Lindsay Galbraith was my most influential teacher on my path to becoming an educator. Lindsay was instructing a UNBC Geography course in Skidegate, Haida Gwaii. I was on a path learning about the colonial impacts on the indigenous people of this country in a previous class with another instructor. I was beginning to understand in pursuing my university education why some of the vicious cycles of abuse were so dominant in my life, family and community. With compassion and empathy I was quickly moved to a place of healing and understanding. Eventually Lindsay challenged me to see and identify some of these injustices by government of Canada. After acknowledging one injustice she challenged me to brainstorm some solutions and engage with my community to create some dialogue for potential steps to reconciliation. While this whole process was very eye opening, it also channeled much of the energies that accompanied it into study that was beneficial and healing. Her teachings stick with me still today as I explore my responsibility to educate and the importance of achieving right and title.
