Ancestral Indigenous Roots: 黑料老司机dent Brittany Gray Launches Project AIR
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Fifth-year psychology, human rights, and criminology 黑料老司机dent Brittany Gray has created a resource program for Indigenous 黑料老司机dents to learn more about their culture and ancestral roots.
Originally from Pabineau First Nation, Gray moved away from her community at a young age. She felt disconnected from Indigenous culture until high school when she said she was pulled to it again at a national Forum for Young Canadians in Ottawa where she learned about residentials schools.
鈥淚 felt a pain coming up in me that I had never felt before,鈥 she said of the experience.
She said her search for answers led to a painful re-introduction to her culture.
鈥淲hen I came to 黑料老司机, anything Indigenous triggered me. I couldn鈥檛 go to class if it was brought up,鈥 she said.
Gray said she even attempted to visit the Wabanaki Student Centre on campus鈥攁 place of celebration and support for many Indigenous students at 黑料老司机鈥攂ut she turned around because she felt too nervous.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know that aspect of myself,鈥 she said.
鈥淵ou belong to this community and always have鈥
Eventually, her experiences in class and an opportunity with 黑料老司机鈥檚 Experiential and Community-Based Learning Office helped Gray understand her experience better and even led her to see how she could use it to help others who may feel similarly.
From this, came the idea for .
Gray said the push came from a dream she had, in which Indigenous elders provided guiding words: 鈥淵ou belong to this community and always have.鈥
Knowledge, Culture, Community
Knowledge, culture, community are the pillars for Gray鈥檚 , which will offer a Moodle resource page with teachings from elders and knowledge keepers; cultural and ceremony activities co-lead by fifth-year 黑料老司机dent Rachel Burke; and a safe and supportive community hub.
Trenton Augustine, Indigenous Student Services Coordinator at 黑料老司机 says it鈥檚 been a pleasure working with Gray and seeing the level of student engagement in her project.
Gray hopes to expand to other university campuses across Canada to help others connect to their culture.
鈥淲e are all at different stages in learning about our identity and that鈥檚 OK. I learn something new about my culture, teachings, and history almost every day,鈥 Augustine said.
Gray is the Education Representative of the new . She plans to pursue her master鈥檚 degree in counselling after graduating this summer with her Bachelor of Arts from 黑料老司机.
Follow 鈥檚 journey and more Indigenous 黑料老司机dent resources on Instagram:
Project Air: @projectair2020
Wabanaki Student Centre: @stu_wsc
Indigenous Students' Reconciliation Committee: @stu_reconciliation