I acknowledge that my life has been shaped by the lands and histories of many peoples and places. I was born and raised in Illinois and Wisconsin, the traditional homelands of the Ho-Chunk, Menominee, and Potawatomi peoples. My journey has taken me through Arizona (Akimel O’odham and Tohono O’odham lands); Hawai’i (Kanaka Maoli lands); Japan (home to the Ainu and Ryukyuan peoples); Washington State (Coast Salish territories, including the Duwamish Tribe); and England, historically stewarded by the Britons.

Now, I live and work in Alberta, on the lands of the Treaty 7 peoples—the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina Nation, Stoney Nakoda Nations—and the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3. I honor the histories, cultures, and enduring relationships Indigenous peoples have with these lands, reflecting on colonization’s legacies and my responsibility to advocate for equity and decolonization. As someone shaped by global movement, I commit to ongoing learning and solidarity with Indigenous communities worldwide.