My Culture Is My Home

I remember being four years old and becoming interested in my culture. I am proud to say that I am an Indigenous girl. To me, being an Indigenous girl means to be a part of a community of people. The sound of the drum at the pow wow reminds me of a heartbeat. I love the sound of chiming and jingling from the jingle dresses like on windy days in the spring with wind chimes clanging but more intense. The pretty ribbon skirts all around me. I remember the texture of the corn husk on my fingers "squeaky" as I made a beautiful corn husk doll. I have a deep appreciation for Mother Earth. When I become a Maliseet teacher, I will make sure to have fun with my students and play games to learn the language. I find that helps me. I have learned through my journey that I always have to respect my elders no matter what. I love to use my voice to empower people and sometimes just to talk. In my culture, our four sacred medicines mean a lot to our community and those medicines are: sweetgrass, tobacco, sage and cedar.