Oneida woman's new podcast focuses on navigating life as a young Indigenous person

Growing up on the Oneida Nation of the Thames reserve near London, Ont., wasn't always easy to navigate for Kathleen Doxtator, who struggled to find her true identity within the community.

After discovering what being Oneida truly meant to her, Doxtator now wants to share her rich culture and its uniqueness with others through her new podcast titled Divine Rezolutions. 

"It focuses on my Indigeneity and the self-discovery journey I've had and just finding ways where we can empower ourselves and fill our own cups," she said.

Doxtator says the name Divine refers to her admiration for spirituality and what's meant to be, and Rezolution is a play on words between reserve and finding solutions that help the community move forward. 

The podcast gives audiences a look at what life growing up on the reserve was like while debunking myths about Indigenous peoples and unpacking reconciliation and what it means to the community. 

Doxtator, a high school teacher by profession, wants to use her public platform to create a safe space for Indigenous youth and support them while they search for their own identities, she said. 

"Every time I tell people what it's like being Indigenous in the 21st century, people are surprised and shocked at the overt racism we face on a daily basis and how detrimental it is to our mental and physical wellbeing," she said referring to access to basic services like healthcare and education.

Doxtator also goes by her traditional name Yakotshanuni, which she said means "she's happy." She reflected on the meaning of her name in her first episode, where she shared all the little things that make her happy in her everyday life.

Reconnecting with her culture was a really long and challenging journey for Doxtator, she said.

As a child, she found she was constantly surrounded by negative connotations people would make about her community, such as judging it as lawless and not caring about the people who live there, she said. 

"It's one of my biggest pet peeves when people post on social media wanting to party on a reserve because they think there are no rules," she said. 

"Those types of comments really bother me, and I grew up hearing all the negative aspects of being from my community, so it was really challenging because the lack of education that many mainstream Canadians have is just very narrow and limited."

Doxtator admits that in her university days, she felt insecure about where she came from and instead of explaining her Oneida roots to others, she would tell them she was from London.

In order to reclaim her identity, she started learning from a variety of elders and participated in traditional ceremonies, which she said she wasn't exposed to as a child due to the impacts of colonization.