“I was trying all different kinds of fields, because growing up, when you have opportunities, you take them and knowledge is key. You always want to learn more,” reflects Irene Graham, explaining the winding career path that got her to her current role. She is from Kátł’odeeche First Nation and was born in Hay River though she went back and forth to Edmonton for school. She raised her own children in Hay River, too.

In her first job, Graham worked as a paper girl in Edmonton and from there, she’s held a wide variety of positions. From aerial observation, fighting wildfires, teaching at Aurora College, working in a diamond mine, truck driving and driving a grader, she’s done so many different things. She even got her class one drivers license and air brakes so she could drive a school bus.  She did her first years apprenticeships in both plumbing and mechanics. A jack of all trades, she knows how to do carpentry and has skidoos. Being able to maintain her own equipment helps offset the costs of Northern living.

Her work life changed  again when Graham came home from working in the mine, she saw a Land Guardian Coordinator role advertised and the responsibilities involved all the things she did when she wasn’t working. Always on the land, hunting, fishing and trapping, she put her name in and got the job. She’s been doing that work for five years now.

When it comes to her motivation to do her job, Graham says, “It's just to be a steward of the land. You see the land changing around you, and you want to be a part of that. You want to know if the fish is healthy that you're eating. You want to tell your people, your community, that it's safe.” Staying on top of the impacts of mining and factories on the waters is important to her and the guardians help with monitoring climate change and contamination. She samples caribou, moose, muskrats, geese, ducks and water for the safety of her community.

Her advice for young Indigenous people leaving their home community to pursue post-secondary would be, “Any opportunity is beneficial for them. A lot of people don't want to leave their communities and explore the possibilities. They're afraid of it. You don't need to be afraid of it. It's your life, it's your future, you just need to get a hold of it, grasp it and just go do it. Just leave the nest, get everything in order and see the world for what it really is.”

Thinking of the obstacles she’s faced, drinking is one that Graham overcame and she’s been sober over eight and a half years. “Taking to the land. It helps you heal. It opens your mind, it opens your soul, it opens your heart,” she confides. She also talks about having done the work and applied herself.  “You have to really want to. It's your choice, and it was my choice, and that's my inspiration is taking to the land,” she continues. To maintain her wellbeing, Graham goes for walks and keeps herself engaged for her community. She hunts and provides for them.

If Graham could give a message to her younger self it would be, “Always brush your teeth….those are the only teeth you're ever going to have…. Your friends will always be there, no matter what, when you go off to school and make life changes and they'll always be there when you come back ... .the world rotates around you, not other people.

“There's nothing like growing your own food. It's pretty amazing.”

As far as inspiration goes, Graham says, “The land inspires me. Wildlife inspires me.” With five kids to provide for between the ages of nine and twenty-six, she goes to the land. “You're able to use your culture and your traditions to provide for your family and provide for your community, and it makes you self-sustainable. I wouldn't have it any other way,” she beams. Eating wild meat every other day, from fish, geese, to rabbits, they save money on the high cost of Northern living. She grows vegetables in her garden and can make her own home-grown Caesar salad.

In closing, her advice to Indigenous youth is, “be respectful, listen to your teachers. They're trying to help you learn and then you'll be successful in this life. Your friends will always be there and you need to think about yourself and your future and in your life."

Taking care of the land that healed her and monitoring its safety for her community, Irene Graham is proud of her work with the Land Guardian program. Growing her own food and living off wild meat, she’s a steward of the land that nourishes her and a provider for her community.  After trying so many different jobs, she finally found one that fit with her passions and skills, allowing her to give back to the land that sustains her and her family.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.