Learn your history, teachings and language

By Christine McFarlane

TORONTO – Susan Blight is from Treaty#3 and a citizen of Couchiching First Nation but her ancestors are from Couchiching, Naicatchwenin, Mitaanjiigaming and Mishkosiminziibiing Anishinaabeg.

Blight works in programming and communications at First Nations House at the University of Toronto and loves her job.

“I work with great people and Indigenous students, whose dedication and critical thinking inspires me,” says Blight.

Aside from her day job, Blight is also an artist, a community-based arts educator, writer and the host of the Indigenous Waves radio show. Her writing and artwork is focused on Indigenous activism and anti-oppression. Last year she won the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) award for her anti-racism work at the University of Toronto. She is a member of the Indigenous Routes artist collective where each year they launch a program that provides free new media training to Indigenous youth.

Blight explains the complexity of what the term “strong anishinaabe woman” meant to her.

“Anishinaabe women have historically endured so much trauma and yet if you look around you today, even in the face of ongoing colonialism, you see strength and love. Things are not perfect by any means but as a people, our capacity for love is so great; that takes tremendous strength. I believe a strong woman lives with respect for her ancestors, for the people, for the future generations, for the land, and for herself.”

Blight believes that she has the capacity to be a strong woman, the more connected she is to her Anishinaabeg identity because she believes it make her feel stronger and she gathers strength from her family, ancestors and home territory.

“My great-grandmother, my grandmother, my mother, my aunts, and my sister have shown me what it means to be Anishinaabekwe. I strive to be as strong, loving, hard working and generous as they are,” says Blight.  “Be proud of where you come from. Your ancestors were strong people  – if they weren’t, you wouldn’t be here. Learn the history of your nation, the teachings of your people, your language, and do your best to be a good ancestor. It is all of our responsibility as Anishinaabeg to fight for a better future for the young and yet to be born. Mii i’iw izhitwaayaan. That’s what I believe.”