Identity Is a Blend of Many Cultures

Nicole O’Bomsawin
January 18, 2011
Odanak

"It's my story, my colour."

Nicole O’Bomsawin, Waban-Aki

Individuals, like nations, aren’t built alone. Their lives are formed by the many strands that their history has brought together and then woven. What they become comes from those who came before them. It’s the sum of travels, the product of encounters, the influence of neighbourhoods, the fruit of love, the crossing of filiations, the future of one's ancestors, the past of one's children. Their community shapes their culture and in turn, they colour it with their presence. Their identity is both unique and multiple and reflects their ability to adapt and integrate. Always themselves, individuals are never the same. This is the case for nations.