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2 3 3 g g 8 z 5 COMMUNITY # BRING AWARENESS z = OF INDIGENOUS é Oakville Bea insidehalton.com ? ISSUES TO THE = NON-INDIGENOUS 2 COMMUNITY Meet Lynda Nicholson (Partridge) of the Algon- quins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, ¥ who isamem- luskoka Area Tedisenos Lenton Ta- ble. TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOUR PASSION? Iam a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation. lama mother, a grandmother, a wife, an auntie, a sister and a great- ther. This is my passion. This is what drives me. I grew up in the child welfare system and spent y childh« Tous non! indigenous foster homes. While obtaining my undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Social Work (Native Human Services), I found my birth family and reconnected with my Indig- enous culture. I am a re- tired social worker. Iam the author of Indigenous chil- dren's books under my pen name Lynda Partridge. My passion is trying to bring awareness of Indigenous is- sues to the non-Indigenous community. Itisfor usall to live to respect one another's cultures and ways of seeing the world while causing no harm to anyone. Q: TELL US WHAT DRIVES YOU. A: What drives me aside from everything to do with my family and friends and a aware of the real history of their country, includi the bad. In May of 2021, when the general popula- 9 #12-511 Maple Grove Dr. 905.339.3366 YA EWS sk A {era oer apy Seek ‘Biot Aare lee oh a Sa le Oakville Place Shopping Centre 905.849.3874 ‘KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY’ 2 PASSION IS T0 m became aware of the strociticn done to the chil- dren, it triggered me be- cause the child welfare sys- tem for Indigenous chil- dren was just an extension of residential schools. Na- tionally and globally, many competent well-voiced In- non-Indigenous sector. My goal is to do this on a small- er scale. I am an urban In- igenous w who speaks only from my own experiences and my point of view. I do not speak for all Menus people. am, hope and Poy are that someday Bra- cebridge/Muskoka will be a leader in the acknowledg- ment of Indigenous issues. and also so well versed in the history of how they came to be on this jand that it is second nature for ev- eryone to know we Red Dress Day means. What the Day for Truth and Recon- ‘ ii ‘Nn i iN hie bil Oakville South 9 #118-1060 Speers Rd. a 905.842.1702 Lynda Nicholson (Partridge) of the Algonquins of Pikwal Lynda Nicholson (Partridge) photo inagan First Nation who is a member of the Muskoka Area Indigenous Leadership Table. ciliation (Orange Shirt Day) actually is and means. And the same for all our other days brance. I'd like to see this town's 'S re eeec te acknowl- these days just as they de do Canadian holidays. I want to ensure that what (°) Burlington #2-2230 Brant St. 905.631.6789 happened in the past is nev- er forgotten and never be- comes yesterday's news, but at the same time, I want to see us moving forward together in a good way. I'd like to see our flag fly al- ways with the Canadian flag at town hall. If people are not educated on the truth, there can be no rec- onciliation. Q: WHAT WAS THE BEST AD- VICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED AND FROM WHOM? A: The best advice i ever received was from an Indig- enous Elder Ilene Johnson, who, when I was flounder- ing with identity, said nev- er be ashamed of who you are. You have as much right to your culture as anyone. Creator knows who you are. Today I keep that al- ways in my heart. Q: IF NON-INDIGENOUS CANA- DIANS LEARN ONE THING ABOUT INDIGENOUS HISTORY THIS MONTH, WHAT SHOULD THAT BE? : I think it is really im- portant for all Canadians to read the Truth and Recon- tion Report. Learn about our history. Canadi- ans need to work toward e. ww that we are not going away. Fr ‘SCAN THIS CODE EEL roe tan Mah through Storytelling overage. Don’t miss out on the sounds that you love. Check your hearing. Your hearing helps you stay connected to those who matter most, enjoy all the sights and sounds around you, and maintain a good quality of life. Get your hearing checked by a licensed hearing care professional at your local Connect Hearing clinic. Book your FREE" hearing test today! 1.888.850.9979 + connecthearing.ca Connect Hearing YOUR HEARING PROFESSIONALS Save up to $2,000 ona pair of Select level hearing aids with your CAA membership!” CA) pawatts