All My Relations

Abstract

To Jade, identity and belonging are synonymous, and the environments in which humans exist either curate interconnectivity or disconnection. This piece will lead you through an exploration of the writer’s identity, focusing on continual growth and what connection means to her as an Indigenous woman. This journey accounts for the impacts of settler systems, describing how the ideology of individuality contrasts with Indigenous culture, specifically, interconnectivity. This piece centers on Indigenous ways of knowing and how that knowledge coincides with equity, harmony, and unity. Jade speaks to her account and experiences of racism, self-rejection, and her continued curation of belonging. Jade hopes her story will be a voice for those who have struggled with identity and belonging. All my relations.