Take time and heal yourself first
By Daniel Mendoza
BARRIE – When it comes to giving advice to fellow youth, 18 year-old Nathalie Memegwanhs Restoule says that every day we should be walking towards and into success.
“I have faced many ‘bumps in the road’ being a youth, but I’ve learned to repair those bumps to keep moving forward,” says Restoule who is Odawa-Ojibwe from Dokis First Nation and ties to Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. “Being a youth, I’ve been looked down by older people, and have been told I can’t do things I desire to do because ‘I’m just a kid’. I have overcome these conflicts, and have had great success in achieving my goals, when others have looked down upon me.”
Restoule grew up in Dokis First Nation and is now living in Barrie, enrolled at Georgian College to study Anishinaabemowin language. She has also teamed up with Jordan Mowat of Alderville First Nation to create the singing group ‘Waaban’. They hope to record a CD together soon.
She says that growing up, her biggest role model was my older sister, Paige Restoule.
“Still to this day, she teaches me many teachings about how to walk in life a good way, and she is someone who will always be there for me no matter what,” says the younger sibling. “As a youth, and having teachings that I have received from people like my sister, this has built me into becoming a strong Anishinaabe woman. As a strong woman, I want to tell other woman to be who you are, and do what you believe is best for you. When you do what’s best for you, that’s when you find yourself. When you discover yourself, you discover the most beautiful person in the world. I always remind myself that, there is no one else in the world like me, and that goes for every other woman in our communities.”
Restoule says that when we recognize our beauty and gifts, we come to find ourselves easily – we come to appreciate ourselves.
“I want to encourage and remind our woman to never forget to take time for yourself, and to always heal yourself before you try and heal others. Once we are healed, our spirit becomes happy and refreshed. When I say ‘success is what you make of it’ it means, whatever you what it to be,” says Restoule. “Being successful is bringing life and meaning to something.”
Restoule, who is also the interim youth representative for the Anishinabek Nation says that the biggest success that she has seen with our First Nations, is how far we have come as a people.
“From out hardships in the past, we are still here and trying our best to live and carry on a good life for our future generations. Every day, we continue to walk towards, and into success. Be proud!”