Hey everyone!!
Hows it going?
I hope your all doing well:)

I just finished up an intensive week in Wemindji ( a northern Cree community in Quebec) I had the opportunity to work with a few of their youth this summer at the Power Camp National MAKE SOME NOISE camp in Whitehorse..and was pleasantly surprised and humbled when I was given an invite to come to their community. I honestly believe that it takes a whole community to raise a child, and believe that I have been able to DREAM BIG AND BELIEVE because I believe that I am a product of just that!
This past week was National Addiction Awareness Week, I went to all the grades from grade 5 to 13 (Its a Quebec thing hehe) talking to the youth about aboriginal spirituality, the importance of aboriginal identity and standing strong like two, also sharing some of the obstacles and triumphs which I have encountered in my 22 years on my journey. A lot of the kids didn't know why it was that their parents were abusing substances...they didn't understand what post traumatic stress syndrome is...and how the Residential school era had impacted their community in such a negative manor.(It's sad that ALOT of our communities believe that the medicine wheel and our traditional practices are the work of the devil, this is a reality for ALOT of the Residential School Survivors WHICH MUST CHANGE) The truth is this...yes the Residential Schools had a MASSIVE IMPACT on our traditional lifestyles and our practices BUT we are living proof of what it is that they COULD NOT TAKE FROM US!
WE ARE THE 7TH GENERATION AND WE WILL SUCCEED WITH THE RESTORATION OF OUR TRADITIONS...COMMUNITIES.......AND IDENTITIES.THE AWAKENING IS OCCURRING AND THE RAINBOW TRIBE IS UNITING! All of the children here speak their language which was very inspirational to see ESPECIALLY since I do not speak mine. It was soooo cute to see the little little kids talking Cree and has inspired me to want to take a more assertive stand on learning my languages when I go home.
We all have stories of substance abuse and suicides in our own communities...and it's kinda hard to miss considering that First Nations People have the highest statistics with regards to these topics. But The Awakening IS occurring...and it all starts with you and me. We must TRY to be the best role models for the children who look up to us. (THAT DOESNT MEAN BEATING OURSELVES UP IF WE FALL OFF...IT MEANS TAKING THE TIME TO LEARN THE LESSON AND GETTING BACK UP EVEN IF WE DO FALL...WE ARE ONLY HUMAN AND MUST REMEMBER THIS..THE IMPORTANT THING IS WE DO GET UP IF WE FALL AND NEVER ALLOW OTHERS TO KEEP US DOWN BY HOLDING THESE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES OVER OUR HEADS) When speaking with the youth a lot of them didn't really understand that all of the little little kids from the elementary school were looking up to them and it was very gratifying to see the light bulb go off when explained that they are indeed role models in their own community even if they recognize it or not.
AND THAT MEANS YOU TOO:)

We all have the power to create great change in our communities and within our own lives for the better. We were all born for a reason, with our own individual sets of gifts and that’s what makes every one of us so very special and unique. It is by interacting with others and listening and learning that we develop these gifts and our life’s plan begins to straighten out and become clearer to us. When I was growing up going through the confusing times that are the teenage years the thing that stopped me from committing suicide is I knew that if I did that selfish act that I would never understand why it is that I was put here on this Earth....this week was a reminder of why...these kids...this hope.
I am truly grateful and humbled by this opportunity and want to remind you all that:
THE POWER FOR CHANGE RESIDES IN YOUR POWER OF CHOICE!!
DREAM BIG AND TOUCH THE SKY!
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN THIS LIFE...AND THE ONLY LIMITATIONS WHICH WE HAVE ARE THE ONES WE MAKE FOR OURSELVES.
Mahsi-Cho for all of the continuous support, it makes my spirit happy to see all of you supporting this emerging artist group, and I am TRULEY GREATFUL!!
I hope that something from this blog will remind you HOW GREAT YOU ARE!!! and that you should NEVER DOUBT the gifts that were given to you!!!

Mahsi-Cho (BIG thanks)
Much love and respect!
~In~SpIrIt~AnD~uNiTy~

kIeRa :)