Below, reposting a Facebook post spotlight I did for the CLS on Bernie Petit, who is working on some extremely exciting programs for us. One involves bison!!
Bernie Petit in the lab
A special #BehindTheLight in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, a spotlight on Bernie Petit, the CLS Education Coordinator for Indigenous Programs. Bernie was raised by family in Waywayseecappo First Nation.
Bernie joined the CLS in January, and she's got big things planned (but you'll have to wait a little longer to get all the details!).
"When I come into this position, I don't just represent myself. I also represent my family, my 15 children, my 32 grandchildren that walk behind me. Everything that I do has a very important impact on everyone coming behind me," she says.
Bernie draws on the value of wîcêhtowin, working together, everywhere in her work. "I can feel that at CLS, wîcêhtowin. Even though we may not know how to do it, we have a willingness to work together."
She has a background as a mental health therapist and worked for several years as a Director in First Nation communities. She saw a disconnect between decision-makers in health and education and the needs of Indigenous communities, and saw the CLS as a way to bridge that gap. She sees traditional knowledge and science as two overlapping ways to describe the world, and a perfect avenue to lift up Indigenous youth.
"When I connect with a student that's in grade 10, I have a vision of how I could guide that student on that pathway, to become a researcher knowing exactly what research will be exciting for them, and knowing that they belong there. I want that to be my life legacy."
