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oUR sTORIES
BENJAMIN GINGRAS
My connection to PAQ started during the first pandemic wave when
I volunteered as a health care professional through the Je contribue program. I was impressed on my first shift at the PAQ2 emergency shelter in la Petite Bourgogne. PAQ’s culturally sensitive approach to the specific challenges of addictions among First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples connects to me. Having lived in Montreal, I believe that we all share the island, and that homeless Indigenous people are our neighbours entitled to the same hopes and joys.
Before arriving in Montreal for university, I lived in Val-d’Or with my
parents and twin brother. My father is Quebecois, and my mother is
Algonquin registered with Timiskaming First Nation. However, this is not
where my mother’s family was from, nor has she or my grandmother ever
lived there. Instead, my mother’s family roots are in Hunter’s Point. Our extended ties became lost over time due to previous laws on Native status for women marrying non-native spouses. In 1987, my mother and grandmother successfully regained their status due to bill C-31. Another thirty-three years later, I was officially registered under the Indian Act on February 27, 2020, because of the 2018 Duchesneaux decision on status. While I know that my grandmother would be pleased that one of her grandchildren regained his Native status, I am sad that she was not alive to witness it. On a journey to reclaim my heritage, I believe that there is room for both of my heritages
within my identity and that previous legislation on Native status has created fractions of Native peoples. Like many in similar situations, I sometimes struggle with imposter syndrome and admit it is a work in progress. I am on a journey to change this and reclaim my ties to my cultural identity. I am learning to speak Anishinaabemowin (Algonquin), the first in my family for generations. In September 2021, I successfully ran for a PAQ’s Board of Directors position and am currently the Vice-President, to give back to my community.
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