CHARLENE OKA

Charlene Oka is a Blackfoot woman from Kainai.

Her Blackfoot name is Iiniskiimakii (Buffalo Stone Women). She was born in Lethbridge, Alberta. Her elementary school experiences always made her question why very few First Nations books were published. She attended high school as a first time mother, single and young, but she had the support of her teachers and principal, who made departmental exams less hectic. Her sense of community began.

Transferring to a native high school on her reserve, she learned more about her identity. She enjoyed Elder visits and doing various activities, like walking through traditional Blackfoot territory, and listening to oral stories. She even won, for the first time, a short story contest.

Sadly, her third oldest son, Jonathon, was diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Through this trying and challenging time of her life, she found her creative side and expressed more of her emotions, by writing poetry to express her feelings. After 4 years of her son’s treatment and a successful recovery, Charlene applied to the University of Lethbridge. She started her first year with the First Nations Transition Program and continued her studies with a Bachelor of Arts in 2017.

She was then hired with the University of Lethbridge as a Research Assistant in the Kainai Women’s Project. She had an amazing experience and found that her creative side sparked with life, by creating art in numerous mediums. She then had a thirst for more knowledge and has since returned to university.