Catherine is an educator from Fort William First Nation who has spent more than 25 years teaching in Inuit and First Nations communities. At the heart of her teaching is a belief that learning should be meaningful, experiential, and connected to the lives of her students. Her passion is land-based learning and sharing the joy and knowledge that come from being on the land and working with natural materials such as birchbark, roots, leather, furs, quills, rocks, fungi, and trees. For Catherine, these Anishinaabe teachings are not simply things she teaches; they are part of who she is and how she understands her place in the world. Growing up connected to the lands around Anemki Wajiw, she learned that we are not separate from the land or simply visitors upon it—we are part of one another. She carries that same understanding into her classroom. Catherine believes it is her responsibility to walk alongside her students, support them, and carry them as they learn. She sees the teachings she has received as gifts, and believes they only remain gifts when they are shared with others.