INSIGHTS ON CULTURAL SAFETY IN PRACTICE

Hello everyone. This week Kim is away, celebrating her parents' 50th wedding anniversary out in Manitoba. I'm stepping in for her today, and thankfully for me, our Teachings Tuesday comes from Wholwolet'za, George Harris Jr, my husband. By now he is a well-known Mentors in this circle, and being married to him means I get an inside line on these teachings long before they ever reach the page. Once again, George has taken something many of us probably scrolled right past, a vi

Summer has a way of pulling us outward. Road trips. Beach days. That itch to find somewhere new, somewhere quiet, somewhere that feels far from everything. George has been watching this play out on his Nation's lands — bikes rolling past homes, cameras out on the beach, people calling it a hidden gem. It's a familiar season. And it's exactly why this teaching matters right now. Because the places we're drawn to this summer aren't empty, and they were never really hidden. They

Last month I did something that made me deeply uncomfortable. I saw a post on social media from someone I've known my whole life. A person woven into the fabric of my family's story. She shared a video she recorded while driving past a First Nations community I grew up close to, showing clutter in the yards, and captioning it with something about Elders being ashamed. The comments that followed were quick and unkind. I sat with it for a bit. I am really not someone who embrac

Senator Murray Sinclair said it on the final day of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: "Education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it." He passed away last November. His words are still moving forward without him. This year's graduating class in BC is the first in provincial history required to complete Indigenous-focused coursework as a condition of earning their diploma. Not optional. Required. Every student walking across that stage this June ha

George has told me this more than once: culturally, the most important thing you can do for someone navigating a hard time is to show up. Stand there. Be seen. You don't have to do anything more than that. I think about that teaching constantly, especially when people ask me how to get more involved in this work. We tend to make it complicated in our heads, worrying about saying the wrong thing, not knowing enough, doing it right. George's answer cuts straight through all of

There are people in this community who show up so fully, so consistently, that you stop noticing how much they're carrying — until they write something like this and you realize how much they've been quietly holding. Katy Carson is Métis, and she is one of the people I trust most in this work. She's been part of this community long enough that I sometimes forget not everyone knows her story the way I do. And this week, she reminded me that that forgetting — however well-meani

This past winter, I had the chance to connect with Deana Gill in the days leading up to Indigenous Fashion Week. She was candid with me about the challenges they were navigating in real time — the barriers, the scramble, the sheer will it was taking to get the collection across the finish line. And then the night arrived, and the Supernaturals Models stepped onto the runway, and you would never have known. What I witnessed was art moving into the world with grace and power an

Many of you met Daniel Elliott at our longhouse event on April 25th. He was there as our Elder and cultural worker, offering cedar brushing to those who needed care. Daniel is a quiet constant in this community, and we are so glad for his enduring partnership in our circle. This week, he shares what that day stirred in him, and what he sees when he squints his eyes and grounds his feet. I see a system still — one where fiscal restraints require careful planning around budgeti

I've been noticing something lately that I can't stop thinking about. I want to try to wander through it today, carefully, because I think it lives in more of us than we'd like to admit. Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of visiting Pipi7íyekw, Joffre Lakes, twice: once in December and again in April. It is truly magical, and at these times of year, a winter wonderland. It sits on the unceded territory of the Lil'wat Nation and N'Quatqua, land that has been in

After our longhouse event, someone asked me a question I've been sitting with ever since. They had heard Len compliment me on "not being stingy with your teachings." And they wanted to know: how did I feel confident the blanketing would be received well? Was I nervous that people outside the bighouse might have thoughts that could knock me off centre? It's a beautiful question. And to answer it, I have to start at the beginning. In the weeks leading up to the event, I k

Today is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirit People — Red Dress Day. I first shared this piece last year, and I am bringing it back today because the crisis it speaks to has not changed. If anything, the need for awareness and action has only grown. I hope it moves you as it did me when I first wrote it. Trigger Warning: This post discusses Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S),

This past Saturday I was up before my alarm, like a little like a kid on Christmas. A mix of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety had been building for weeks, and the day had finally arrived--our Longhouse Experiential Workshop in Stz'uminus First Nation. I arrived at longhouse shortly after 8:30, push broom in hand. A friend and Stz'uminus member had advised me to come early and sweep the benches, as she told me that they can get dusty. So there I was, alone in the nearly e

"As we prepare for our longhouse event, I have been thinking a great deal about visitors, about what it means to welcome someone into a sacred space, and about the responsibility that comes with receiving that welcome. Over the years, I have had many people come and spend time as guests on and in my territory. Each time, I have been intentional about sharing something important with them: being welcomed once does not mean the door is always open. Access to our lands, our terr

A few weeks ago, George shared his experience with microaggressions , sparking a powerful response from our readers. Since then, I’ve been sitting with what Indigenous Cultural Safety is… and what it isn’t. We always love receiving feedback from our readers, and there was one response in particular that touched us deeply. They have generously given us permission to share their words with you. Your story that you shared about George Harris Jr. and the microaggressions he exper

Today’s Teachings Tuesday comes from someone many of you know and hold deep respect for: our mentor, Jenn Smith of Tlowitsis First Nation. Many in our community are familiar with the story of her late Auntie Maggie, whose life and legacy have been generously shared through Jenn's teachings and storytelling. Recently, Jenn experienced another profound loss: her cousin, Maggie’s son. Jenn reached out in the midst of her grief, wanting to gently unravel some of what was coming u

There are moments when the weight of what is happening around us feels impossible to ignore. This reflection comes from my shuyulh, Wholwolet'za. It speaks to what many are feeling right now as we witness a rise in racism, denialism, and the continued harm of systems that were never designed with Indigenous peoples in mind. I’m sharing his words with care. Uy' Skweyul siiye'yu (Good day, friends) It is sad to say, but racism is on the rise in our world. We are seeing it more

Last week, I ran into my friend Ray Tony Charlie from Penelakut. We were both walking on the ferry that travels from Penelakut to Chemainus, and we used the hour-long journey to catch up. We found ourselves talking about writing, about Teaching's Tuesday, and about his TikTok account. Inevitably the conversation drifted toward something many of us who speak publicly experience. Pushback. One of the teachings I try to embody in this work is the importance of engaging with peop

Last week, after George shared his reflection , a thoughtful question came forward from someone in our community. They wondered if Rebecca might have helpful thoughts about how she supports George when moments of misunderstanding or harm arise. They also asked something equally tender: how Rebecca cares for her own heart when those things happen. They shared that they see both Rebecca and I as bridges for learning, and were hoping there might be something in Rebecca’s experie

Before you read this week's teaching, I invite you to pause and and consider the gift that George Harris Jr. so often shares with us. What follows is not easy to share. It is the kind of writing that comes from real hurt — from moments that linger in the body long after they have passed. George has chosen to let us into that hurt, not for pity, but for understanding. That is an act of generosity. Uy skweyul siiye’yu (Good day friends) , The weekend of February 20th, I had th

Last week I had the pleasure of sharing a long conversation with my friend Andrew Callicum, a Nuu-chah-nulth man from Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation. He and I spoke about In Plain Sight , the report led by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, and how its findings are not theoretical. They show up in ordinary appointments. In quiet calculations. In the pause before someone decides whether speaking up is worth it. Over the years, patients have trusted me with experiences that left them