Wellness
Carrying our shawls Rebalancing Indigenous wellness through spirit, land and story
INDIGENOUS WELLNESS, FROM my perspective as ts’ékui (a Dene woman) from Tthebatthıe Dënésułıné Nation (formerly known as Smith’s Landing First Nation) in Treaty 8 territory, cannot be easily defined or generalized. In fact, pairing “Indigenous” with “wellness” in a single term can feel limiting, as it risks simplifying something deeply personal, complex and relational. Having been born and raised in amiskwaciwâskahikan (nêhiyawêwin/ Cree—Edmonton) and currently residing in Treaty 6 territory, my understanding of wellness has evolved through my lived and learned experiences—professionally, personally and spiritually. For me, well- ness is not something separate from my relationships to land, family, community or spirit. My wellness is bound up with my children, ancestors and the genera- tions yet to come. It includes the lands I live on, the stories I carry and the truths I continue to uncover. I’ve come to realize that wellness in- cludes protecting and nurturing my spirit,
especially as I navigate colonial systems, microaggressions and the invisible labour of constantly explaining my existence and values in spaces not designed for Indigen- ous Peoples and Knowledges. Over time, I noticed my spirit had been slowly worn down. The realization came not just from professional burnout or advocacy fatigue but from deeper disconnection. It became clear to me that I needed to protect my spirit and intentionally rebalance my being. During a graduate studies class, Elder Calvin Cardinal (Saddle Lake Cree Nation) said that instead of a “healing journey,” we might think about “rebalancing,” a continual tending to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of ourselves. This teaching continues to resonate with me. It affirms what I have felt intuitively: that I had not been holding enough space for rebalancing. One way I have reconnected is through fancy shawl powwow dancing. Each time I put on my shawl—its designs, colours and movement—my spirit is reflected, uplifted and protected. The beat
Melissa Bird
Former Executive Staff Officer, Indigenous Education, ATA
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THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
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