"Aanii! Chevaun Toulouse nindizhinikaaz. Sagamok First Nation nindonjibaa. Ginoozhe nindoodem. Anishinaabe kwe ndow. My name is Chevaun Toulouse; I am a mother and a full-time biology and Indigenous environmental science student at Trent University. I am from Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation.
Growing up on Sagamok Anishnawbek gave me an interest in and respect for the natural environment. As a child, I was outside every day, catching snakes and turtles in the swamps. I was exploring my surroundings, becoming familiar with the plant and animal species that lived around me and in my community.