely being able to walk to school because of the raised welts across my tiny body. The abuses were countless. I don't speak of these things to make you blame her. She was 4 yrs old when the church

I rarely talk about the many things in my life that changed the course for me. I grew up in a very abusive home until I was 11. I ran. I was assaulted horrifically while being a houselessness kid. I kept going somehow, struggle through a lot. Raised my kids enduring a lot of family and other abuse. I was truly broken after some of those assaults. Bear freezing death, attempts on my life, and then finding my strength. I studied everything I could find, became skilled in my choices and then suffered a serious vehicle accident which ultimately took a

As one who remains as much as possible in the realm of spirit, I can tell you things that would make you so fearful, you would correct your path now. But as someone who believes in the journey too, we must always show you the path of great love so you my choose willingly who you wish to be. No one gets out alive. No one. But 'life' ends, the energy does not. We are different beings without the physical world to hold. What gave us comfort there, is gone from us. What we enter is a place we earn. Our every action, every single thing we ignore if it is

There are many stories of our traditional elders taking conference with one another. Everything presented to them was at council fires. They would sit and reflect on what was shared, taking time to think on the ripple of every action we would take. They always chose in favor of the community, literally down to the next 7 generations of their descendents was considered. The healing of this world will not come from men alone. It will come from the hearts of those who cared enough to not hand our individual power to a lesser character of man or woman, to