Stitch by stitch, bead by bead, teaching by teaching, I’m learning. This was the project I was most scared to start. I’ve had these materials and the design drawn for months. Sitting, waiting. With the exception of the beads (obviously) I’ve worked with none of these materials before. I was scared, working with hide felt so permanent.

Orange Shirt Day began on September 30, 2013, to honour the estimated 150,000 children who were kidnapped from their families and forced into residential schools from 1831-1996. Residential schools were government-funded religious schools established in Canada to strip children of their Indigenous culture and assimilate them to Canadian society.

This book made me feel lots of things. Firstly, I think that this book is proof that the culture and teachings stolen from colonization onwards continues to have a negative effect on Indigenous people of Turtle Island.

Reclaiming what was stolen. Growing up I always knew I was Métis but it was more something mentioned in passing, there were never any traditional teachings passed down, I never grew up feeling like Métis was a part of me that I could claim.

Finished these baddies at 12:15 AM! So worth it. I loved the pattern of the original pair I made (see below) but I wasn’t in love with the colours and the length so here I go adding more drama... and you know they’re drama when they tickle your collarbone.

I submitted my application for Métis Citizenship this week and part of the process is being able to trace your ancestry back to a historic Métis community. My grandfather (5 generations before me) André Parisien belonged to a Métis community just south of where the La Salle River meets the Red River.

Today is my 30th birthday and growing up I was always proud to be born on “Canada Day”. We were always taught that we were superior to our American neighbours, more compassionate, loving, and inclusive. And I have to say I’ve believed that for an embarrassing amount of time.

I’m Métis on my mother’s side and as I’ve grown up, I’ve become very driven to learn more about what that means. Thankfully my uncle has done some incredible family tree work. He’s shared many Indigenous books, family documents, photos and bits of history along the way and for that I am grateful.

This whole story is a disgusting miscarriage of justice. From the murderer taking Colten's life into his own hands to the RCMP restraining, interrogating AND SMELLING THE BREATH OF Colten's mother only moments after telling her that her son had been killed to the disgusting racism online to the grave mishandling of evidence to the injustice of not having a balanced jury to essentially putting the Indigenous witnesses on trial to discredit them and to have Gerald Stanley found "not guilty".

I started prepping this blog before hand because I knew that I would want to share my thoughts on it. However, I've erased almost every word because today was so much more than I expected.