INSIGHTS ON CULTURAL SAFETY IN PRACTICE

Last week, I had the honour of speaking at Moose Hide Campaign Day—a powerful gathering rooted in love, accountability, and the collective commitment to end violence. I’m so grateful to everyone who supported me, encouraged me, and showed up for my session with open hearts. A big thank you to the incredible folks at the Moose Hide Campaign for inviting me to lend my voice to such an important day. You created something truly beautiful—lifting up voices and stories that deserv

This week’s Teachings Tuesday comes at a time when political divisions are tugging at the already-frayed threads of Canada’s national identity. The recent election laid bare long-standing fractures, now widely framed as a unity crisis. But what if the real crisis isn’t disunity — it’s discomfort? What we’re witnessing isn’t a collapse of unity. It’s the discomfort of a nation being asked to reckon with the truths it has long ignored — truths about how this country was built,

Over the past month, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about loss. About how grief settles into a family, and how silence sometimes becomes a form of protection. We’ve been holding circles with our mentors and community in the lead-up to yesterdays National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People. And in one of those circles, George shared about his Aunt Dorothy — a woman who was stolen from their family far too soon. The ache i

Dear friends, For this week's Teachings Tuesday, I am deeply honoured to share a message from Raven Lacerte, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Moose Hide Campaign. Raven speaks to the sacred teaching of reciprocity — a reminder of the responsibility we hold when we are gifted with teachings, medicine, and the opportunity to walk alongside others in this important work. As we prepare for Moose Hide Campaign Day on May 15th, I’m humbled to share that I have been invited

Trigger Warning: This post discusses Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S), including descriptions of violence, loss, and systemic inaction. Please take care while reading. One of the things that has become abundantly clear through my own personal cultural humility journey is the importance of reflection. Becoming more aware of the things I see, looking for patterns, taking note of the parts that are absent — and recognizing them for wh

Some reflections have a way of settling right into your heart. This week, I’m grateful to share the words of my friend and CC Mentor, George Harris Jr. His offering speaks to the tenderness of grief, the strength of love, and the ways we carry our ancestors forward through purpose and presence. Recently, my family came together to hold a ceremony in honour of my late mother and other beloved Ancestors. We chose April 12, which is also my mom’s birthday. It was a hard but mean

Two weekends ago, I had the immense pleasure of spending time with our Culturally Committed community during our Spring Equinox event. Sunday morning began early—very early—at Transfer Beach on Stz’uminus territory, where our Mentor, Thomas George Jr. of Halalt First Nation, led us in a powerful and grounding spirit bath. The morning was chilly and damp, and it took a good dose of will to remove myself from my warm car and make my way down to the beach. But as Thomas spoke, t

Hi everyone, this is ašli from the ƛoʔos Nation! Did you know April 1st is the birthday (moχʷaǰu st̓ᶿok̓ʷ - “bellybutton day”) of Culturally Committed founder, Kim Trottier? As a birthday gift to Kim, I have offered to write this week’s Teachings Tuesday. Today I would like to talk about ʔayʔaǰuθəm, the language of the ƛoʔos (Klahoose), ɬəʔamɛn (Tla’amin), k̓ómoks (Comox), and χʷɛmaɬkʷu (Homalco) Nations. ʔayʔaǰuθəm (“Ayajuthem”) is part of the Coast Salish language family

This week's Teachings Tuesday is shared in honour of a remarkable woman whose story has left an undeniable mark on many within our Culturally Committed community. Margaret Flanders, lovingly known as “Auntie Maggie,” passed away on December 19, 2024 at the age of 62. Mentor Jenn Smith (Tlowitsis First Nation) first introduced us to her Auntie Maggie four years ago. Maggie, a survivor of the St. Michael’s Residential School in Alert Bay, made the courageous decision to share h

I will never forget my first interactions with Culturally Committed Mentor, Emily White of Tla'amin and Klahoose Nations. Early on, Emily supported me in composing one of our first Teachings Tuesdays — a reflection on the importance of Indigenous languages and how they hold the teachings, connections, and histories of a people. I remember feeling both mesmerized and a little intimidated by Emily’s brilliance. Everything about creating Culturally Committed felt terrifying, and

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak with second-year dental hygiene students at Vancouver Island University about my career as a dental therapist. Explaining my role as a public health clinician in First Nations communities generally makes people’s eyes go wide. "You learn how to clean and smoke SALMON?""You get to ride on HELICOPTERS?!""You get invited to go for sunrise baths on PRIVATE ISLANDS?!" Yes, this is really my job, and I love sharing about it while enco

Some teachings arrive quietly, in unexpected places—like a YouTube video about an old baseball stadium. When Mentor George shared this reflection, I could feel the deeper meaning behind it. His words remind us that destruction is easy, but restoration—whether of a building, a language, or a way of being—demands vision, patience, and heart. Recently, I watched a YouTube video from CNBC about Bush Stadium in Indianapolis. The city no longer saw value in maintaining the stadium

Lately, I have felt the weight of the world pressing in—heavy, unrelenting, and at times, utterly disheartening. The political climate, the dismantling of hard-won progress, and the persistent doubling down on structures of oppression make it difficult to see the path forward. I find myself wrestling with the question: Where do we find hope when so much feels hopeless? I have been sitting with this question, knowing that I am not alone in feeling this way. I have been seeking

In Hul'q'umi'num', the word for ‘partner’ or significant other is statlus, and we’re lucky enough to have a couple of statlus pairs on our crew. Mentors Thomas George Jr. and Candice Harris have been married for 14 years now, and their caring partnership is inspiring — they lift each other up, share a deep bond, and radiate that beautiful connection everyone notices when they walk into a room. A few months ago, they told me a story that had me absolutely howling with laughter

Following last week's Teachings Tuesday on denialism, several thoughtful questions came forward about how to respond when encountering denialism or microaggressions. Those queries brought to mind a valuable piece written by Ašli from ƛoʔos Nation a few years ago, which offers insightful tools for identifying and addressing microaggressions. I’m grateful for her thoughtful reflections and hope you find her words as helpful as I have. This is Ašli from ƛoʔos Nation. This week,

Last week, I attended an event on Tla’amin Territory, colonial Powell River, featuring Leah Gazan, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre. The intention of her presentation was to address Residential School denialism and provide updates about her proposed bill to criminalize it. Her talk was powerful, but what struck me most was the kindness, gentleness, and generosity of the speakers, especially those who opened the event—residential school and intergenerational survivors.

This month marks four years of Culturally Committed—a milestone made even more special by the significance of the number four in Indigenous culture. It’s a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate the journey that brought us here. My name is Kim Trottier, and I founded Culturally Committed in October 2020, inspired by my experiences as a non-Indigenous person working in First Nations communities. Over the past eleven years, the treasured relationships I’ve built have profoundl

Last week, my friend George shared a reflection that has stuck with me. Over the holidays, he found time to rest and relax, which included scrolling through his social media feed. Living on Vancouver Island, an outdoor haven, mountain biking is a popular activity, and George often enjoys watching local downhill biking reels. One video in particular stirred a memory from his youth, an experience that left a lasting impact on him—and one that has some important lessons for all

If you read my Teachings Tuesday before Christmas, you’ll know that December was a little gritty for me. Between my clinical practice and my responsibilities at CC, I was completely exhausted, and doing everything I could to uphold the teachings that have been shared with me so that I could truly unplug and REST over the holidays. I’m happy to report that allllll of those Post-Its were accomplished, and unplug, I did! For two whole weeks, I was fully present with my family an

As we approach the winter solstice, a time of reflection and renewal, we want to thank you for your support and engagement with Teachings Tuesday throughout the year. This marks our final broadcast of 2024 as we endeavor to honour this sacred season with intentionality. We will return on January 8th, and until then, we wish you a warm and wonderful solstice filled with love, rest, and connection. To close the year, we are honoured to share a story written by our mentor, Danie