Blog Post: Meet Nikkita, Oshkwazin Trailblazer

I am excited for the opportunity to work with the Tracks Program because I enjoy learning about Indigenous culture and nature. Working within this field will help to make me feel more connected to nature and my roots.

I have always been fascinated by wildlife and nature. One day I would like to work in the environment science field and help to make a positive impact on the planet and help to achieve environmental sustainability. I enjoy spending time in the wilderness admiring all the amazing ways nature works. Learning how humans affect wildlife and what I can do about environmental issues has always interested me.

While I'm learning about nature with the Tracks Oshkwazin Summer Trailblazer program I also get to learn about Indigenous people and how they have always worked with the land in a sustainable way. I love how the Tracks Program weaves western knowledge and traditional Indigenous knowledge to make sense of the world around us. I believe it is especially important for young Indigenous people to learn this way because traditional knowledge has been undervalued for a long time. It has not been taught to us, our parents, our grandparents and even generations before that due to colonization. So much Indigenous knowledge has been lost through systems put in place to hide it. It deserves to be heard by our young people and passed down through future generations now more than ever so it can live on. Traditional Indigenous knowledge is sacred to this land and the key to living Mino Bimaadiziwin/ the good life.   

 I am excited to meet new people with similar interests and values. I hope to make connections that strengthen my relationships with the people in our community. Knowing other people feel the same as I do about environmental and Indigenous issues gives me hope for the future balance of all creation.