Page 18 | Spring 2022
the younger sister of Jackson . “ It was like growing up with your best friends . They really looked out for me and made sure I was included ,” says Nahanni .
Comparing her schooling experiences in Yellowknife to Saskatchewan , Nahanni says , “ In Yellowknife , the students were mostly Indigenous . We didn ’ t see each other as colour ; we saw people as their personalities . We were also taught Indigenous culture in our curriculum with activities like sewing class and a hunting class where teachers and Elders would take us out to the bush to learn how to snare rabbits and to dry meat . When we moved here , I felt like it was Danny and I , probably two out of the five Indigenous people in the school . It was hard making friends here . I ’ m just happy that I had Danny , he was kind of my best friend . I felt like I didn ’ t get bullied a lot . It took adapting to a new environment to learn who I am and I am happy in my place in life . I didn ’ t experience racism the way my mom did , but I felt that people did judge me by my look and not my personality .”
A couple years after moving to Regina Beach , however , their family became accepted as “ locals ” in the small town , and life became easier . “ Now I work at the Beach Bar and I ’ m a local and everyone knows me ,” says Nahanni .
When the time came for choosing a career , Nahanni couldn ’ t decide . “ When I graduated high school , I didn ’ t know what I wanted to do at all ,” she says . It wasn ’ t until she turned 21 that Nahanni took steps towards deciding on a career . She made a pros and cons list for a variety of career options , and education was the option that stood out for her . “ It checked off all the boxes : I ’ m good with people , love kids , and I want to be a good role model . I want kids to grow up with someone who actually cares because I feel like I ’ ve had teachers in the past , where some cared and some didn ’ t . I could see myself as a teacher who cares . Something inside of me spoke to me : ‘ Be a teacher .’ You just get those gut feelings .”
While many of her famly and friends affirmed and encouraged her choice to become a teacher , Nahanni remembers specifically one of her Lumsden high school teachers , Ms . Winter , who was a great influence on her . “ She was the one who paid close attention to me ; she built that student-teacher relationship . She made me feel seen and heard . Ms Winter would say , ‘ Your mom raised you well ’ and ‘ You ’ re a good kid .’ That made me feel seen as an individual who is capable , able to do things , even if I didn ’ t understand something right away .”