b'PARENTING AND KINSHIPEMPHASIS ON CULTURELandrys mother-in-law runs Red Echo Associates, located on Poundmaker Indian Reserve. Started in 1993, the organization offers Indigenous-based workshops, training, and counselling, with an emphasis on culturally appropriate approaches towards Indigenous healing. This is where Landry and her husband trained to become life skills coaches, and where they began to develop programming aroundAndrea Landry is raising her daughter on the reservation and teaching her Indigenous motherhoodto care for the land and respect all and Indigenous kinshiplife forms they share with itexperiences. Landry stresses that they dont like to call what they offer traditionalRealigning with how Indigenous peoples originally operated as parenting because there are already experts who are wise beyondfamilies is vital not only for the children of today, but for the future their years and who already carry the traditional knowledge neces- generations as well, stresses Landry. Fortunately, she has seen many sary. Instead, their work supplements what many Indigenousshifts and changes over the years as new conversations around peoples are already doing. Its just another necessary resource toIndigenous parenting and kinship systems unfold, often on social invite families to really look at how colonialism has impacted [their]media. There are many people sharing various workshops as well family, what does that look like today, and how do we move forwardas their own personal experiences and journeys. Families are taking from that, she says. the self-responsibility to heal and recognizing that its important to forgive our parents and our guardians, our mothers, our fathers, Whether it concerns the destruction of land and its natural resources,our family members in order for us to be the best parents and the Sixties Scoop, residential schools, dysfunction in the child welfareguardians that we can be in life, she says.system or Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls,Landry herself has written extensivelymainly online articles and Landry calls out these colonial systems for attempting to destroyblog postson the importance of finding a place of Indigenous love the very foundation of Indigenous nationhood by dissolving theirwithin herself and ending the cycles of discord and abuse with her family structures. own mother. Rather than holding onto pain, rather than holding Now were operating in a time and way where were bending overon to our trauma, were learning to let go and create a space of backwards for capitalism and colonialism in order to survive,healing and of love, she says. versus supporting our family members. So, there are a lot ofIn her own family, Landry is raising her daughter River-Jaxsen to struggles, a lot of barriers, a lot of isolation, and theres obviously abe unapologetically Indigenous. She emphasizes the importance of lot of trauma, abuse, and intergenerational effectsall these things,disengaging from authoritarian parenting patterns, implementing a Landry points out. dynamic of equality between parent and child, and creating open When it comes to reconciliation, Landry says it would first andlistening environments. Living with her daughter on the reserva-foremost require a deep commitment from the colonial powerstion, Landry is teaching her to care for the land and respect all life that still maintain this oppression. Weve had conversations withforms they share it with and takes time to showcase the importance different judicial bodies and [organizations] working with familiesof Indigenous land-based practices and to view them as successful in the child welfare system about how we can better assist them,ways of life. says Landry. But I always find that we take the first step to have theI think what were seeing is this momentum, and our generation is initial conversation and discussions, and then it kind of doesnt gotaking the torch from our parents generation who started the work. anywhere from there.It was our parents and our guardians who were beginning to show us this is how we heal, says Landry. FAMILY FOCUSED It may have been a lot harder for that generation, based on what As Landry puts it, the system will continue to do what it does, butthey went through, but there is hope that this work will continue, her main objective remains the same: working with the families.and there is no right way or wrong way so long as one keeps What it comes down to is its not really about reconciliation withtrying. Im not saying Im perfect; I make mistakes and mess up, colonialism or reconciliation with these colonial systems; its aboutsays Landry. But everything I do is for the babies and the babies reconciling with ourselves so that we can become strong enough inthat are comingensuring they have the tools necessary to work our self-power to support ourselves as we navigate through them,through whatever theyll need to work through in life in order to she notes.sustain healthy kinship systems. Ontario Native Womens Association23'