Tansi Nîtôtemtik,
I am excited to be a part of the Law and Social Media team this year and to be a part of a project that discusses reconciliation and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. I am also excited to reflect upon and share my own experiences as a Nehiyaw (Cree) woman.
My name is Shalayn Martel, and I am from Waterhen Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan. I am a third-year law student at the University of Alberta, having completed my Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting in 2016. I have experience as treasurer for the Indigenous Law Student’s Association at the U of A, as well as the Communications and Administration Councilor for the National Indigenous Law Students Association.
Personally, reconciliation is important to me because I have had members of my family, including my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and my mother, attend residential schools. I have seen the effects of their experiences first-hand, and how the trauma is passed down through generations. Their trauma has not only affected them, but also their children and grandchildren.
Reconciliation to me means first understanding and educating people about how past traumas continue to affect people to this day. It is not something that should just be left in the past, or something that people should just get over. Without understanding intergenerational trauma, people may not realize or understand the importance of reconciliation today. As a team, my hope is to help people not only understand the effects of residential schools and other past traumas, but to also acknowledge myths, fight ignorance, educate, and to work towards healing and building positive relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
Until next time,
Shalayn Martel
A Member of Team ReconciliAction YEG
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