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Resilient Inuk, Artist & MMIW Advocate ~ Healing and Sharing
155 Plays2 years ago
Vanessa Brousseau, also known as Resilient Inuk is a Sealskin Artist and an advocate for addressing the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). Her personal experiences and deep connection to her Inuk heritage have fueled her passion for justice and change. Through her sealskin artwork, Vanessa captures the essence of her Inuk roots, telling stories of strength and healing. With a TikTok following of 140,000 and 30,000 followers on Instagram, she effectively utilizes social media to raise awareness and connect with a wider audience. Vanessa's platforms have become spaces for education, dialogue, and support, amplifying the voices of Indigenous women and inspiring positive change. Her tireless advocacy work and artistic talents make her a remarkable individual and a source of inspiration for many.
For support, call the MMIW Support Line at 1-844-413-6649. An Independent, national, toll-free support line is available to provide support for anyone who requires assistance. Free 24/7.
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Transcript
Introduction to Tea with Dee
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Speaker
Ani Bojo, ningaoigani kwe indijnakas, makwando dem, kanata indunjiba. Hi, g'day. Eagle-winged woman is my spirit name. I'm from the Bear Clan and from Canada. My English name is Deanna Navy. Welcome to Tea with Dee. During our time, we'll be looking at community economic and social development from an Indigenous perspective.
00:00:27
Speaker
We'll also share with you the joy and purpose in what we do. We'll be discussing a variety of topics regarding culture and environment, arts and music, indigenous education and history, rights, movements, advocacy and activism on important topics such as protection of land, environment and water.
00:00:53
Speaker
missing and murdered indigenous women, men, and two-spirited, as well as land back and hear what that means for many. Other themes we'll touch on are health, well-being, and wellness through the lens of spirituality. And we'll have leadership discussions with elders and youth as they both encompass wisdom and future.
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Speaker
Join us for some amazing upcoming discussions. We look forward to having you join us for tea. Please help me by sharing this podcast, and if you know of some amazing people who are doing amazing things, we'd love to hear what they're doing in their neck of the woods. Stay tuned, we have so much to share and talk about.
Vanessa Brusso's Journey in Advocacy and Art
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Speaker
Welcome and thank you for joining me and special guest Vanessa Brusso, also known as Resilient Inuk. Vanessa is an inspiring advocate, Inuk seal-skin artist, and a prominent voice in the movement to address the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women.
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Speaker
Born and raised in a small mining community in northern Ontario, Canada, Vanessa has always been deeply connected to her Nook heritage and culture. Growing up, Vanessa witnessed the challenges faced by Indigenous communities, particularly the alarming rates of violence and disappearance affecting Indigenous women. Determined to make a difference, she dedicated herself to advocating for justice and raising awareness about the MMIW crisis.
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Vanessa's personal experiences as well as the stories she's heard from other affected families fueled her passion to seek justice and demand change. Alongside her advocacy work, Vanessa also found empowerment through her artistic expression.
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Speaker
Drawing inspiration from her cultural heritage, she honed her skills as a Sealskin artist. Sealskin has a profound significance in Inuit culture, representing resilience, survival, and a deep connection to the natural world.
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Speaker
Vanessa's artwork beautifully captures the essence of her Anook roots, telling stories of strength, healing, and the importance of preserving Indigenous traditions. As an MMIW advocate, Vanessa has tirelessly spoken out on various platforms, including conferences, panels, and social media, shedding light on the harsh realities faced by Indigenous women and the urgent need for action.
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Her unwavering commitment to justice and compassion has earned her respect and recognition within the community, and she continues to be a guiding light for those affected by this crisis. Vanessa's advocacy and artwork have garnered attention and support from across the globe, amplifying the voices of Indigenous women and sparking important conversations about systemic issues affecting marginalized communities.
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Through her work, she aims to challenge stereotypes, foster understanding, and promote a society where Indigenous women are valued, protected, and honoured. Her dedication, resilience, and artistic talents make her a remarkable individual and a source of inspiration for many. Her tireless efforts in advocating for justice for MMIW and her ability to channel her cultural heritage into transformative artwork have made a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals.
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Vanessa's unwavering determination serves as a reminder of the strength and resilience of Indigenous communities and their ongoing fight for justice and equality. By combining her passion for advocacy, art expression, and social media presence, Vanessa has been able to amplify her voice and effectively engage with a wide audience. Her platforms have become spaces for education, dialogue, and support
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encouraging others to stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities and contribute to a positive change. Vanessa's TikTok and Instagram following are a testament to her ability to connect with people and foster meaningful conversations on important social issues.
Personal Loss and Advocacy Transformation
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Through these digital platforms, she continues to expand her reach, inspire change, and uplift the voices of Indigenous women. Vanessa's online presence serves as a powerful tool for promoting awareness, empathy, and understanding, further strengthening her impact as an advocate and artist. Thank you again for joining me. I hope you enjoy this session.
00:05:52
Speaker
You press the record button. I did. It's not going to segue us into this session of the podcast where now I get to introduce you. And so to the listeners out there on Tea with Dee, today I have Vanessa Brusso, who's an advocate and activist for missing and murdered Indigenous women. And so Vanessa, welcome and it's nice to see you. It's been a while since we actually sat and
00:06:21
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chatted. And for those that are listening out there, Vanessa and I are biological sisters. And even though our paths in life have crossed a little later, because we both share the same father, we are very close, just like a sister would be with somebody who had grown up together. And so Vanessa, how are you? And what's been going on?
00:06:49
Speaker
I'm so happy to be here with you, Deanna. And, you know, especially because I didn't want to be the first because I knew I could give you a little, you know, break in or whatever. But I was really excited. And that's why I bugged you to see when can I come on, you know? And you're right, we were instantly connected. And the funny part is, I find about us is that we have a lot of similarities that we didn't even know because we weren't
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We didn't grow up together, but when we get together, you know, and I've even had it from our other siblings say, oh, my gosh, she's acting like Deanna, you know, things like that, you know, and it's like, yeah, yeah. But, you know, creator knows I really want to spend a lot more time with you. So hopefully someday in our future, you know, we'll actually live in the same town. Yeah. Yeah, you never know. We have a lot of work to do in the future yet. We still have a lot of time left. Yeah.
00:07:45
Speaker
Yep, yep, I'm manifesting don't worry. The same has been laid. Yes, absolutely. Yeah, I think there's a plan in the future for us somewhere along the line. And, you know, like, with all that you've been through in your past, and, you know, the contributions that you're making now to missing and murdered indigenous women and
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and even the beautiful artwork that you're making.
00:08:17
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Tell us how, you know, a little bit more background about how you became an advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous women. I know it's very close to your heart and being sisters, you know, that's, you know, a whole part of it. Absolutely. So my sister, Pam, went missing in December 14th, 2003, and she
Challenges with Law Enforcement and Advocacy
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was only 22 years old at the time, and I was 24.
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And at that time, there was no MMIW or anything like that. But obviously I wanted to find my sister immediately. So I started looking and we started visuals and we started searches and we did posters and, you know, those kinds of things. But really, I focused on being a mom.
00:09:06
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You know, that was my priority, was being a good mom and doing the best I could. And once my kids turned adult, it was 2017 and I decided, you know what, it's time for me to get some real therapy and work on myself. And I started doing that and for four years I worked really hard and there was times I didn't want to go, there was times I actually canceled.
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but I just kept pushing and doing it. I'm really grateful I did because it really changed who I am. It's changed, I'm a lot more braver. I have a voice now that I use. If it wasn't for me going to therapy in 2017, I don't think I'd be doing any of this. But what really triggered me was when COVID happened, and I seen Selena Spookiboo on TikTok, she was making a video on,
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missing a murdered Indigenous woman and she had cut out cardboard dresses in her front lawn and she had like 50 of them or 100. And it was a beautiful video and it touched me and I thought, that should be coming from me. That should be coming from an Indigenous woman. And that's when I realized, you know what, I have to start
00:10:21
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getting the courage to share and to speak out though. I picked up my hand drum and I'm not a singer by all means, but I knew that if I sung with my heart, my message would get out there. And that was my first viral video was a video with my drum with singing about my sister missing. That's how it all started. And now I just keep on going. Wow. Yeah, amazing. And with that, you've had some
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challenges and obstacles to overcome, you know, working with the law enforcement and, you know, try to find ways to get them to move along and move this forward, right? You know, to really assist, but that didn't happen.
00:11:11
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No, and I actually met with them in 2017 with the same therapist. It was part of my healing and maybe reconciliation. And it went horrible. It didn't go well at all. I have an actual act of human rights complaint against the Timmins police and also the children's aid of Timmins for my whole childhood. There was things that they did wrong systemically.
00:11:39
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And I do this because I want change. Because you're right, they're not listening. They're not doing anything. They're not putting the effort. I'm very easily accessible and they don't even try. They continually ignore me. They think that maybe I'm going to just stop one day. Well, I'm not going to stop. And it's just very frustrating when Canada wants reconciliation, but then there's no action.
00:12:09
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It's funny cause I was just talking to my coworker about this and uh, because it's very frustrating. It's very challenging. It's very, you know, you just want to give up and not do it again. And why do I bother? And you know, and I told him, I said, if you don't do it, you're going to leave it to the youth to do it for you. Cause I mean, that's what it's going to come down to is that if you don't do your part, then you're leaving it for our youth. And to me, that's not okay. You know, like we need to,
00:12:37
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Fight those battles break those barriers and those walls so that our youth could be successful, you know And that's how I see it. Even though I it is frustrating it is Believe me like I just sometimes you know You don't want to do it anymore and like why nobody pays us to do these things, you know And that's another thing people don't understand is that we do this with our heart, you know for our heart for our people It's not for money, you know, so it gets very frustrating when you're doing it for free
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Speaker
Yeah, and you're trying to get the ear of somebody trying to get, you know, that awareness out and it's just like banging your head on the wall at times. It's very hard. Yeah. So collaborating with, you know, Indigenous community and collaborating with the law enforcement and government and other agencies and really using that, you know, reconciliation. That's where they could meet that, you know, by providing those
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Speaker
And it's just been, like you said, challenging. It's really, yes, looking at the past, what are we doing now to help provide that guidance and support to the young people and that encouragement to go out and get educated, to become part of something, you know, like
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Speaker
even part of a missing and murdered Indigenous women movement to know and understand. And I see it happening back home though, you know, in our community. That has really revived. And there are, you know, young ladies now who have made their own ribbon skirts and, you know, have done some awareness on their Facebook or social media. So you are making an impact on what you're doing.
00:14:19
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And that's what I, that's what I hope for, right? Cause there's a lot more work to be done and I don't want to do it with the handful. We need like hundreds of indigenous women doing this, you know, so that we could actually be heard and that, and there's enough space for all
Artistic Achievements and Cultural Roots
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of us.
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And that's one thing too that I like to show youth is, you know, building those connections because that's what makes your community. We're no longer stuck in our reservations or, you know, we're able to build our communities no matter where you are in the world, never mind Canada.
00:14:51
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And building those connections is what gives you strength, which gives you grounding and balance and self-care and things like that. So it's important, especially like with you, Deanna, you've been a wonderful sister. I'm so blessed to have. And someone I could go to or lean on or just know that you're in my corner all times. And that means the world to me.
00:15:17
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more youth need to see that they could do that. And we don't even live in the same town, you know, and, and so they need to see that they're able to do these things from being remote, too. Definitely. Yeah, totally agree with you. And, and it's so true, like with technology today, we can do that. You know, like, I look at what you've done on your social media and how far you've come, like a TikTok sensation,
00:15:46
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And in a positive manner, providing information that's so important to our people, to our women, to our indigenous young men now and men and two-spirited, you know, like the community is really impacted by MMIW. And so like you have a following now of 139.1,000 followers on TikTok.
00:16:11
Speaker
That's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Right. It's unbelievable. I honestly, you know, I'm not somebody who grew up with technology or internet or anything like that. So for me to, I've never would have dreamed that I would have this, but I'll tell you something. I truly, truly,
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Speaker
I'm grateful for it because I feel like I finally have a voice. I finally am getting getting heard. I finally could say something and you know someone's listening. Whereas I've been doing that before just like I'm sure you felt and nobody's listening you know and it just gives me that space of it's this is my power is my voice.
00:16:50
Speaker
You know, and that's an amazing feeling to have. So I'm really, really grateful for it. It's a new thing. No, like it's, I'm not perfect at it. I'm trying to, you know, uh, my Instagram too is growing. I'm up to like, I think 27,000, which is unbelievable.
00:17:06
Speaker
I don't even know how that happened, but I'm just really grateful. I want to say something though, and I haven't shared this much, so I want to share it with you. But something I found in my grandfather's medical records when I retrieved them from the sanatorium is my grandfather had a passion for photography, and that's why he became an x-ray technician. Knowing that he loved photography almost made me feel like
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Speaker
This is what I love making TikToks or or any reels or whatever you want to call them. I like making little videos and I love it. And I think it's because of my grandfather. I think it's something that and I never knew about it until, like I said, I found his record just a few years ago. I received it. And but I've always had this passion and I never knew. So it's probably hereditary from my grandfather. Why why I'm so good at it is probably I believe that I totally do like
00:18:04
Speaker
I look at my grandparents on my mom's side. And they're definitely entrepreneurs. My great grandpa had his store on the res and sold penny candies and a little bit of groceries and stuff and cigarettes. And when he passed away, then my granny took over and she built the store out of her home. And that's what they did. And now I'm out here doing my own thing too. And you know, like,
00:18:29
Speaker
that entrepreneur spirit and go get it, you know, kind of attitude. Yeah. It's, it's amazing. And then, and then I see you as well. And you're like an extension of me. And I'm like, well, you're out here doing our thing. And we do, we have this voice. And if people want to listen to us, that's awesome. If there's people who don't, well, I mean, they're missing out. But I really, I love your art.
00:18:55
Speaker
So recently you were, you applied to the association and what is that? What did you get? Oh, I got to tell you my whole, the whole spiel on it because so I, I lived very poor growing up. I didn't get to do art. My art was like playing in a sandbox. That's my kind of art. That's, I didn't have anything. Like I didn't have crayons. I didn't have paper. Like I didn't have anything.
00:19:20
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And like I said, once my kids were adults, I had all this free time. So I was finally able to see what do I like to do? Because I was a mom at 18 years old. I didn't get to have a life yet.
00:19:33
Speaker
I recently, at that time I was living in Ottawa and I connected with Inuit elders and I got my first piece of sealskin. And I'll never forget it was scrap. It wasn't a whole pelt. It was just a piece of scrap. I made as many earrings as I could out of that little piece of sealskin. I was so honored to have that and be able to work with it because I never seen my mom work with sealskin because there was a ban in the eighties and my mom didn't want to deal with it. So we never had.
00:20:02
Speaker
She worked with beads and rocks, but not seal skin. So it was really special and important to me. So I started really asking the elders certain tips and tricks and stitching techniques. And this is all over Zoom because of COVID. And still to this day, I meet with my elders on Zoom. If I see them in person, it's great. But I also meet with them on Zoom.
00:20:23
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That's how it all started. But I've applied for grants with the Ontario Arts Council to make a sealskin skirt with red dresses in it. And then I also made with the Ontario Arts Council as well, an Inuit drum case was made out of sealskin and
00:20:40
Speaker
I also got a grant, just an in-kind grant for to pump up my business and stuff. So I've been really lucky in that and getting those grants. But recently I've just been added to the Inuit Arts Foundation, which is a huge honor for me because it's not just any Inuit could get on there, you know, like it's very honorable and I feel like it's going to open more doors for me. So I'm really excited to be on the Inuit Arts Foundation.
00:21:09
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But yeah, so and I'm also registered as an Inuit firm with Nunavut, but no, it's going good.
Social Media Influence and Future Engagements
00:21:15
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I have a few more grants applications put in. I'm waiting. I got to wait six weeks or something like that. So hopefully I get some more grants, but I'm always looking for grants. That's awesome. I think I have a list I could send over to you. Well, that'd be awesome. I just did a scan and generated a list. So you might have some of them on there, but maybe there's a couple that you might want to get up.
00:21:38
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like in actually doing that looking online and seeing what's out there and like yeah for always looking right I'm an artist too so I'm like yeah try to find yeah and then I'm like yeah sharing information with everybody else saying oh you can get this here and there
00:21:55
Speaker
I also signed up for quite a few powwows this summer, because I'm so excited to be back in the North. Being in Welland, there's one or two powwows, and that's not enough. Being in the North, I'm like an hour or two away from all the powwows, so I'll be pretty booked up this summer going to powwows. This weekend is North Bay starting. I'm very excited to start with North Bay, especially being from in this community now. This is where I live, so that'll be special.
00:22:22
Speaker
I definitely like to do powwows. That's one of my favoritest things to do, especially because all my life, first I did it as a dancer. When I was a kid, my mom would bring me to powwows and I would dance. I was a drummer on a big drum, on a grandfather's drum with nine other women. Well, we were youth at the time. So I did drumming at powwows and now I'm a vendor at powwow. So I got to do the whole, the only thing I haven't done is MC a powwow yet.
00:22:50
Speaker
Well, maybe one day. Right, maybe. Yeah, I've even been a dancer at a powwow. So I mean, oh, yeah, me and Charlie used to be head dancer all the time back in the day. So, yeah, that's. Yeah. So, yeah, I did the whole circuit. So, yeah, powwows are something I'm very I love doing that. Well, it's going to be nice to see you out there and you'll be able to engage with like. Yeah. Yeah. See them face to face.
00:23:19
Speaker
and buy and buy stuff too. That's my favorite part. Spend all my money. Yeah, spend all your hard earned hella money. Exactly. We're just circulating all our money around. Well, it brings me to you do have your artwork somewhere else down south.
00:23:37
Speaker
Yes, I do. I do in Niagara Falls, the Table Rock Center. That's where it is in Niagara Falls, right on the falls, like literally the shop that's right at the falls. I never thought that that would happen. But yeah, my art is in there. Very exciting. Very, very exciting. Being seen and bought by people from all over the world. It's amazing. So what's up next in, you know, like after powwows and
00:24:03
Speaker
You're going to hit the road and start doing some in-person workshops. Yeah, I'm actually going to Brock University for Indigenous Peoples' Week. I'll be there the 22nd and 23rd of June. They have me speaking about seal skin and showing seal skin and things like that. And also I'm bringing my Inuit drum and I'm going to sing and perform a song for them.
00:24:28
Speaker
And I'm also going to have my vendor table set up. So as a whole, you know, so that's my first thing up. And that's my second visit at Brock University. I really enjoy being with them. But then after that, I'm hoping to have a little bit of a break because even my day job gets me traveling quite a bit. So in August, I'll be going to BC to an elders conference for my day job. And then in September, I'll be in Ottawa. So it gets busy. So I'm trying to I'm trying to take a break, but I don't I don't see any break.
00:24:58
Speaker
The powwows are my break Yeah, well I do HGTV and the Food Network have me do videos for them You just reminded me my next one is due on Monday so I said to myself I was gonna do it either today or tomorrow because you know, but weekends come and then Monday's here and I'm like, oh
00:25:21
Speaker
My next video with them is going to be about my family tree, especially for the Inuit side where with numbers and things like that. But so stay tuned for that one. Wow, that is awesome. Well, so if anybody's looking for you, you can they can find you on tiktok at resilient and have
00:25:42
Speaker
And you have Facebook and I don't do Facebook too much, but I do Instagram and I do have a YouTube just that's in case everything gets shut down. Yeah, but but I don't usually do too much YouTube, but mostly it's Instagram and TikTok. That's awesome. Well, I really I know you're busy. And like you said, you have other things that you have to do.
00:26:04
Speaker
I won't take any more of your time up. And I really appreciate meeting you here and having this conversation and just touching base with you and being your sister. I love it. I'm so happy that I get to be here. I'm proud of you, you know, as if you have your own podcast, you know, I'm very proud to say my sister has and I want a t shirt. Oh, I do. I have one here for you. Don't worry, I'll send it to you. Awesome. I'll wear it
00:26:33
Speaker
I will. I love you. I love you. And thank you for everything that you do for all of the women in our community and, you know, like the advocating that same. Same to you, sister. Same to you. Special person. Miigwetch.
00:26:52
Speaker
To connect personally with Vanessa and find out more about her, visit her website at resilientinookreations.ca. Now offering presentations, check out the Indigenous Consulting tab on the website for more information. For social media content, you can find her on TikTok and Instagram under Resilient
Contact Information and Engagement
00:27:12
Speaker
Inook. Follow, like, and share. All are appreciated.
00:27:15
Speaker
Stay tuned for the next episode. We'll have more to talk about and more to share. Until then, stay safe and stay cool. To find out more about Tea With Dee or to connect with me, visit our website at TeaWithD.com. You can also find us on social media, on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Your ongoing support is greatly appreciated.