A heartfelt Miigwech to Dr. Marcia Anderson for honouring me with the vaccine at Ma Mawi’s new vaccine clinic.
This past year we’ve all made sacrifices. Think of your kids’ last birthday party. Think of how long it’s been since you hugged someone you care about. Think of those we weren’t able to say goodbye to. We have lost many people we care about to COVID. We’ve lost many others to overdose, others have taken their own lives. There’s also the mental health and financial impacts on those who’ve survived.
The past year has been full of tremendous human suffering, pain and sacrifice.
But this is how it ends—by all of us rolling up our sleeves when it’s our turn.
If you already qualified but have hesitated, good news: the Ma Mawi site that I visited for opening day takes walk-in appointments. It’s not too late, you can get your shot right now.
Most of our lives we put ourselves first: “How will I be affected?” “Will I be better off?” “What’s in it for me?”
But COVID-19 doesn’t work that way. None of us can stop it by ourselves. We can only end the pandemic if we all work together.
As we say in many of our cultures “Put the people first.”
Right now serving your nation, your province, your community—putting the people first—means heading down to a vaccine site and rolling up your sleeve.
I am grateful to our Medicine Women like Dr. Marcia, my wife Lisa and the others who are leading the way.
Let’s follow their teachings and use these vaccines so we can return to the things we hold sacred—the celebrations, the ceremonies, and the time we spend together.
