She supported Mayi Kuwayu: The National Study of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing. One at the Well Living House at Unity Health Toronto, and a second that sent her all the way to Australia, where she worked at the Australian National University. She met other Indigenous students, guest speakers and notably, the administrative team and concentration’s program leads at the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health, who made her feel at home. Once admitted, Gustafson jumped into her studies and the concentration in Indigenous health. That impacted the way I reacted to the acceptance.” “We were all reflecting and thinking about our shared experiences as Indigenous youth from opposite ends of the world. On her trip, she received her acceptance letter from Dalla Lana. As part of a knowledge exchange, she, along with other Indigenous youth, stayed with a Māori family. She describes a trip to New Zealand in her last year of her undergraduate degree at McMaster University as a pivotal point in the journey. Her confidence would strengthen as she grew older. I didn’t talk about it or say ‘Well, actually, I am Indigenous.’” I think part of me was trying to protect myself. “I didn’t realize that it was wrong, and that I was internalizing some of it. But she also heard things not meant for her ears. She believes it has shielded her from the overt racism her peers might have faced. She would hear the offhand comments, “‘Oh well, we will just keep you out of school that day because you don’t need to go to that,’” she recalls.Īlong with her Indigenous roots, Gustafson has settler ancestry. She vividly remembers when classmates skipped the yearly powwow because their parents didn’t think it was important to go. “I realized in the last five or six years that I wasn’t always open about my Indigenous roots because of the racism that I encountered growing up,” she says. Gustafson’s journey has been one of acceptance of the adversity she faced during her studies, in society and from within. She took part in the Indigenous Collaborative Program based at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, an experience she says reaffirmed her commitment to improving Indigenous health. She was born and raised in Fort Frances, Ont. Gustafson, a member of Couchiching First Nation, has Ojibwe and settler ancestry. She’s been an amazing role model for me and knowing what she went through made my experience that much more meaningful.” “She did end up going back to school later in life, and has since obtained a number of degrees including her master’s of education. She was just trying to get by,” Gustafson says. At my age, post-secondary was not an option for her. “My mom was living on her own to cope with the impacts that colonization had on her family. Indigenous Peoples who pursue higher education experience barriers, Gustafson says. “It made me feel really proud of who I am and where I come from, and I think that’s important.” “I was really excited to wear them because, for a lot of people, moccasins are a symbol of Indigenous cultures,” says Gustafson, who recently graduated with a master’s degree in public health, health promotion and Indigenous health. Maureen Gustafson walked towards the stage at her University of Toronto convocation wearing the moccasins her mother gave her the day before.
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