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“If the Land is a person, how would you introduce yourself to it?”

My academic ate ([‘atɛ]; “big sister” in Tagalog) Rhonda asked that while we were developing reflection questions for our self-location and plurilingualism workshop.

I was stunned. I’ve never thought of introducing myself to Canada before, or at least not to an Indigenous Canada: a land that belongs only to itself; a land that is neither English nor French. It was a tough question to answer because it was such a good question. It was so good it stayed with me for weeks. I kept thinking about what I should say. I kept wondering about what would actually come out of my mouth if one day, the Land would be incarnated, and it would turn to me and ask, “who are you?”

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