Vivian Recollet
Vivian Recollet is an Anishinaabe grandmother whose spirit name is Bigasohn Kwe. She is Turtle Clan from Wikwemikong Unceded Territory of the Three Fires Confederacy on Manitoulin Island. Vivian was removed from her homeland at an early age, as part of what is now known as the 60’s scoop, and became a crown ward of the Catholic Children’s Aid Society (CCAS). Her biological father was part of the Residential School of Spanish and her mother was raised in an orphanage run by nuns. The disruption to the family was grave and Vivian suffered many traumas by being taken from her family, and separated from her 11 siblings, her culture and her language. She persevered in her circumstances and against all odds she graduated high school after which she pursued a nursing degree. At 17 years old Vivian left the North (Sudbury) and moved to Toronto, the place she now calls home.
In 1996, Vivian reconnected with her culture and equates her success to the Elders, knowledge keepers and medicine people for their sharing and help in healing her past. She has received several awards, including, the Woman of Distinction, Influential Women of Northern Ontario, the Lieutenant Governor's Award on Good Citizenship for her work in Indigenous Health, and the COUPON Award for her mentorship of upcoming nursing students. Vivian worked as a nurse in Indigenous Community Health from 1996 up to 2010, bridging the inequities gap between Indigenous and Western health systems. Before that she worked in institutional health facilities, CAMH, Toronto General Hospital, Sunnybrook Hospital, Orthopedic & Arthritic Hospital, and Westpark to name a few. Vivian constantly upgrades her skills to keep up with modern technology and medical advancements.
Currently she is the Elder in Residence at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, a cultural consultant to Toronto’s Indigenous Affairs Office, and the Indigenous Health Promoter for the Niiwin Wendaanimak (Four Winds) Indigenous Wellness Program at Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre. Her work is to deliver Indigenous knowledge and culture in non-judgemental ways to vulnerable people who are often ostracized by their own families, communities and territories. The program focuses on the “Ethic of Non Interference” from the Harm Reduction model. It is an Indigenous-only space in a non-native organization mandated to serve the homeless and at risk of homelessness for Indigenous people affected by the impacts of colonization.
As one of the co-founders of Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle, Vivian acts as an Indigenous consultant for the City of Toronto's Urban Forestry facilitated prescribed burns in High Park for which she also co-leads ceremonies. This sacred work had not been honoured on these lands since before colonization. It marks a huge success after dedicated advocacy since 2018, to re-ignite the ancestral memories of this ancient Indigenous tradition of cultural burns and return that healing, dance, song and ceremony to the land, its people and all our relations.
Vivian is the founder of Niibi Anishinaabe Aadziwin, a collective of cultural and ceremonial support workers collaborating with Indigenous community members. She works closely with her son Josh Recollet, who specializes in Medicine Wheel Gardens and Firekeeping and Tabitha Shurgold, a song carrier and Oshkabewis (helper) to Vivian for many years. Vivian leads Medicine Wheel Garden workshops, Full Moon teachings as connection for all women and Water Walks in honour of the waters. She coordinates Elder led circles for the community, leads opening and closing ceremonies for cultural events and is a big advocate for children and youth who are seeking cultural teachings. She is so honoured to be the woman she is today and gives gratitude to her mom, her grandma and all those women who couldn’t speak for themselves. She is a proud mother, grandmother and water protector and will always have a responsibility as a helper to Elders, Grandmother Moon and Mother Earth.
PHOTOGRAPHY by Dahlia Katz