b'COVER STORYS P I L L I N G T H E T E A W I T H MONA HARDYBy Collin Graham, ONWA Community Development ManagerThe power of a story, laughter and a pot of tea is notonly medicinal but transformativeO n a cloudy Septemberprofound impact. She felt empowered, sheWith her degree in hand, Hardy went afternoon, with a potfelt her self-esteem rising and her moralson to watch society change and be an of tea brewing, thestrengthened. This is when she committedactive part of that change. She navi-story of Indigenousher life to making true change in the worldgated through systems in anti-human knowledge holder Mona Hardy begins. Thein a community-based way.trafficking, youth, violence against visit starts with laughter and ends with thewomen, the two-spirited and trans realization of how much impact one personBut before she could commit to changingcommunity, mental health, AIDS, and can truly make.the world, Hardy first needed to changepalliative care. She pioneered the way Mona Hardy is a vivacious, resilientherself. She did that by obtaining a mastersfor other trans people to gain access to Indigenous woman from Rocky Bay Firstdegree in educational psychology. She is alsobetter services and achieve an improved Nation. She grew up on the shores of Lakemultilingualfamiliar with five languagesquality of life. Nipigon, two hours northeast of Thunderand fluent in Ojibwe, her first language. Bay, Ontario. Having left home at an early age, she had to teach herself to live and survive in an urban centre that often discriminated not only against Indigenous people but also the trans community she was a part of. Society was not kind or supportive to her and other trans individuals during that time. Hardy quickly realized there was a lack of programs, services and supports for the trans community. She herself struggled with accessibility to housing and employment. Yet one day, things changed for her. Sometimes people cross our path without understanding the impact they make on us, and this was the case with Hardy. In her early twenties, she met a person who told her You have potential and that made a Ontario Native Womens Association19'