Hey, Can I Call You Quick?’ Navigating the Academic Swells as Young Indigenous Women

We are two sisters of three, born on the same day, exactly eight years apart.We are also both proud Indigenous sisters of Algonquin, Métis, Huron, and Scottish ancestry.A Cayuga Elder and seer told us that our spirits are in fact twins, and that the eight years between us-symbolized by the figure 8represents our continuing and unending connection.Learning this brought back a memory of a similar dream we had both had.In the same week our Grandfather, who had recently passed on into the spirit world, visited us both.He came to tell us that he was now in a good place, he was at peace, and that we are on the right path.While communicating this, he also revealed to us the vastness of the universe, showing us the beauty and answers that remain within it.This was a strong message communicated to us both and it is this message that we keep in mind as we navigate the academic swells.This is especially true when things like the demands of deadlines, publishing, grading, and presenting become overwhelming.We remind ourselves and each other of the teaching shared with us by our Grandfather.Growing up, we never thought we would both find ourselves in academia.In fact, while we were in high school, neither of us even knew what academia was.As we went through our lives, making it to post-secondary, we both came to identify our similar yet different desires.We both feel strongly that it is important for us to make a positive difference in the lives of future generations of Indigenous peoples.Driven by our family and personal histories, Renée 1 is determined to make a difference in decreasing health inequities facing our communities, while Lisa is determined to reduce the victimization and crime that affect our communities.Renée's drive stems from the health inequities our family members face.She chose the area of

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