Inspired by a fellow student in the 2022’s MALAT cohort, I have posted my Personal Statement here as a milestone on this journey I have endeavoured upon. I almost didn’t apply for Flexible Admission at all. The extended application deadline was a factor in my decision. Intense and complicated grief had side-railed all my plans at the end of 2021. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or if I had the energy to do it. The extension was the eye-opener for me to refocus, and the following was my submission for RRU’s consideration.

I was fortunate enough to be born into a culturally rich family whose line of continued traditional practices was never broken despite obvious colonial attempts. While the Kwak’wala language was not always prevalent, I did have the luxury of hearing it throughout my life – through the voices of family, and integrated through ceremony.

From a young age in life, I recognized my role as an educator. In Grade 4, I ended up teaching my fellow students (and teacher) about what little I knew about being a bak̕wa̱m¹. As a teenager, I challenged the education system and our Indigenous leaders to create change in a system that seemingly worked against Indigenous youth. I felt a lot of frustration at the looming loss of our language, stories, traditions so deeply living as a minority in an urban diaspora. My efforts, they tell me, contributed to positive changes in the provincial school system we see today.

My late grandfather, an educator, fostered a passion for technology in me – very early on. He always ensured that I had access to new and improved technology, i.e. electric typewriter, early Apple computers. Throughout my high school years, I jumped at the chance to utilize technology and print all my assignments on our dot matrix printer.

Initially, I had set my sights on being an educator with a desire to work in administration but as life would have it, I became a young mother to a daughter who came into the world so profoundly that my perception on education was nudged in a completely different direction. I embarked on a homeschool lifestyle, that allowed me to continue my cultural/language learning, and eventually folding in the other three children as our family grew. All four have been home-educated at some point, or entirely, throughout their K-12 journey simply because, but also understatedly so – I have the freedom to choose how, and by whom they are educated.

Throughout the last two and a half decades, I have dedicated my life learning for and alongside my children – surrounded in the richness of my Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw² heritage, as well as modern technology and the intertwining of the two. Along the way, I have picked up a good amount of credits despite not having acquired a Bachelor’s degree. My family has always been at the core of my existence so any education, and/or training was afforded only by time and availability of financial resources (typically fully sponsored programs) at the time to undertake any interests I had, i.e. ECE, First Nations studies, web development.

Throughout my professional career, I have been involved in numerous projects and positions that have involved various aspects of language revitalization and the utilization of technology. Here are two of my favourites: an archival project with the tribal council which included digitizing a portion of my personal collection of David Grubb’s rough notes from his Kwak̓wala dictionary preparations for use on a public archive learning portal; and, development of an animated video (voiced over in Kwak’wala) with a previous employer for a client that aimed to educate their respective industry about the atrocities of colonization, and in this case specifically about the era of small pox.

My family is now growing older, becoming independent, pursuing their own interests and lives. I have found myself in a place of obligation to continue educating, but specifically in regards to Kwak̓wala revitalization utilizing the use of learning technology. My current work with language instruction, alongside fluent ni’nox̱sola³, has sparked my desire, and more so my obligation, to continue my education so that I may be better equipped in assisting revitalization efforts. Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Learning and Technology strikes me as being a natural but logical step, as I move forward.

The skills, experience and networking afforded through my acceptance to the program, I anticipate will benefit not only myself but my family, community, and nation/s I derive from. My desire to utilize modern tools of technology affords me a unique perspective, and brings new skills to the table. Indigenous peoples have always been adaptable, and the narrators of their own story – historically. I have a lifelong passion to immerse myself with opportunities that will enhance my own learning journey, reinforcing my own identity as a bakwa̱m in this modern world. I would love the opportunity to grow myself, in the hopes of making the language a prevalent factor for future generations.

¹Kwak̓wala word referring to person of Indigenous descent
²Kwak̓wala word referring to Kwak̓wala speaking people.
³Kwak̓wala word referring to wise people, aka elders.