small Métis community called Vogar, Manitoba. My mother had
ten children and I was born the eldest girl. My grandmother
was a key figure in my life at an early age. Although she was a
widow, she was strong and by choice remained an independent
woman. She was the backbone of our family and taught us
many things through her actions. My father had to travel to
Winnipeg to work and because of that I rarely saw him in
my early years; however, I knew he was always there and we
could count on him. He would send money to my mom for
food, clothing and to buy school supplies. When I was six, my
parents decided to move to Winnipeg and that’s when my life
changed drastically. We were one of the few Aboriginal families
that lived in the city. My mother worked to supplement my
dad’s income and we all had to find ways to meet some of our
basic needs and make things work at home. Things felt chaotic
at times but we somehow managed to survive these turbulent
years. I now realize what our obstacles were as a family, but at
the time we found ways to overcome them. I remember a time
when we lived in the Point Douglas area, my brother Glen
walked a long ways to get to Tec Voc High School every morning
because we didn’t have bus fare. I now realize how determined
he was to get his high school diploma and go on to university.
Although we had to deal with poverty, racism and alcoholism,
we all kept on going. Being the eldest sister, I felt responsible
for my younger siblings. I thank my parents, my grandmother
and my older brother Glen for being role models for me. I
thank my cousins and siblings because together we all found
a way to keep on going.
In my heart I knew I wanted to be an educator too, but life
circumstances didn’t allow this to happen until later in life. In
some cases it was a matter of readiness, but once I made up my
mind I realize now that the doors of opportunity kept opening.
I went back to university later in life when my children were
all old enough to take care of themselves. I worked hard and
had to overcome many obstacles but I somehow managed.
I can honestly say that racism, poverty and discrimination have
been barriers in my life but these are obstacles that can be dealt
with in different ways. If we have an important goal to achieve
we can get past negative energy that prejudice creates. Our in-
ner sources of energy and our inner strength will always get us
through when we have a goal and good intentions. It is impor-
tant that we recognize that each of us carries ignorance with
us, which is why education is so important. There is always
something yet to learn.
Each step of the way, each obstacle I met, I can now say I did it
because it was me who ultimately made it to where I am today.
In many cases there is someone to thank who was always there
to support or guide me. In other cases, I had to stop and reflect
on my life and rely on my inner resources to move forward or
get through difficult times.
Today I am a middle years teacher at one of the schools I once
attended. I enjoy teaching these grade levels because I remem-
ber my own life as a young person and recognize through my
own experiences that these are some of the toughest years, but
also some of the best times of our lives. I feel that my presence
alone as an Aboriginal woman in the school makes a difference
for some of my Aboriginal students. It helps set them at ease
because they are able to see a bit of themselves in me. Simply
because I am Aboriginal like them, they find comfort in my
presence.
I now realize that it took belief in myself to get to where I am today.
I believe that anybody can overcome obstacles and pursue
their own dreams. I believe that if our dreams are good and our
heart is in the right place we end up where we are supposed to be.
Sometimes we need to figure out what our purpose is and some-
times our purpose in life finds us. Whatever the case, a good
education is important because it helps us make sense of life.
One of our teachings I’ve heard is that our youth are our future
because they carry our hopes and dreams of a better future.
As a grandmother and a teacher, it is my role to nurture the
dreams of my students and the young people in my life. I value
the energy and vision of the youth because it is the youth who
dream big for all of us and I hope to support this growth as a
teacher. Although many of our own families and communities
still need role models, many of our youth are already leading
the way. Some of my own teachers have been young people in
my life, including my own family members.
Iris Bernice Chartrand - Mikizii Ikwe
E D U C AT I O N / T R A I N I N G
Bachelor of Education degree
19
My story begins in a
R O L E S / R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S
Teacher, including mother, wife, sister, aunty, grandmother.
Ab. Education (Mar24-09)FINAL.indd 19
3/24/09 3:08:56 PM