Welcome to my blog!

I am an Indigenous woman that is grateful to work and play in the Quw'utsun territory, located on Vancouver Island. I am apart of Stó:lō Nation and feel incredibly thankful to be welcomed into this unceded community with love. I have two little girls, aged 11 and 9, a husband of 18 years, a loving and supportive extended family / friend network and many animals that keep me sane / insane. 

I am a paramedic, crisis counselor at a local transition house, and a support person that aids in keeping mothers and babies together, in mitigating the foster care system. I am a proud community member and strive to enrich relationships. I am also a full time student and hope to obtain my degree in Justice Studies, as teeth are needed to make bigger waves. 

All that being said.... there is no such thing as enough time in my world. Between extra curricular chauffeuring, paying bills, cleaning house and everything in between... it feels as though I am a woman of perseverance, not one who prioritizes self care. Do what I say, not what I do! Welcome to the gong show that is life for me ❤️

January 20th 2025

Our house caught fire. It was not a chimney fire, suspected a mouse moved some debris or insulation into a space too close to our heated chimney. The HOUSE caught fire and apparently it had been smouldering for a while! There were several miracles that occurred serendipitously, for all to be safe and have a livable home. Following that event, I spoke with firefighters, fire investigators, insurance representatives, renovation folk and my children.

The same week I learned about categorical imperative, paternalism and meta ethics. All the different approaches that could be applied to each conversation. I was communicating with many different professions; don't suck up, be an advocate, but don't come off as authoritative. Everything was chaos, would insurance cover it? How do I communicate to obtain the most amount of information, without causing alarm. Yes, we live in a tiny fixer upper, where (Red Seal) family members have helped out, but everything had been done to code.

I now have a deeper understanding of how being cautious and curious about different groups, is a skill. Do I tell the insurance person I lit the fire and left the house with my earplug sleeping husband inside of it? Well, yes of course. I need to find a way to inform him, that I had no intention of anything negative happening when I left. Cautions about having the insurance company deny our claim. Do I tell him that my family member helped out with the renovations? Yes, but I need to find a way to articulate that they knew what they were doing and this is their profession. 

I flexed on meta-ethic's while explaining the situation to the children. I had to de-escalate the situation, while supporting both their and my own mental health. Let's just meet in the middle. This is scary, from both my point and theirs. I need to take extra time to consider the trauma attached to this event. Reserving my own emotions, being hypervirulent to the deep impacts this event could have on little memories.  

At this point of disassociation, is schooling amplifying it's work into reality? Am I better at tuning into my school, when I can relate it to real life? I don't know; but I am appreciative to have the ability to articulate the experiences.

This course has already lined up well with my life. So many angles / styles of approach. Buckling up my seatbelt, applying a lifejacket and diving in with open ears, eyes and heart. 

Intersectionality of Identity

February 15 2025

 

A trip of a lifetime. We kiboshed materialistic things for Christmas this year, squeezing in a trip to France during reading break. Upon arrival, I quickly realized that I became hyper vigilant to how our identity might be portrayed to others. I did not want to be mistaken for American, nor did I want to push buttons as an obnoxious tourist either. This pre-encounter triggered anxiety within me, where I became overbearing to my children’s manners with others. Forgetting completely that their intersectionality and identity are that of CHILDREN. Who will always giggle loudly, fight, get exhausted and need support. I found myself code switching, where I realized Paris IS the fashion capital of the world. Suddenly, disappointed that I only packed my old ski jacket and single pair of sneakers / jeans. I was now the member of the outgroup, and this made me feel insecure or targeted. That being said, I think this insecurity was all in my head. So far, the interactions have all been genuine and amazing. I worried others would stereotype us as cultureless North Americans. Realizing that our (colonial) culture is so new and young in Canada, that perhaps we do not understand how incredibly deep culture and history runs throughout the rest of the world. France has restaurants that have been standing for 400+ years, with almost the same menu. I found myself doing a reverse social identity theory. Where I would categorize French people and culture, evaluate their ways of doing and being, then compare it to my own Canadian ways of doing and knowing. Realizing that North Americans don’t know what they don’t know, because we have no idea how deep and strong context truly is. How entire identities are forged through history, politics and traditions… that go back thousands of years in other places. 

Feb 28 2025 - Language

The Sapir-Whorf theory highlights that language is not simply spoken word; it is a powerful tool that influences what we think and how we think. The structure and vocabulary of a language shape the way its speakers perceive the world. Language influences the very way people understand and interpret their surroundings. On Friday the world learned exactly how important this concept is. Where the published exchange between Donald Trump and Co. and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent ripples throughout the nations. A palpable feeling of shock, seriousness, panic, anger, embarrassment followed suit.

Donald’s words have always followed a particular style that feels like disingenuous rambling. However, half the country believes his words are impassioned and persuasive. It appears that he is nonaccomadation and his channels of convergence or divergence are unwavering. This doesn’t normally work for intercultural communication, as there should be caution and consideration for different types of thinking, being and doing. Not only for intercultural communication for all communication. Why do these rules not apply to Donald? Is he superior to everyone else in the world? I think not, but it seems that many Americans disagree. Is this because the narcissistic colonial way is engrained and amplified in American culture?

Regardless of the rhetoric, language is the most important part of communication. If language is used to abuse or offend, very real repercussions will follow. The privilege to know the English language and be raised in a Western culture, must never be understood as perfect or superior to other cultures or communities. The deeper I dive into this course, the more I appreciate it. Contradictory, the more I absorb this information, the more worried I become about intercultural communication on the political level.