Eponine Lee is a 13-year-old actor, writer, and middle school student based in Toronto. This piece is about spreading compassion to heal ourselves, our problems, and our world.
When I was growing up, I was told to call all my elders ‘Auntie’ and ‘Uncle’. I didn’t understand why I had to do this at the time, but now I know it is because I am half Filipino, half Chinese. In both these cultures, it is a sign of respect to call all elders or friends of the family ‘Auntie’ or ‘Uncle’.
However, even though I am of mixed heritage, I was born and raised in Tkaronto my whole life. The land that I live on is part of Treaty 13 and the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Covenant. For me, that means sharing and protecting the land with all of our hearts, and not taking it for granted. The land that I stand on is the home of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, the Wendat peoples, and all the other First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, recorded and unrecorded. They are the caretakers, water protectors, storytellers, and stewards of the land— since the beginning of time and all the way to our future”.
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