Good Life Project - Bridging Worlds | Violet Duncan

Episode Date: July 18, 2019

Violet Duncan (https://www.violetduncan.com/about) is an author, storyteller, educator, performer and Native American Hoop & Powwow dancer. She's a proud member of the Plains Cree of Kehewin Cree Nation & Taino. Violet facilitates workshops to promote spiritual wellness and cultural education across the United States, Canada and Europe. After becoming a mother of four, saw a need for Native American representation in literature and authored two children's books; "When We Dance" & "Let's Hoop Dance!" She is now a featured storyteller at many festivals nationally and internationally. Her work addresses her native culture and is accessible for anyone trying to understand the modern Native experience. She is currently working on her next children’s book, “I am Native.” -------------Have you discovered your Sparketype yet? Take the Sparketype Assessment™ now. IT’S FREE (https://sparketype.com/) and takes about 7-minutes to complete. At a minimum, it’ll open your eyes in a big way. It also just might change your life.If you enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend. Thank you to our super cool brand partners. If you like the show, please support them - they help make the podcast possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm super excited to share today's conversation with you for a couple of reasons. I sit down with Violet Duncan, who is an author, storyteller, educator, performer, Native American hoop and powwow dancer. She is a member of the Plains Cree of Kehawing Cree Nation and Taino. I have no idea if I said that right. I hope I did. Part of the broader or larger First Nations community in Canada where she grew up. And she facilitates workshops to promote spiritual wellness, cultural education all over the United States and Canada and Europe. She's also a mother of four and she really saw the need for Native American and indigenous representation in literature and author to children's books. And she's now a featured storyteller at festivals

nationally and pretty much all over the world. And I had the opportunity to sit down with Violet when I was actually out in Mesa, Arizona. So this is recorded on the road and we are at the co-working slash community space of a dear friend of mine, Pam Slim. The space is called Kech and it's in Mesa, Arizona. So the sound is probably a bit different than what we normally have. And that's just why. And hopefully you will drink in the beautiful communal vibes from the space and really enjoy and, as I did, really learn from the conversation that I had with Violet Duncan. So excited to share this with you. I'm Jonathan Fields, and this is Good Life Project. The Apple Watch Series 10 is here. It has the biggest display ever.

It's also the thinnest Apple Watch ever, making it even more comfortable on your wrist, whether you're running, swimming, or sleeping. And it's the fastest-charging Apple Watch, getting you 8 hours of charge in just 15 minutes. The Apple Watch Series 10. Available for the first time in glossy jet black aluminum. Compared to previous

generations, iPhone XS or later required. Charge time and actual results will vary. Mayday, mayday. We've been compromised. The pilot's a hitman. I knew you were gonna be fun. On January 24th Tell me how to fly this thing. Mark Wahlberg. You know what the difference between me and you is?

You're going to die. Don't shoot him. We need him. Y'all need a pilot. Flight Risk. I'm hanging out with a very special guest today, Father Duncan. Hey.

Dancer. Ni tsigasun. Gaya kisiguskweo. Tapwe miyo kisigaon na mito tak. Tapwe miyo kisigaon na gemuktsi. Good to meet you. I'm Violet Duncan. I'm Cree and Taino. Beautiful. Tell me what you were just saying.

I said my name is Old Sky Woman in the Cree language, but Old Sky Woman is not a very good translation. It sounds like an older woman from the Cree language, but old sky woman is not a very good translation. Sounds like an older woman from the sky, but old sky woman in Cree, it actually is the translation of, you know, that golden hour in the day around five o'clock. That beautiful time is my name, but in English, we say old sky woman. That's the closest approximation. That's the best we can do. But in Cree, that's my name at that time. And then I said it's a beautiful day to be sharing stories.

I love that. Tell me about Cree. The Cree Nation. I'm actually Plains Cree. That's from northern Alberta. And the Cree Nation is a huge nation all across Canada. Plains Cree, Bush Cree, Mustassonese Cree, James the Cree nation is a huge nation all across Canada. Plains Cree, Bush Cree, Mustassonese Cree, James Bay Cree, Ojibwe Cree or Oji Cree. We're all the way across. And that's because we were nomadic. We were traveling and following the buffalo. Then when we kind of got

pressured to stay on land, we had to stay right where we were. So that's why you'll find teeny tiny little nations, all different forms of Cree right across Canada. And the Plains Cree are from Northern Alberta, and that's my people. Oh, no kidding. So your lineage comes from Alberta, Canada? Does, yeah. And what were the stops sort of along the way to get to Mesa, Arizona? I know, it's weird. Well, let me tell you about my husband. He's from here in the Southwest. He's Apache, San Carlos, Arizona, which is just east of us, east of Mesa. And we actually met in Florida. We were performing at a festival. And there's a story about how the Native American flute was used as a courting instrument to capture the mind and eventually the heart of a young woman.

I had never fallen for it before, but he is an incredible flute player. And he was playing on the main stage. We were there for about six days and he just captured my heart. And I was guided to his music and that's how we got to talking. And six days was not long enough. And I mean, now we Skyped and we MSN Messengered our hearts out until we could finally be with each other again about half a year later. And he was a desert guy.

And I'm like, okay, let's do this. So I finished off school and made the trek to the desert. And I mean, we live happily ever after. The desert has become home. I do go home, though, every summer. But the desert, we've been here 11 years. So is home then in Canada? Home is in Canada.

Yeah, northern Alberta. And honestly, I don't miss the winters. We went back one winter and it was, it froze me. Like my core was freezing and I'm like, how do people survive here? I've been there my whole life, but yeah, it was like, okay, I'm a wimp now. I'm going to stay in the Southwest. I know. It's like the older you get, it's like, well, the warm weather isn't so bad, actually. Yes. Tell me about sort of like the community, the neighborhood, you as when you're sort of like younger in life, when you're growing up as a kid. Well, let me tell you, I think my family actually stayed to our nomadic roots.

We never lived anywhere longer than four years. So we were in Alberta four years. We moved to Ontario, which is above New York State. We moved all the way to Vancouver, BC, which is above Washington. And then we moved back to Alberta. And we kind of did that every four years. And so definitely, this has been the longest I've ever stayed anywhere is Mesa, Arizona. And it's very weird. Like my kids bike to school. We have a little neighborhood that's like a little slice of heaven. And I know these people for a very long time. And we've really planted roots. And it's very different. Growing up, we always kind of went back home

in the summertime. We would finish off school wherever we were, and we would go home, and home was the res. Northern Alberta, my reserve is called Kihuan Cree Nation, and we would spend our summers there, and it's summers like powwows, which are social gatherings for Native people, and it would be sweats and sun dance mixed with lakeside camping and just being with only cousins. I don't even think I had friends because I have like a hundred cousins. And that was our summer for two months out of the year. We would go home and then we would go back to traveling wherever that was for my parents. Tell me just sort of geographically. So when you're in the reservation, on the

reservation, what's the proper? I guess on the reservation. Well, reservation is actually what they stay in here in the United States. We just call it a reserve. Right. It's interesting too, because so I'm learning as I'm literally having this conversation with you, because I've heard the term First Nations used. I've heard the term Indigenous you, because I've heard the term First Nations used. I've heard the term Indigenous peoples used. I've heard the term Native Americans used. Is there, not that you're the ultimate arbiter of what's appropriate or not,

but I'm curious because very often I've heard them geographically look at, like First Nations I've heard used more in the context of Canada. Is there an association with geography around that? Honestly, if you're going to talk about all of us, American would be Native American. Okay. Canada would be First Nations.

All of us would be indigenous. But the best way, the absolute best way is to find out the tribe. Okay. I'm Cree. My husband is Apache. That's how you identify. So when people say that we're Native, we're like, ah. You know, it's like not, it's not the best thing because we get caught up in Native American. And Native American, that term is such a mishmash.

People think, oh, okay, Native American, that must be teepees and buffalo and, I mean, fry bread. And it's like, whoa, yeah, that is absolutely incorrect. There's over 574 tribes in the United States alone, just United States. And then those branch off, like Apache is just considered one, where they branch off to San Carlos Apache, White Mountain Apache. There's another Apache in New Mexico. So, I mean, but they're just considered one, like Apache. And then we go to Canada and there's another 500. And we are very different from each other.

And I mean, no one native person is the historical guru. So we're even learning from each other. And I think that's what's beautiful about it. You get these intermarriages and we get to find out about each other. I had never met an Apache person before my husband. So I mean, I'm learning about his culture and his history. And I think that when we all take a moment to learn about each other, that's kind of how we can have more respect for one another.

Yeah. No, thank you. That's actually super helpful for me and just understanding. Because I think so much, I mean, it's interesting. I wonder often when you have conversations with people who come from just profoundly different backgrounds from you, there's so much dancing around of not wanting to say the wrong thing, not wanting, and, but also just rather than just saying, Hey, listen, like, I don't know where you came from. I don't know. You don't know me or where I came from. How do we have the most basic conversation and the basic language so that we can understand

each other and, and come from a place of respect and dignity and love. I honestly think like for me coming in the Southwest, I'm like, how do people survive here? You look out there and I would like die within three hours. There's no water. There's nothing up North. You can find a stream and there's berries. And my husband looks out the door and he sees grocery store and pharmacy. He can survive. And this is me, totally different culture, just opening my heart. And it's not because I love him, but it was because I'm genuinely curious. How do you, how does one do that? What are the Salt River people, the Tana'atam, that's the land that we're on?

Why would they be here? How would they survive here and i mean ask those questions because the answers are beautiful they didn't just we didn't just have mesa or phoenix here these we come from the traditional lands of the pipash people and it's because of the actually even before them it's because of the um hooligan that had created the waterways that we still use here today and that's because, yeah. How long ago was that? 10,000 years ago. Yeah.

Unfortunately, the Hulukam people up and left. It's very mysterious. But when the Salt River, the Ta'an Atum people came in, they continued to use these waterways. And then after that, the colonizers moved in and they continued to use these waterways. And I think that is just because for me coming from a lush forest, asking questions like, how did you survive here? And it just, that was my answer. Oh, the hooligan had created the waterways that we use now today. And Phoenix actually used that

with SRP. And I'm like, oh, okay, there's my answer. It was not me researching and coming up with my own answers. It was just going to the people and saying, I have questions. And I think if you come at it in a good way like that, like in a respectful way, you get the good answers. You get the respectful answers. And when you come at it, like, I already know. Of course we're here. Phoenix is here. This is how we get our water.

We have brilliant scientists. Then it's like, we'll just take a step back. Let's all learn together. Yeah. I wonder if we're so afraid of standing in that place of owning the fact that we don't know. It is a scary place. It is really scary. What is that word?

Vulnerable. Vulnerable. Vulnerable. Vulnerability. I mean, if you can get to that space in a safe way, it's amazing. Amazing things happen. And my grandmother always says we have two ears to listen twice and to speak once. And when I'm learning something and I feel it, okay, there's learning going on, I'm going to listen twice and then really think about my questions.

Because more than likely your questions are already being answered if you're just listening twice. And I always follow that. And then my mom was always saying, ask questions, which was the opposite. Be curious, ask questions. So I was actually really shy in school. And it took me to college to where I finally said, you know, I'm going to start asking questions now. And when I started asking these questions, to me, it was the hard questions. I got answers. And I mean, that doesn't really make any sense. But it was coming from that vulnerable state of,

okay, I'm going to throw this question out there, see what happens. And when you do that, it's not like you're questioning something. You're coming from a good place that you genuinely want to know. Yeah. So you grow up in reservation in Canada. Where'd you go to college? I went to college in Victoria. The reason why I went to Victoria, that's another province away, is not because I had a scholarship or anything cool like that. It's because I wanted to be far from home. And that sounds awful. Well, it sounds like pretty much every 17-year-old or 18-year-old actually.

Well, I was very, very close to my mom and dad. I didn't want to leave them. But what was happening is two hours away was the big city of Edmonton. And anybody who lived there, their home would just be a second place for people to crash. And normally that's fine. I mean, we have people staying at our house all the time. But when I was trying to succeed at that young age, because I graduated at 16, I was so worried about drugs and alcohol. That's the number one concern my whole life growing up

is okay we all you can be dream big but don't drink don't do drugs and i know mainstream says that but for the statistics for native people it's so much more higher you have one drink and one person sees that and you're that stat you're just a drunk Indian and so I was so afraid of that that anybody bringing that to me while I'm learning in college I didn't want to get mixed up and have my dreams crushed because I've seen it over and over and over again people leave they go to school at Edmonton they have big dreams and aspirations and I mean their house becomes a party house and it's scary and then they come back home and because I grew up seeing that that's what freaked me out that I said no I'm gonna go far

away enough where it's a plane ride home but far enough where nobody will stay there and that was actually my only reason why I chose that college it ended up being great because they don't really have winter in Victoria BC so I'm like this is, this is my first taste of a mild winter. And I would bike to school and it was very exciting. But yeah, and I actually didn't become homesick because the setting was so different. It was like a rainforest there. And so when I would look out, I wouldn't feel like I was at home and missing out. I just felt like it was an adventure.

And so when I would come home, I would have these adventures of the stories that I would share with my mom and my dad. And it was a really good time. I really enjoyed going to school and you the first substantial experience of travel and then being very outside of the culture that you grew up in? No. So my parents, they have a performing arts company called Kihue Native Dance Theater. And let me tell you the story. When I was in grade two, I have two older siblings and we all went to school. Now, every day on the school bus, we would get really bullied, beat up, spit on, you know, cursed.

And that was just life. And we didn't know it. This is when we lived in Ontario. We didn't know that this was like crazy. We just thought, oh, crazy kids. And we get off the bus and go home. And we never thought to tell our parents. It's so weird. And then one day it got really violent. And it was around Christmas, because I remember they took my doll and they were saying really racist stuff. It was like a little microphone. And my sister or my brother was holding my ears and he had long braids and

they were pulling his hair and it got very, very crazy. And our bus driver never stopped it. And we got off the bus and I was crying mostly because they took my doll and my sister joined football that year and she decided that she's going to use her strength. So when we got home and my mom and dad saw us looking crazy, they said, what is going on here? And we told them that this has been happening for three months and they were like, okay, this is not okay. You should tell us what's going on. So when they got the story out, those kids, it turns out that they told their parents, and their parents came to our house, and they also just screamed at us from the driveway.

And my parents were saying, just, we'll deal with it at the school. When we went to the school, we found out that they don't know about Native people at all. They don't know why we would go to powwows, why my brother had long hair. And it made them angry that they didn't know. And so the school, yeah, the school was like defending. So they were defending saying, well, where do your kids go? How come they get to go? How come he has long hair? We're confused. And so my mom said, you know what? We're going to share with you. We're going to tell you stories, and we're going to do a performance for you. We're going to dance.

So that's what we did. Overnight, we were superstars. Because it turned out 80% of that school was Native. They did not know it. They said, hey, we have that. Hey, I've seen pictures of my mom in that kind of outfit. And so we were superstarsars and this kind of started my parents' dance company. And from there on, we did shows at other schools and you can literally see

the bullying rate go down by half within the month and almost a hundred percent because it was just that they didn't know, they didn't understand. And I mean, it's amazing what a little bit of knowledge can do. And it turned out that those kids, some of the bullies on the bus were Native, and they were just confused. And this opened their eyes, and we still know a lot of the kids today. And that's the kind of people my parents were. They originally had done social justice theater that talked about the heart issues.

So doing shows like this that were happy, it was easy for us as kids to get involved because all we were doing was dancing and doing what we normally do. And this brought us to a world stage immediately. We'd go to huge conferences and festivals and we were celebrated. And so going off like that was no problem.

So going off on my own, I mean, it was so easy because I was used to kind of speaking for myself. It was the whole fear of becoming an alcoholic that I thought even we, I didn't even want to see it. I was so freaked out that I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm going to get influenced so badly. And I mean, I have to say it was society that freaked me out because I would be told by students and teachers that we're just drunk Indians. And that became my fear.

I don't want to be that. I don't want to be that. I don't want to do that. But there's so much more to it that I wish I can tell my younger self to say, like, it's okay. It's not your fault that this is happening. And you don't have to be afraid of alcohol. Like, that is not the fear here. You are strong and capable.

But it's like only my mom was telling me that, and the whole world was saying, be careful, you're going to be a drunk Indian. And so that was my fear. So when I was in college, I would see anybody having a party, and I would be terrified. Don't bring it around me. And in my brain, I was like, I'm going to get involved, and I you know in my brain I was like I'm gonna get involved and I'm gonna

fall flat and it was it was very huge turning point when I realized I could be around it and not I mean I'm curious too because it the way you're talking about it was the concern that you may be exposed to this and you may start to participate and that the perception from the outside in was, okay, so now you're one of, quote, those people. Or was it a concern that there was a fear that there was something biological or physiological within you that made you more susceptible to the addiction with substances than other people? I'd have to say it was both. Huh. It was both because if, I was always freaked out about image.

When we do a show, we had to arrive, you know, exactly on time because we were not just representing the family and the company. We were like all native people. Oh, they're late. Oh, those Indians are always late. And oh, their hair is not,

oh, so for me, it was my parents that would stress it we have to be there on time we have to be there on time we have to make sure your outfit is ironed the night before and it was like because we have to we're not just representing ourselves it's everybody we are trailblazers so we have to do this right in a good way and so that was put on me when I left home because I was like, okay, when I go to school, I do not have the luxury of rolling out of bed and wearing sweats. I had to have, you know, not only did my assignments had to be finished, they had to have A pluses on them. And not only did they have to have A pluses on them, I had to look like I'm worthy. I can't

look like I went to a party the night before. Even if I didn't, I was just studying my heart out. I couldn't look like that. So it was very difficult to kind of keep up this image. And I was afraid that, yeah, what if alcohol came into my life? And I mean, eventually, I would enjoy a glass of wine, and the fear would be there. I'm going to get out of hand. But when I didn't, I realized, okay, how come I didn't? How come I can handle myself?

And it's sad that it came out of shock to me because I was so scared. But I have to thank my mom because my mom was always saying, you're so strong. You're so smart. And to me, I was like, okay, but when I'm not drinking, I'm so strong and smart. And she was like, and now I get it when I'm older, that it wasn't, I could do what I want to do, and I could keep a hold.

It's so hard to explain, but it was, that fear was irrational, and it was just mainstream kind of tricking me. And I think there's a lot of young people out there, Native people, who have this fear of it. Don't be around it, don't touch it. But it's like, no, because you are in control. And nobody ever says that. And I think what I'm trying to explain is just that that's all that we're seen as. And it was not as creative and not as artists and scientists and researchers.

That's what it was. And so that's why I was afraid because statistics said so. But I mean, now, social media, when I see different researchers and scientists and doctors, that's when I'm pointing out to my children. I have four children, my eldest is nine. And that's who I show her. I never tell them about stats, because it didn't help me. And I don't think it will help them. I talked to them about, about the different researchers that are out there and scientists and people doing amazing things who just happen to be Native women. And thank

goodness for social media because that's what I use all the time. And we see models who are Native and it's just, it's so cool, this tool that we have now. And that's, that's my main thing that I use to share with my children. And we never talk about, you know, to be afraid of alcohol, to be afraid of drugs. We always just talk about, what do you want to do? And I hope that, I hope it will have a good effect. I know one day somebody will come up to them and say, because my husband, he's never ever drunken in his whole life. And that was his choice. Is it out of a similar concern?

It's very similar. Yeah. It's a huge fear. That, and I feel that we've seen so much death associated with it, that we just see it hand in hand. Our people are dying because they were drinking or around drinking. And so I think my generation has that fear. But this next generation is so cool because they don't even have to be told that.

They're just dreamers and movers and makers. And I'm so excited. I mean, they were prophesied. They are the seventh generation, the generation that will wake up. And so I'm like, I see it. I see it in this lifetime. we're prophesied they are the seventh generation the generation that will wake up and so we're i'm like i see it i see it in this lifetime and they're amazing and i mean they're going to climate summit meetings at the un and and becoming i mean it used to be one in ten thousand native students that's just post-secondary. Just one would become a doctor.

Right now, I can name five doctors on my hands. So we're changing, we're moving, and we're getting our voice where it's been needed. And it's a cool thing. If you're at a point in life when you're ready to lead with purpose, we can get you there. The University of Victoria's MBA in Sustainable Innovation is not like other MBA programs.

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You know what the difference between me and you is? You're going to die. Don't shoot him, we need him! Y'all need a pilot? Flight risk. The Apple Watch Series 10 is here. It has the biggest display ever. It's also the thinnest Apple Watch ever, making it even more comfortable

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Compared to previous generations, iPhone XS or later required, charge time and actual results will vary. Besides just access to social media and sort of like broader conversation and exposure to different people and different stories, what do you think is really driving sort of the next generation of just looking at life differently? And I'm also curious, you mentioned the prophecy of the seventh generation. I'm kind of curious to learn more about that now too.

Yeah, yeah. Well, okay. I have to say that it was my parents seventh generation. I'm kind of curious to learn more about that now too. Yeah, well, okay. I have to say that it was my parents' generation. They're one of the last ones that went to residential school. Residential school happened for like 300 years. My grandmother, my great-grandmother, my father went to residential school, and that stripped them of their culture and language. And for hundreds of years that when

that was happening, people had to go into hiding to learn and pass on the songs and the stories. And there would be risk of imprisonment or death. And they would still do it because they knew our culture had to be passed down these stories and when I hear these stories I'm so grateful because these stories were some of them are really funny and I'm like why would somebody risk their life for this story and you learn that there's more to it there's more lesson it's not just about a funny trickster there's a reason for it and when you dig deeper and you realize somebody risked their life just so this story can get passed down to me and my children it makes it so much more powerful so

my parents generation were the ones that said no I'm gonna keep my children I'm gonna choose life because there was so much death and and some of them I mean many many many of them still chose to drink but my parents actually didn't I was very thankful both my parents are artists and storytellers so they were like the hippies of the 60s but because of their their ability to celebrate our culture and make it a beautiful thing. Like the stories that they do now, some of them are so strange and so weird, but they tell them in a way that is intriguing because they have to, they bring in like mainstream stuff, like randomly Spongebob will make an appearance in a traditional story. And that's how they make it so the kids today will perk up and listen back when I was younger Bugs Bunny would make an

appearance and I'm like wait a second he's not supposed to be in there and it's because of them and what they were doing with the stories and the songs bringing in English so because I never grew up with my language I get to hear English in it and then I get to hear the in the language parallel so I know what they're saying because they said it in English but then I can learn some of my language so this stuff was happening songs and stories and dances were making revitalization for my parents generation And then they birthed us, my generation. And we kind of were like, okay, but where do we bring this? So we started to bring it into schools and we brought it into our books. But this next generation, my children's generation, they're like, I don't need to apologize

for myself. No apologies necessary because they are who they are. For me, I would say, excuse me, can I sing a song? No. Okay. Sorry. And you know, for them, they're like, we sing a song right now because this is what I'm told. And it's so cool that they can do that. And there's a story all across Indian country about the seventh generation when Louis Riel was in a battle and he passed away, he was hung. He was Métis, meaning that he was Cree in French. And he said, the native people will sleep for a hundred years and it'll be the artists that awaken them. And through song, story, and dance, because of our artists, we are are waking up and the seventh generation prophecy tells about a story about how um when we well it changes nation to nation but it talks about how

we were buried as seeds and how our grandmothers and grandfathers were buried so deep that finally when they bloom that seventh generation will bloom and that's I feel like that's what's happening right now when I see them I mean our children are going to protests not because their parents think that they should go because they want to go because they're fighting for their relatives which is the water and the plants for the air and for the air, and for the animals. And that is, we are all related. So when we fight for water and air, it's not like an environmentalist thing. We are fighting for our family. Yeah. I mean, it's so interesting to hear you sort of describe

everything that seems to have a sense of consciousness, of beingness in it, even inanimate objects, you know. Is this something that you were brought up as sort of like part in it, even inanimate objects, you know, is, is this something that you were brought up as sort of like part of the, you know, like the, the, the core knowing or storytelling? It's really neat because in our language, um, there is inanimate, like a chair because it becomes animate when you're sitting in it. Um, my name is a time of day, but when you're sitting in it. My name is a time of day. But when you're describing me, it makes more sense in English. We're more connected.

And I feel that if we learn more of our language, you get more connected because you're forced to be at that time of day and experience it and say, this is my name. And you're forced to, when you when you're born your afterbirth goes to a tree and it's planted with the trees and it gives the trees life and when you grow your life is giving the trees life and that makes you connected you are physically connected and when you are that connected they say that when you go out into the world and you miss home, you just go to your relative, which is the tree people, the plant people, and you can share with them, whether it's physically talking out loud or just being next to them. And people say that there's like a chemical

reaction. Scientists talk about that with the plants, but it is that connection that we are related to them. This is our family. And so when you realize that the language is intertwined with water and air, and I mean, time and space, that's you being a scientist, that's you being an environmentalist, and that's you just being. I mean, it's a beautiful thing to find out that you're connected and that you belong. It's not something that is like that will go away, that you can just say, well, I'm an environmentalist, but I like, you know, and it's like, no. And that's just the English word we're using today. A hundred years from now, who knows what environmentalists will be, but right now, your people have been here for thousands of years, and this is, these are your relatives, we are all connected here, and I think that when you look at it that way, that way of being,

you can really start working on yourself and saying the balance. Am I balanced spiritually, socially, emotionally, and physically? And that balance is the medicine wheel, and that's how you check with yourself. It's like a self-check. Socially, am I engaging with my friends? If it's too much then your balance your wheel becomes uneven so you want to make sure that you do make time for your friends but emotionally you make time for yourself spiritually if it's religious or if it's just going for that walk and connecting and um what's the other one it's mentally i think it's mentally i't know. But yeah, you make sure that the entire medicine wheel is in balance.

And it's a way that is ingrained, I think, all across Indian country to have that balance. And that makes you a spiritual being, physical being, an emotional being. And that makes you further connected. So it's almost like the medicine wheel is part diagnostic tool, part recommendation, part just sort of like core philosophy of how to live. Like what's wrong? And you check with your medicine wheel. Okay, well, physically I'm fine and I'm working out.

I mean, physically that's a part of it. It's not just your body. It's like, what have I done physical today? And then what have I done for myself emotionally? What have I done for my friends? Because you can't just not be there for your friends. So you're saying, how can I help my friend today? And sometimes it's going for coffee and buying the coffee for the next person.

But that's that social part. It's important to do that. And then spiritually, how am i spiritually connected and for some people that is a religion and for others it's that walk and every day every hour anything seems out of sync you want to check in with that and that's just like a yeah it's a great teaching tool especially when it's our teenagers that kind of get all crazy and they're physical and they're doing so much. And you're like, wait a minute, take time for your friends, the social part, but also take time for yourself. That has to be a balance.

Yeah. How open are, I mean, I'd imagine your kids, you have four kids and they're growing up in your family in these traditions. I'm curious, how open are they? I'm a parent, I have a daughter, so we always try and pass on certain things to our kids and certain values and stories and values and beliefs versus their immersion in a modern world, which operates at a very different pace and exposed to a very different set of values? Well, I think my children are just the coolest. They're each very different. We were not expecting that. I was not expecting how different that they would be I have an artist that is wild spirit and she will draw and create for hours and I love that about her and I have my son who is like very logical what are we doing how long will it take okay how many miles okay when do we stop and it is so funny because I don't think that way at all. My other daughter is like me.

She reads and she's like a bookworm and she wants to talk philosophically about Charlotte's Web. And then I have my baby who you would think she's born last. She should be the baby, but she's so independent, fiercely independent that I'm like, where did you come from? Who are you? And so their little paths, I'm just very proud of them for what they're doing because they do things that I wouldn't think of. And, and it kind of forced me and my husband to reevaluate and say things like, um, okay, what basically they are, they are the beings, they're going to live their life,

but we want to make sure that they, make sure that they have a path to follow. So we're trying to make sure that when they go to dance, we make sure that their moccasins fit good and that their beadwork is nice. And we show them how to take care of it. The symbolism in the beadwork and the designs and how it got passed down. The outfits that they did choose, the colors. It's all about when you're dancing in your outfit, you pick colors that make you feel good.

I know a lot of people get really like, oh, why would you use the purple color? That wasn't around in the 1800s. And it's like, well, actually, purple was around in the 1800s, but purple makes me feel good. And that's why I'm not trying to replicate something that happened beyond my grandfather's time why I'm not trying to replicate something that happened beyond my grandfather's time, I'm talking about today. And so when we remind our children

that the culture is moving and changing, that it's not, we're not stuck in the 1800s, we're not stuck in the 1500s, we're here today, 2019, then how are we keeping our culture alive? And so we try to bring them to as many things, whether it's social events like powwows, cultural, like spiritual events like this Apache sunrise dance. I mean, all we're trying to do is make sure that they see these things. Because once you see it and experience, then they'll remember. And if they want to do that again, like a sun dance, which is a four-day fasting and dancing, and if they see it and experience it, whatever they take away, I feel like, well, that's what they're meant to take away. I don't want to impose on their learning and say, no, this is a time for prayer. And whether they get that, it's a time for prayer, or a time for, you know, stressing your body, however they're meant to learn it,

is what they'll take away. We just want to make sure that we give them the tools. And I think that is what me and my husband are doing right now is just giving them all these tools to work with. And whatever they choose, choose is what we're we're excited about whatever they choose but um i mean we we go to soccer games as much as we go to our traditional powwows we go camping as much as we go to a not as much but we also go to sunrise dance where you camp out there and it's an event so I mean they're being immersed in it but I don't want to push it like this is what it is to be Cree this is what it is to be Apache because it will change in the future it will change and how maybe we get more traditional or something but I don't want them to feel like they're not being native enough because we're not going to these events.

And for me, growing up, going to these events, it didn't seem like a big deal. And as I got older, I realized some people don't go to these. And so I don't want to trick my children and say, you should be lucky to be here. Some people, because that never feels good. It felt good to me knowing that this is a safe space to learn. And I think that's what made it special.

Not that this was a special place to learn. This is just another way of learning. We learn in school. We learn in our traditional setting. So when you went to college, what did you actually study? Goodness. The first two years, it's a nightmare. My whole high school, my post-secondary experience was awful. The first two years I took Native Studies because, I mean, how cool is it to learn about your history?

I never learned about it in high school. I don't think anybody learned about Native. So that was sort of like the first place where you really went deep into it. Yeah, I needed to know our history. And I knew my parents' version, but I didn't know dates and court things and laws and what the white behavior policy was and how treaties were made and stuff like that. I needed to know. I was super curious. And the two-year Native Studies program was awesome because I got to learn. I got to talk about what I already knew.

So, I mean, there's a lot of non-native students in there and I was like what are you talking about like they would have these ideas about native people and I'm like no we we're still here I'm I'm native because they would talk about us as past like well the the the people who lived in the tipis in the 1800s and i'm like well i mean we still camp in those today and hello i'm cree that's who you're talking about and they would talk about the west coast societies like they were um royalty and i'm like maybe we should just go ask like go see because they did have um chieftainships that were passed down hereditary they weren't some weren't voted in and some were and so when they were told to just I suggested just to go to a community that there's a band office and ask your questions they were like what the native

community is here and I'm like what do you mean there's like an hour away we're just right here and I thought good thing I'm in this class, you know, to make sure that Native people are getting represented. But then when I was done my Native Studies program, I really wanted to be a doctor because the plan was to go back home, heal my people because we were very sick. The alcoholism that I talked about and so that was my plan chemistry hates me i have learned that you kind of need to know something about that to go into med school so i went into nursing and nursing i did two years i was on my third year and we were doing practicums and the teacher said as an example, when somebody comes into the emergency room, we're going to check their nails and check their skin, check their pupils and make sure while they're telling you stuff, you check them in this way, this physical check. And then if they are native, they are probably going to be drunk. So be prepared for them to come in and so I was like

okay I get the nails in the hair thing what so my hand shot up what are you talking about why would we assume that they are drunk and she goes oh because many are you probably don't know but many Indian people are drunk and I was like you know I'm Native and I'm not a drunk. And why would you tell these nurses that? And she apologized because she didn't know I was Native. She did not apologize for what she had said. And she backed it up by saying that happens time and time again, that a Native person will come into the emergency room and they will be out of it and you need to call the police. And it just so happened that a year before, a Native man went into the emergency room in Vancouver and he was having a diabetic attack and his breath smells sweet and smells like wine, I guess you could say. But he needed anything like a chocolate bar or orange, anything with sugar.

But they turned him away because they thought, Native man, emergency room, he's drunk. And he died in the parking lot. And I brought that example the next class. And she said, well, that's just one example. And I finished my year, and I couldn't go back to the health care system after that. And we did have a nurse's talking circle. And the way I

say it like that is because nothing happened. They just defended their style of teaching. And so I thought, this is pointless. I can't go into this system that is going to be doing this. And it wasn't just Native people. They definitely had stereotypes about all people, and none of them were good. And so I went back into the arts, and I found out that the arts, there's a lot more healing for my people than the health care probably ever will. So through performance, talking about our treaties, performance theater, and through talking about the jingle dress which is a healing dress dance bringing that home teaching the young people about our traditional ways in through dance camp that is how we heal and I've seen a lot more healing happen through the arts than I ever seen than anybody going through our health care system and so that's kind of the path we eventually took and

I feel I feel much better about that path. And I'm sorry to say I'm not a doctor. Mostly I wanted the name. So maybe I'll get my PhD in something. But yeah, that was my plan. And I'm still very grateful for the healthcare providers that are going against the grain and saying, like, this is not okay. Because there's, you know, tons of great healthcare professionals, and they have to deal with backing up why they don't stereotype. And I'm like, I support you, and I know it's hard, and I gave up and went away. But I'm so thankful that some of them held strong. And we're like, no, we're going to change this.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is here. of them held strong and we're like, no, we're going to change this. is charging Apple Watch, getting you eight hours of charge in just 15 minutes. The Apple Watch Series 10, available for the first time in glossy jet black aluminum. Compared to previous generations, iPhone XS or later required, charge time and actual results will vary. Mayday, mayday. We've been compromised. The pilot's a hitman.

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Y'all need a pilot. Flight Risk. It's so interesting that part of what you do now, it's not purely artistic and tradition based but also it's sort of like this is your way of stepping into the role of healing at scale rather than just one to one but larger numbers of people

so where do you go from there do you go back home or do you go somewhere well I mean the arts has opened tons of doors it's been a wonderful adventure. After college and that experience, that's when I fell in love with my husband. And his family was doing the exact same thing that my family was doing.

Oh, no kidding. Yeah. Did the families know each other before? We didn't know each other. We actually have a picture where they're in the background at the same event. And I'm like, what is happening? So it's very, yeah, it's very exciting. So, of course, we just walked, walked right into it.

We knew what to do. We knew how we wanted to teach and educate. And like I said, my husband is an amazing flautist. So he went into music the way I went into storytelling. And that I said, my husband is an amazing flautist. So he went into music the way I went into storytelling. And that's kind of what we do. And when I hear the stories of the Southwest, he tells me them, and then he creates the music. And I'm like, oh, this is the song that goes with the story. And you didn't know it yet, but this is it. And he would say, yeah, that is it. So then sometimes the title of the song would match. But his song, the album that he was working on when we met,

later became called The Sounds of Beauty. And before that, he had Melodies of the Cane Flute Volume 1 and Melodies of the Cane Flute Volume 2. But if you hear Sounds of Beauty, it is the most loving songs. They're so beautiful. And I think they emulate the time that we met and we were so full of love. And that track one is called Violet. And it's so beautiful because when we met and before when we were getting to know each other, we went on this beautiful walk. We were in Florida and I was terrified that an alligator would come out of nowhere, but we walked around this water area and fireflies came out and it was sparkling everywhere

and the stars were out. And I mean, you could almost hear this song being created with what we were talking about. So when I play the song, I'm reminded right back to that moment of ultimate bliss of getting to know what would eventually be my husband. But the funny thing with that is three months before I met my husband, I dreamed of dancing in an area that had stone and trees all around it. And me and my mom were actually doing a performing arts piece in Ottawa, Ontario. And we were, in the morning, I told my mom about this dream that I'm dancing in this area where there's stone and there's trees all around and it's really lush. And at the time it was November, so it was like icy and cold out there. And she's like, where is this

place? This is a beautiful dream. and I was on the bed and she was getting ready and I see the tv and the tv had the image of my dream the the area I was in and it goes visit Italy and I go that's where that's where I need to go that's my dream and my mom goes great I'll get a grant and we'll get going up there and I said no no in my dream I go by myself and she's like are you sure and I said no, in my dream, I go by myself. And she's like, are you sure? And I said, yeah, yeah, I'm pretty sure I go by myself. So three months later, my now husband, his father comes in to our changing room and says, can anybody go to Italy next month? And I don't even know this family, but I'm like, I have to get to Italy.

I'm going to go. And so he goes, good. And he walks out and I go, wait, who is that guy? What's going on? And it turns out his name is Ken. And he was saying a prayer for his son. And he said, please bring a queen for my son. At that time, I was holding a title called Miss Indian World, which is the highest pageant you can go to. So technically, you can call me a queen at that time. So with him saying that and with my dream, we were like destined. And when we went to Italy, I kept expecting this miracle to happen. But we never went to that plaza that I was dancing in. And I thought, why am I here? What is going on? But you're with him. I'm with Tony for two

weeks and I'm waiting for this moment to appear. And me and Tony are on the tour bus and we're talking, we go for, we wake up early for cafecitos and it was just the best two weeks ever. And I never would have been so curious because I'm looking for this plaza and he's helping me and we're on this adventure and we never found the plaza. And I just fell in love with this man. And when I got home, I'm telling my mom, yeah, I never found the plaza, but oh, and Tony this and Tony that, and he's so amazing. And my mom said, I think I know why you had to go to italy and i was like oh i think you're right it wasn't about the plaza and yeah so yeah the most beautiful love songs uh came out of that

that union so we courted for like eight months and then i took the plunge and moved to arizona which i'd never been to arizona before i, what's that like for you at that point moving to? You know what? It's going to be really weird. But I was like, I was like, I'm coming. I'm coming to Arizona. And Tony didn't even invite me. I was like, by the way, I'm coming to Arizona. I don't know. This is not about you. This is. Just prepare yourself. This is what's going to happen. I'm coming. Get ready. And yeah, I like just went for it.

And my mom was like, what? Arizona? Why would you go there? I'm like, I don't know. I need to go there. I need to change a pace. And I mean, I came here and it's like we just went walking right in tune. And it was just me and Tony against the world. Or I mean, he would follow me and I would follow him.

And that's kind of how it's always been now. We do shows together, but we are always creating different spaces for sharing. We're on the same wavelength with trying to share and educate at the same time. So he loves the world stage and I love elementary and high schools because that's where I was bullied the most that's where I feel the most need is our young people we need to remind them that we're not stuck in the past this is us today and Tony is saying look world here we are this is what we're doing today so it's really neat yeah it's like complimentary um you have all that you have like

the full spectrum covered we hope so we hope so we have no idea what we're doing at the same time so we just hope so anybody we're all just making it up as we go right exactly yes um so when when it's it's interesting that you use you talk about stories and you talked about song. Are they distinct things to you? Hmm. My storytelling has been, I mean, it's weaved throughout my entire life is storytelling. It was, there are road trips. It was either stories or reggae.

My dad was like, he had a book of cassettes with all reggae. You would think that there was not so much reggae in the world because that would be it. And he was our driver and we would go for four days, no TV and no iPads. So we're like, we need a break. And I love reggae. But I mean, after four days, nonstop, you're like, okay, it's too easy going in here. And so my mom would tell us a story. And sometimes these stories would be, you know, giants and animals who could speak and mountains that came alive and that they're sleeping now.

And you would hear my dad's stories about the history of our people. And some of it was so sad. And some of it was so funny. And some of it would come back to back with sadness and humor. And you don't know if you're crying because you're happy or you're crying because it's so horrible. And storytelling was just the way of going about things in my life, my family's life. And my grandfather was also a storyteller. He comes from Cuba.

He's Taino. And his stories were so different from our stories in northern Alberta. And it was so cool to see them. And I still use them with my children because they think they're hearing a bedtime story, but I'm reminding them to have respect for their teachers because giants are seen as our elders. And when we talk about a giant in a story, and if a trickster was being disrespectful, it's hopefully in their tired minds. Have respect for your elders,

which is your teachers at this point. And because you never know what's going to happen because trickster, he lost his eyeballs singing the song that would send his eyeballs out. And he didn't listen to the instruction and his eyeballs went out and he sang the song too many times and he lost them and that's my favorite story it sounds crazy right now but that's my favorite story because um you get to hear about all these animals and it's uh it's when you learn it finally i didn't finally get the lesson until i was like third year of college that i called home and I said, mom, mom, I get the story now.

It's about blah, blah, blah. And she's like, I know. That's why I've been telling you this whole time. I'm like, oh, okay. I thought you didn't know. And so I'm hoping my children will realize that, that these stories aren't just bedtime stories or stories to pass the time, that they are really valuable teaching tools on respect and kindness and generosity. Yeah. So you and Tony work together a lot now. I mean, it sounds like it's a combination also of

sharing traditional stories and songs and music, but also, are you creating and writing all your own new stuff? I mean, my favorite stuff is the older stuff because I just make it current by throwing in some new characters. New references. Yeah, yeah. And that's what keeps it current today so they can relate to it. So my favorite stuff is our traditional stories. I can never get a new story to ever resonate the way those ones do.

Yeah, they're just so powerful. And when I remember somebody was in hiding with this story and said, this needs to be passed down, I'm like, okay, I have to keep telling this. Somebody might have lost their life or might have been imprisoned. I have to keep telling their story. And whether it's becoming a bedtime story or a story to a bunch of non-native children I've never met. Somebody needs to hear the story.

And sometimes it comes out like that, where I mean to tell one story and the whole energy of the room is ready for this other one, which is sometimes more serious or more funny. And it's really cool how the stories can do that. The only problem is our traditional stories are very long like three days long oh my god yeah it's so long that sometimes when a storyteller is telling you're like maybe they forgot the story because we're talking this we're like been talking for like five hours and then the storyteller will bring back pieces it's like a netflix series that you're like hey

there's that guy again it's like the foreshadow yes yes and only you know my grandmother was great at that then I'm like maybe she forgot she started with this story no she didn't forget she knows exactly where she is uh where she ended off and it'll be sometimes I won't see her for a couple weeks and she'll come back to where we were and it's I'm like didn't that already happen and I'm like wait, wait a second, how are you making this up? And it comes back. And I mean, that is the artistry of storytelling, is to remember these crazy facts. Right.

I'm just thinking to remember the details of a story that takes potentially days to unfold. That's pretty stunning. I mean, it has to be so embodied. It can't just be memorized. It has to be like, something's got to almost be moving through you to be able to just access it so automatically and readily. And I've tried to put storytellers on the spot and say, Oh, here's so-and-so tell them this story, tell them. And they refuse. And I'm like, why are they being like that? And I feel it too. Sometimes people aren't ready for the stories. They're not ready for the lesson.

And it's not like they're being naughty or they don't deserve to hear this story. But like any healer, they see another healing that needs to be done first. So there's formats to story. Sometimes there's simple stories like how the skunk got its spray and this smell. And there's a deeper story to the skunk because actually that skunk spray, some tribes, mine included, captures it. And when you're sick, you can ingest it. And when you hear this story, if you cut right to the chase of ingesting it, you're like, oh, these people are disgusting. Who would do that? But when you just hear the story of the skunk and the spray, and you hear it's actually a medicine

animal, it's a powerful animal. People think of them in outside of the road and it smells and stuff. No, this is a powerful being. So first you have to learn to have respect for this animal. It's not just a wild animal that this actually has medicine. So when you value it and you respect the skunk, then you can respect what it has, which is that smell or the spray. And then you can respect how you could use that. And the same goes with the porcupine. The porcupine has these sharp quills and you don't mess with it. And you talk about having respect for the porcupine, but then you can use its quills when it shoots them and you can flatten them and make beautiful designs and weaving with them.

And traditionally before beads, we would use quill work, but first starts with that first story on having respect for that animal. And once you realize the story that goes into your beadwork, if it's florals or geometric, you first learn the respect of this animal. And we didn't kill the porcupine to get its quills, but you're remembering that this came from a living being and that this is the artistry that came from it and why we have respect for the porcupine but if you cut right to the designs and cool work and and this is what we wear you forget about the first story so sometimes people can only hear that first story and I'm like no no no get to the good part get to the good part where we talk about this and they're like no not yet and i'm like but me as a storyteller i'm i'm almost getting it i usually want to tell people the good parts

of the story i'm like the movie person that's like oh you gotta watch this part pay attention here but uh i i'm eventually stepping back and reading people now and i think that goes into storytelling that you you have to see what people are ready for and learning that there's stages and that you don't have to, if you have time, like four days to kill, to tell stories, then maybe it'll be a good time to do that.

But sometimes people don't have time or they're not ready or they just maybe need one little story and that'll make their day about just generosity, listening, whatever it is. Or maybe a reggae song. Or maybe some Bob Marley. We love him. I love Bob Marley. I mean, he's a huge motivator.

Yes. My dad had to wreck it for us. I love that. I just love that visual. The cassette box. Yes, it was very treasured too. This is so wonderful. It's fascinating.

So we are going to weave in some of you and Tony together also. But before we get to that, I want to kind of come full circle. So the name of this is Good Life Project. And if I offer up the phrase to you, to live a good life, what comes up? To live a good life is to have respect for all things, all beings, that we are all on our own paths. To give a good life or to live a good life is to live it to the fullest, to explore and create and to inspire. Live a good life is to truly live. Thank you. Thanks.

Thank you so much for listening. And thanks also to our fantastic sponsors who help make this show possible. You can check them out in the links we have included in today's show notes. And while you're at it, if you've ever asked yourself, what should I do with my life? We have created a really cool online assessment that will help you discover the source code for the work that you're here to do. You can find it at sparkotype.com. That's S-P-A-R-K-E-T-Y-P-E.com. Or just click the link in the show notes. And of course, if you haven't already done so, be sure to click on the subscribe button in your listening app so you never miss an episode. And then share, share the love. If

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