My dad died when I was 17. He had heart and other problems. He was a good father, lots of love. But he was affected by it. When he died, mom picked up the reins and raised six boys all on her own.

We are a nation within a nation.

I experienced racism in different settings: I was followed in stores, in cars. The way you experience racism depends on how you deal with it. My memories of Goodeve are good ones.

Living on reserve we hunted; we fished; we trapped. We lived off the land. If we didn't hunt, we didn't eat. In summer, we hauled water from the slough. In winter, we hauled in snow to heat for water.

I went to elementary school in Goodeve, Saskatchewan, a small Ukrainian town. I played a lot of hockey, a lot of ball. Because of that I fit in - everyone wanted me on their team. The guys knew I was a hunter, and they were farmers. They just accepted that. I have lifelong friends from Goodeve.

My mom could have been a CEO of any company. She was very organized, very strict. She showed us the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. There was no alcohol allowed in the house. Three of my brothers are retired RCMP officers. I've got another brother working in child counselling.

Canada was founded by two nations: the English and the French. But what about the Mi'kmaq, who opened their doors, who shared their food, their knowledge? What about the military alliances our people formed with European settlers? We are allies of the Crown.