MARIA LIVINGSTON
Maria Livingston (Lamouche) is a member of the Bigstone Cree Nation in Northern Alberta. She is a University of Lethbridge student with a major in Native American Studies. As well as being a student, she became a mother in January 2012. She has been Hoop dancing since 2006, having first learned this dance from J. J. First Charger. Maria is thankful that she is able to share her cultural pride through art and dance
Who was your inspiration when you were growing up?
My mom, because she was really humble in her work. It wasn’t until I got older and reflected back that I saw how much she did for us. I have seven siblings—a big family— and she sewed clothes for me and my sisters; she worked in the schools, and she would make fancy dance outfits for kids in the school so they could dance. She was so humble and so she was my inspiration
Were there any issues you dealt with as a young person that you see young people dealing with today?
I am sober now and I haven’t had a drink in awhile. But that was hard. My niece is in grade school and I see that with some of her friends. So I don’t want her to fall into that. She Hoop dances too. It’s important for young people to be involved in their culture at an early age so they feel part of the culture, and have other things to do like sports and cultural activities.
What is the role of a leader in the community?
To be a good example for others and a positive role model; to show that hard work pays off and you can be what you want to be. I want to dance—arts and dance are my passion. So I’m still doing them even while I’m at school, to show that it can be done. I believe all your dreams can be a living prophesy.
What advice would you give to youth who are planning on becoming the leaders of their communities?
It really does take a lot of work and dedication to getto where you want to go. You will face challenges and struggles, but it’s important to keep going and to lookback and see how far you have come. I’ve gotten a lot of scholarship rejection letters and bad marks, and when I dance I’ve thrown my hoop across the room! But I keep dancing, and I keep working hard at school, and I keep going. And I’ve done all these great performances, and gotten good grades, and I’m still going.
It’s really hard, especially with my baby, Aden. It was really hard because of school. I only took one month off from school. From when he was one month old, that’s when I did four classes from home. It was exhausting being up with him and trying to balance school with him, and I wanted to drop out. I told my husband, “I want to give up! I want to give up!” But I pulled through it and got A’s and I don’t know if it was that semester or that year I got two scholarships.
It was hard, it was really hard, but I didn’t give up. In one of my classes we are studying about Native women activists. I thought about them and about people like my mom and my older sisters, and if they can do it, I can do it! That’s another thing that kept me going.
Don’t be afraid and try to hide who you are. Express yourself and do what you love. Don’t be ashamed of your culture. The times are changing and it’s more acceptable to share your cultural background.
Why is education important for our young people and their communities?
Lack of education leads to ignorance. I see that when I see racist ignorant posts on Facebook or online media. A lot of the things you hear are just not true—it’s obvious because it’s just not true. I’m a Native American Studies major so I know the facts, and to pass along that knowledge and information, to be able to educate someone else, is great. I’m right in the middle of my degree.
I’ve had so many opportunities already to display my artwork; I’ve danced at different schools; I’ve even had some people talk about jobs after I graduate. Education opens doors and new opportunities which might not be available if you don’t go to school. If you find your passion when you go to school you will love your career, and be happy going to work, be happy every day, and not just be paying the bills.
What is your vision for your community?
Do what you want and be who you are with pride, and don’t be scared of being bullied or teased. It’s a lot easier to do today than it has been in the past. Times have changed, so people are more accepting of different cultures and different sexual orientations. Just be who you are and don’t be afraid. I know those things can be hard, but just be yourself.
Idle No More has inspired a whole generation. When you hear of the Journey of Nishiyuu, you just think, “Wow—these young people are amazing!”
What role should our traditions and cultures have in the lives of our first nations youth?
There are some traditional things like the Sundance ceremony that need to be kept private; those things that have sacredness, they don’t need to be kept in an urban or rural setting. Trying to hide your culture, depending on where you are, can be difficult. I am praying a lot more. My mom has tried to install that in me, and I am learning the value of that. I think praying really humbles you and that’s maybe why she is so humble. I notice that I am much more humble and relaxed when I pray.
Did you have to overcome specific challenges to be where you are today?
One of them is living in Lethbridge and being from Slave Lake. The Native community here is very strong and they have been very welcoming to me, being a Cree person, but it’s still not home. There’s a lot of differences, being an outsider. It’s always hard to be separated from home and to not be with the trees. I grew up in Slave Lake, so the beach and trees are just home to me.
The other big challenge was having a baby during school. I finished my semester and I was about eight months pregnant. Since I’m a sponsored student, if I took the time off I would have been bumped down the priority list. It was hard keeping up with the work and learning to be a mom at the same time. This was my first son, my first baby, and I’m such a worrier.
I did have my mom there to help. She would hold him and cuddle him while I studied. We made it work.
What is the story behind your story?
I do fish scale art, and my mom did it when she was in school and pregnant with me. I love that kind of art. It’s funny, some people have told me—I’m not sure if it’s true—but whilethe baby is in the womb that the mother’s surroundings will affect the baby. So Aden is going to be smart; he was listening to lectures the whole time I was pregnant with him!
I talk about my mom a lot, but the other big role model I have in my life is my sister Sandra. She is my older sister and she is one of the ones I started Hoop dancing with—my older sister and my younger sister. We started Hoop dancing together and she really pushed me to keep dancing. I sort of wanted to go off and be a teenager and stuff, but she pushed me to keep that, keep dancing.
She graduated from the University of Lethbridge and she is currently just finishing up her master’s at Trent University. But she had a baby while she was in school and she dances all over the country. She has danced in New Mexico and all across Canada.
did women always participate in Hoop dancing?
Hoop dancing was traditionally only for males, but in the past couple of decades, it has become more female. I never really thought about that until people would tell me, “I’ve never seen a female Hoop dancer!” I heard that so many times, I was like, Oh? But I’ve danced so much now.
