When I think of growing up in Treaty 1 territory in the 1980s, I remember music, being on the land and my family’s teachings -- especially those shared by my grandma.

As survivors in Manitoba came together to honour the 215 children whose remains were found at the Kamloops Residential School site, Melanie Ferris says she was grateful for the ceremony. "It's important to be with my community to listen to the stories and reflections of survivors," she says.

"My boy is the most important person in my life, and I take my responsibility of being his mother seriously," writes Long Plain First Nation member Melanie Ferris, who got vaccinated last week. "It is these thoughts that cross my mind when I’m figuring out how to respond to the pandemic."