I am Canadian, born and raised in Prince George, British Columbia, where I was fortunate enough to learn French and English in school. This competency shaped me immensely in my youth as I came to value the opportunities, but especially the connections and relationships with others, that French afforded me. Since 2015 I have also been learning, at an on-and-off snail’s pace, Mexican Spanish. For much of my young adulthood–which I am still in–I had dreams of traveling to Mexico to teach. Now, the idea tears at the roots that ground me in place, and I know that growing where I am planted doesn’t mean I can’t move, but that the soil of British Columbia holds all, and deep and laterally connected roots–which will take time to place–are what will bring richness and connection to my life.
On a deeper, more true, and complex level, I am more than a bilingual Canadian from British Columbia. I am a mixed settler and Mi’kmaq with the settler portion of my ancestry being largely comprised of French and German ancestry, and dominating my lineage. This is because my paternal grandparents are French and German from the prairies in Alberta, while my maternal grandparents are Québécois (grandfather) and Acadian (grandmother). Thus, my French comes from many places, with some overlap with the lands of my Nation, the coastal areas of Gaspé, which span Québec and New Brunswick. The physical distance between my immediate family and the land of my Nation makes manifest the tangible distance between myself and my Nation, and therefore the part of my identity that is Indigenous. Moreover, like most Indigenous people and Peoples, the story is not a complete one.
A final complexity of my identity that is a manifestation of the connection between people, place and land, is how I am simultaneously pulled to connect with the Lheidli T’enneh whose ancestral lands I call home, as well as the Nation de la Rivière de l’Orme who may hold part of my story but whose land and place is disconnected from me entirely. Ultimately, I believe that my connection with the land connects me to the Lheidli T’enneh more than my relations connect me to the Elm Tree River First Nations, but I hope to learn enough about my past to also honour the indigenous voices that tell me where I am from, not just physically but also metaphysically.
I have a degree in Philosophy of which I am very proud and over which people have a plethora of reactions, never akin to indifference and often akin to bemusement regarding my choice of study.
I have recently taken up mountain biking, which I adore, and whose demands balance wonderfully with my beloved sport of choice, rock climbing. In particular, I prefer bouldering and have yet to acquire the community or equipment to do outdoor bouldering. Thus, I am very familiar with OVERhang. Otherwise, I have invested in equipment for outdoor lead climbing and top roping, and though it saw little use over this summer, I look forward to remedying that.
I am very fond, proud, and appreciative of my parents with whom I live and enjoy a steady, loving, and respectful relationship. I am so grateful to be so close to them and have their support in what I do.
I am the proud family and caretaker of a two-year-old lemon drop beagle, my little Blü(berry). I call him my sunshine, as he brightens my day, and he loves and depends on his Mami and Papi, my parents, just as much as I do.
https://mmebelle.opened.ca/my-beagle/: About Me
I am also an older sister who sometimes struggles to communicate well with my younger sister, whose playful, sassy, and humorous personality I will forever love. As we grow into ourselves as adults, I find us desiring to grow closer while also struggling to dismantle walls and mend wounds we’ve created together as we move through adulthood.
Interestingly, I have a curiously founded affection for and lack of knowledge of dinosaurs.
Last but not least of all, I am shaped by my partner, whom I am so fortunate and happy to be with. I spend most of my free time with him–especially doing the aforementioned outdoor activities, which are shared hobbies. Otherwise, we organize most of our get-togethers around getting together with others. My partner and I both value community immensely and keep good relationships with our friends and family, with whom we try to spend lots of quality time whenever possible. Perhaps you’ve observed through reading about me so far, but I am shaped through my relationships with those who mean the most to me. In truth, I find it very difficult to talk about myself without talking about the people, land, and places I am connected to.