Ni’noxsola – Trish McPhail
Biography
Kitasoo & Heiltsuk Nations
I respectfully acknowledge that the land we gather on is on the Unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, the traditional keepers of this land.
Hello, my name is Trish McPhail, I am from the Kitasoo Heiltsuk Nations. I live in the beautiful Comox Valley on Vancouver Island with my husband of 28 years & our three amazing children.
I would like to share with you a little bit about who I am. During my school years I grew up in many different towns & communities in BC. I began my childhood in Haida Gwaii, where I was so lucky to live until I was in Grade 4. I am grateful for living in a small remote mining town because it allowed for incredible connections to nature.
I have a deep love for the ocean, rivers, forests & our coastal wildlife.
I was adopted and as an adult I discovered that I was a 60’s+ Scoop Baby; taken against my birth mother’s will & given to a non-Indigenous family. Due to this practice, myself and thousands of other children like me were deprived of the opportunity to be raised with the traditional teachings of our beautiful Indigenous ways.
I am now embracing my roots as I deepen my learning of our remarkable culture alongside our children and I am happy to say that we have been reunited with many of our relatives, including my birth mother.
What I have come to understand is that there is a blood memory that is so strong, that our beautiful way of being is woven into the core fibres of who we are. Knowing where you come from helps us walk taller & embracing who we are speaks volumes of our incredible resilience.
I am honoured to be a part of the Indigenous Education Team of SD71, guiding our youth along their education journeys allows deeper connections as we heal & move forward together.
Every Child Matters
