We are from intergenerational trauma
We are from le sapeur, where dress sense is common sense
We are from a culture of lighthearted jokes and tales
We are from a land where the salt water smell of the Indian ocean is as familiar as kin
We are from exotic islands, surrounded by water growing mangos
We are from the boreal forest, full of fiddleheads
We are from a small fishing country with a big brother country and a spicy pepper
We are from prairie lilies along the Saskatchewan River
We are from a pastoralist background
We are from motorcycles and hippies wondering the prairies
We are from Makossa, and winding hips, and fufu on lips
We are from buckets of tadpoles on grandmother’s farm
We are from tribes and collective cultures
We are from a home where we were raised by the entire community
We are from a lineage of women who endure
We are from the land of three day long mourning celebrations
We are from a communal supportive culture
We are from the land of poets and storytellers