From wanting to blend in to standing out: Indigenous scholar at UWindsor's presence is making a difference
'I already felt like I was different than everyone else'
Onawa LaBelle has always wondered where she fit in — and when she was younger she just wanted to blend in.
"I already felt like I was different than everyone else," said LaBelle. "[Being Indigenous] was just one more reason I was different."
Now LaBelle is one of five Indigenous Scholars at the University of Windsor, teaching in the psychology department. She doesn't teach her courses from an Indigenous perspective, but still feels like she's standing out at the front of the classroom.
During her "rebellious teens" LaBelle stepped away from her Indigenous background, but came back to her roots in her 20s.
"I started to make some life changes and things settled in," said LaBelle. "I didn't ever stop seeing the value [of my heritage] but I embraced it more."
LaBelle grew up in Massachusetts — her mother is Mohican and her father is Métis. They lived along Mohawk Trail, so she was steeped in Indigenous history and culture as she grew up, but she's not a card-carrying member of a tribe.
"I think there are a lot of us who know about our heritage and ancestry, but aren't formally connected. That can be confusing," said LaBelle. "That's been something I've sort of wrestled with."
She used to want to hide her Indigenous background, but now she feels like her presence is making a difference.
"Having been at four different schools in my college career, there was a notable absence of any [Indigenous] faculty, and students were few and far between," said LaBelle. "I think it's important ... Windsor has done a great job."
LaBelle defended her dissertation on positive psychology in Michigan just a week before she stepped into her role at the University of Windsor.
This interview, aired on Windsor Morning, is the third in a series about the five Indigenous scholars hired last year by the University of Windsor.
Read the first interview, about philosopher professor Andrea Sullivan-Clarke here.
Read the second interview, about political science professor Rebecca Major here.