An exploration of Indigenous identity reclamation and how vital it is for becoming and being an Indigenous Dietitian. A podcast for all Indigenous students aspiring for a career in health.
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Music credits:
Music credits:
“The Narrows (instrumental)” by Chad Crouch
“Turquoise” by Podington Bear
“Ghost Byzantine” by Blue Dot Sessions
Photo credit:
Photo taken and edited by Taryn
Transcription:
Jennifer: There’s 1200 registered dieticians in BC, but only three of them are indigenous. And that was just shocking to me like it made me angry. Like, why? Why Why?
Taryn: ‘Uy’ Skweyul friends. Today we are hearing from two amazing Indigenous women and their experiences in managing the intersectionality between being indigenous and studying or practicing dietetics. Do dietetics and indigeneity clash or do they work in harmony? As an indigenous dietetic student myself, I had to find out. We will be hearing from Jessie, a practicing Registered Dietitian in indigenous health who works on Vancouver Island. And Jennifer, a dietetics student at UBC. Jessie wisely articulates how identity is so connected to overall well being.
Jessie: Did a talk with the fourth year dietetic students like last week,
I was talking about the indigenous determinants of health and how identity is such a huge issue. And that lack or loss of identity has like such a huge effect on wellness. And so just, I think it has a lot to do with like society and the media kind of like having this idea of what an indigenous person should be like what makes an authentic, indigenous Indian indigenous person. Indigenous people also have those ideas about themselves and of each other. And so it’s really hard to kind of like live up to that. And of course, none of it is our fault that our culture has been taken away. But I do think that we have a responsibility, I think we should be taking this on as much as we’re able to. And so one thing that I’ve done recently is like, I downloaded the Xaayda Kil app and the Kwak’wala app, which are two of my, my languages. And so I’ve dedicated myself to it a bit like every week, I’m like, I’m going to learn like at least one new phrase, or started to introduce myself in one of my languages as well, which is something that I’ve kind of always struggled with, just because I was like, Well, nobody really understands it. So why am I – I don’t, but then it’s like, every time I hear somebody speaking in their language, like it’s so powerful, and it’s like important that people know that it’s alive and that we’re learning, and it’s not gone, and they haven’t won.
Taryn: Yes.
Jessie: And so that’s something that I’ve started to do. And I think it’s important because it kind of makes people uncomfortable a little bit. And it’s difficult for me too, because a lot of the tables that I sit at are mostly white people. And so yeah, so that’s something that I’ve taken on recently, I would say even just within the last, like two weeks or so. But yeah, it’s just so important for every indigenous person, I would say to just know that, like all indigenous people struggle with identity, and it’s common, and, you know, we shouldn’t feel bad about it. But as much as you can take it on, to learn a bit more about your culture, I think it’s important to visit your traditional territory. I think displacement of indigenous people had a huge effect as well.
Jennifer: You know, you hear these kinds of responses, how people say that, ”Oh, you don’t look indigenous,” and they say it in a way that’s almost as if it’s like a compliment in a way. And to me, it makes me feel discriminated against, because they’re basically telling me who I am when I’m on my own kind of path towards, you know, reclaiming my heritage and my identity. And a huge part of that was lost throughout the history of my family too, because my grandmother was taken out of her home and we didn’t even know of our indigenous heritage and ancestry until I think it was 1994. You know, the reason why I am here and studying and working so hard is because of my grandmother. You know, she was just such an amazing woman. She just radiated all this strength and really resilience, and beauty. Even just talking to her, you never knew what she went through. She never really wanted to talk about it. But, you know, she had just this amazing energy and love that I really embody. And, you know, going through any tough time I just think back to how proud she was of me and, you know, move forward with that feeling and know that I can kind of get through anything.
Taryn: Jennifer grew up in Victoria BC, but her grandmother was displaced from her family as a child. Fortunately, they were able to reunite with that family at their ancestral lands in the Yukon. There, they made memories over some traditional foods.
Jennifer: You know, we showed up there and our family had been out hunting that day and they’ve made or they were making moose burgers for dinner, and I thought that was just such a weird thing at the time. For me, I’d only ever really had like McDonald’s burgers, but a moose burger, what is that? But yeah, it was really great. Yeah, I wish we were a lot closer. I mean, parts of me, I’ve been trying to kind of regain this identity of myself. But I’ve struggled with the challenge of trying to do that with being so far away from my band. In the last couple of years I have started to kind of connect with other indigenous groups. Since I’ve been in school, I started mentoring with the YWCA, YWCA, women’s mentorship program, indigenous mentorship program. And I’ve just been connected with this amazing group of other women and young Indigenous women. And then I started in the indigenous Public Health Training at UBC as well too. So, connecting with other groups of indigenous people have been really nice. But I hope to go up to the Yukon one time and connect with that family up there.
Taryn: I couldn’t help but notice that Jennifer is absolutely following Jessie’s advice, but unknowingly. She’s learning about indigenous health and culture. She aims to reconnect
with her family and ancestral land in the Yukon. And she is following one of Jessie’s most important strategies for success as an indigenous dietitian…
Jessie: Strategy is building relationships. And that really is my work. Trying to, I guess, stay connected with everything that’s going on in community and all the opportunities that are happening, especially around funding and people who can really like make things happen in community around a nation’s food sovereignty goals or wellness initiatives. So yeah, that’s huge. And so, I think it’s definitely important to have all that knowledge around like medications and like blood sugar targets and like, stuff like that. But yeah, it’s definitely also important to know that like, we have lower rates of diabetes in communities that have more language speakers or that engage in cultural practices. And like when I was working in diabetes, it was always a merger of the two.
Taryn: I have learned that indigenous dietitians juggle not only their personal relationships with the Western health system, and indigenous culture, but they can also influence norms about that intersectionality in the people they interact with, students, co-workers, supervisors, clients, patients, community members, because they are role models and gatekeepers for indigenous people navigating an often repressive health system and for non-indigenous people learning about indigenous culture and social justice.
Jennifer: Knowing that, you know, we are going to be one of the first five registered dietitians in BC that are indigenous, it’s just you know, I said it already it’s, it’s shocking, but it’s also empowering at the same time too; that, you know, we can kind of utilize our different strategies of, you know, our our family’s traditions, utilize what we’re being taught in school and, and then go out and teach and help others in the community. Yeah, no, I’m definitely speaking out more. And as I said, already, kind of, you know how proud I am, proud to be part of this movement of being outspoken as someone that’s, you know, successfully pursuing a higher education and following my dreams and doing all the things I’ve always wanted to do.
Taryn: Jennifer’s indigenous connection, her grandmother, gave her the strength and courage to work hard and go after her dreams, even when things might be challenging. I have no doubts that she will and does make a huge impact on the communities she works with. Jessie and Jennifer have taught me that indigenous ways of knowing, learning, being, and belonging can be integrated into modern healthcare systems and health professions such as dietetics. I hope their wisdom has enlightened you as much as it has enlightened me. Huy ch q’u.