DR NICOLE REDVERS
Dr. Nicole Redvers, ND, is from the Dene and Chipewyan Nations, in NWT. She graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Her Aboriginal background motivates her to help bridge the gap between modern advances in medical science and more traditional forms of healing
Who was your inspiration when you were growing up?
My mother. She was the first person in her family to graduate high school and university. How passionate she was about education, and how she managed to do that was a big inspiration. She went to residential schools and managed
to work through that. She still got a good education and pushed her kids to get a good education. It was seeing where she came from, the obstacles that she faced, and how she overcame them and was able to put us kids on the right path.
Were there any issues you dealt with as a young person that you see young people dealing with today?
Challenges with social structure and family. We came from a small community which had a lot of social problems—drug abuse, violence, and sex abuse. We had to come to a place where we understood it and could separate ourselves fromit. I think that is a challenge for most young people. They tend to integrate themselves into whatever circumstances are going on and it’s very difficult to separate what’s happening to someone else.
I remember going through phases of sadness and anger about why these circumstances are occurring in my extended family. Having to make a choice about whether I was going to carry that with me or whether I wanted to separate myself from that and try to understand it so I could go someplace different, someplace where I wanted to go. It was comingto terms with things that might not be so happy, and usingit as a means to go forward. This is quite common in a lotof Aboriginal communities where the social structure isn’t exactly optimal.
What is the role of a leader in the community?
A leader has to have drive, and be able to follow that drive. Humility and compassion are also very important. Being able to see other viewpoints and not judging them, but being able to integrate them.
What role should our traditions and cultures have in the lives of our first nations youth, both in a rural and urban setting?
My Indigenous heritage pretty much determined where I am today. My Native background is what gave me the curiosity to explore more of the traditional forms of medicine and culture, and to become more passionate about that. I find that I’m between two worlds in a lot of what I do.
Growing up, I got to spend a lot of time on the land, out in the bush picking berries and learning about different plants. So that started the passion to go into what I do today. Also the Aboriginal teaching about respect for nature, the interrelations, helps with my viewpoint on the world and how I see things as all connected. Then using that to help other people to make the connections in their own lives. If I wasn’t exposed to my Aboriginal culture, I’m not sure if I would have developed the passion to be in the profession that I’m in, and also to have this outlook on life.
What advice would you give to young athletes and potential leaders in the communities?
Follow your drive. Take advantage of the opportunitiesthat can happen in smaller communities. One of the real advantages of the Aboriginal Games is the opportunity for athletes that otherwise might not be able to compete in these types of events. It gives them a chance to compete in sport, which is fantastic. Traditionally, we were always very active. These games help to bridge some of the traditions back in through modern sport.
No matter what happens—social issues, or things that are happening in your communities—remember that you are your own person. Be your own best friend. Because sometimes we’re our own worst enemy. With all the issues going on, it’s important to be a friend to yourself, and strive to go forward.
If you had one message to send to the indigenous community, what would it be?
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Be the change, and live the change. We make things too complicated. Just keep things simple. It’s easy to talk about things, but if you don’t do it, it’s not going to get anybody anywhere. It’s important to be the change—not just think the change, but live the change, whatever that is for you.
Why is education important for our young people and their communities, both as athletes and leaders?
It provides opportunity, empowerment, and choices. When you ask someone what they want to be when they growup, kids have these awesome answers. It’s difficult when you may not have that push to get out the door in the morning or show up every day and do your homework. But if you don’t like a certain pathway that you’re going down, without education you’re not going to have the choice. Education is empowerment. It will give you choices in life, no matter how much of a pain it seems sometimes.
If my mother hadn’t pushed us like she did, and pushed herself like she did, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Through education I can now have a voice, and that’s given me the opportunity to be where I am today.
What is your vision for your community?
We need to create more awareness and connections between traditional medical practices and conventional medicine. I see naturopathic doctors as a bridge between both worlds, having a really good understanding of both. Not necessarily trying to promote one over the other, but making those connections. As part of that, we talk about the healing circle in Aboriginal medicine. It’s about a circle of care when it comes to health professionals caring for Aboriginal peoples, so they feel that they have options.
I spent all this time travelling all over the world and working and learning about Indigenous medicine. On one trip I was on a layover in Edmonton and there was this little Aboriginal lady. She came walking over and sat down beside me. She kind of looked up at me and we locked eyes. She had this intense stare. I almost felt like I was going to cry. It was the weirdest thing that happened. I realized at that moment that I was going out all over the world trying to fix things when in fact I was taking for granted my own community and whereI was from. It’s easy for people to deal with other people’s problems rather than their own, or in their own areas. So that was a powerful moment where I realized that I was doing that. I needed to go back home and do what I could to try to create change.
How does a leader effectively listen to the voice of the people?
Quietly. Listening is one of the best skills that we cannurture for any human being, but it’s important for leadersin particular. A leader is not to lead with just their own ideas, but to listen, and empower, and give a voice to the desires and motives of the whole community. A leader can take up things on their own as well and push the barriers. A leader can ask questions that maybe people don’t want to hear. It’s their responsibility to the people they’re leading. It ties in with education. Listening is a huge skill. If you don’t listen you don’t learn, particularly in Aboriginal culture, where stories are a huge part. Being able to learn from elders, and listening are things that are really pushed. Today young people are barraged with technology and computers. It’s taking the place of storytime and the skill of listening—of being able to sit quietly and take in things from around us, as opposed to always distracting ourselves.
Did you have to overcome specific challenges to be where you are today?
I had to go beyond what’s stereotypical in many extended family structures and communities, with problemslike alcoholism and so on. There was a lot of anger in communities in terms of things that happened in the past against the community as a whole with the residential school system. There was anger, sadness, and strong emotions. Trying to move forward with that, and taking self-responsibility is probably key, but it’s a huge challenge to be able to push oneself to do that. Maybe facing fears or things you don’t want to face and trying to understand them in a better light so you can actually move forward. Make them not what you are, but just a part of who you are.
What is the story behind your story?
One of the things that really drove me when I was younger was my anger. At that time I don’t think it was a healthy anger. But it was anger at general things about my background, what Aboriginal people went through, and the consequence of that in my family structure. I got to a point where I needed to understand and overcome these things.
I went on a quest that took me to all those places.Reading every single book about understanding the mind, understanding spirituality, while really feeling lost and trying to find a direction. I went to different continents trying to find an identity. I think it’s true of a lot of Aboriginal people. We have a hard time connecting with our identity and who we are because it was taken from us. We’ve had to put the pieces back without any help. Finding the way through that is what I want to try to help other people do now. Find your gift, and give it away!
