A handful of my people made the trip from Norway to Scotland in about 900AD, then, eventually,  to Ireland. My other people come from India and Indonesia, and according to a cousin of mine, half of that lineage can be traced to the Mongols under Genghis Khan. Apparently, this explains a few things about us, but I haven’t done the DNA test to prove it. I grew up on the Haldimand Tract and now live on an island whose original name many of us are working on getting our tongues around, Nex̱wlélex̱m. I feel privileged to be here, it feels like home.

A sense of everyday complexity drew me to story and led me into newsrooms and other strange locales. Career highlights include: being left alone to “be” the newsroom on the weekend of a Hells Angels convention; a road trip with one of my favourite cousins (I have many favourite cousins) to visit a former cult and interview its remaining members; falling asleep to the underwater sounds of humpbacks in the Pacific Northwest.

In February, 2018, I wrapped up work as the editor (and only paid writer) of my small island’s newspaper.  It was exhausting, sometimes exhilarating and almost always, meaningful work. I am utterly grateful for the role because it forced me to find my voice in a whole new way, and use it.

The Adventure continues, with an evolving and expanding community of writers, storytellers, entrepreneurs and change-makers.