For Métis speaker and artist Nolan Malbeuf, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was an opportunity to share a deeply personal message of healing, recovery, and community.

Malbeuf, a Regina-based tattoo artist and public speaker, addressed the audience at the Temple Gardens Centre on Sept. 30, sharing a story that blended Indigenous teachings with his personal journey through addiction and sobriety.

He began by honouring the Elders, as is customary in Indigenous gatherings, recognizing their role as carriers of wisdom and resilience.

“I want to thank you for your strength. I want to thank you for your wisdom — for never giving up. You’ve been through one of the toughest, if not the toughest part of Canadian history, and you’re still here to provide us with your wisdom, to provide us with direction, and to bring strength for the people who are coming,” he said. “The future is behind us; they’re coming, and what we say and do matters, and we need to remember that.”

Malbeuf reflected on the role of women in Métis culture, connecting them to the fire at the heart of community life.

“In our culture, the grandma, we call her ‘kokum.’ I call her ‘mama.’ She’s the pillar of our home,” he continued. “So women, I honour you, and I honour your strength … we need you and we need the kindness that you bring, but not only that: we need your power. There’s a power in kindness; there’s a power in nurturing.”

Building on that teaching, Malbeuf explained how language itself reflects the central place of women in his culture.

“In the Cree language, the word for ‘fire’ literally means ‘the heart of a woman,’” he told the audience. “When you start to dissect the idea of fire, in fire we have companionship — in fire we have safety, and in fire we find hope.”

Malbeuf connected this teaching about fire to his own life, describing how the strength of women — especially his kokum — carried him through his darkest times. When she was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma, he watched her face the illness with grace and determination, an example that left a lasting mark on him. After her recovery, when he was at his lowest point and struggling with addiction, Malbeuf turned to her once more.

“She began to build me back up and put me back together,” he shared. “(On) September 15 I celebrated three years, 100 per cent sober.”

With the guidance of his kokum, Malbeuf described how he began confronting his past and breaking free from a “victim mentality” rooted in trauma. Her strength and support helped him see that healing begins within, a lesson that continues to shape his path forward.

“I am 100 per cent … convinced that we (cannot) make peace with (anybody) unless we make peace with ourselves,” he said.

He urged young people to dream boldly, and he challenged adults to create supportive homes where those dreams could thrive. To illustrate his belief that true change comes through kindness rather than force, Malbeuf shared a teaching parable about the wind and the sun.

In the story, the wind and the sun argue over which of them holds the greater power. To settle the contest, they agree to test their strength on a man walking below, each attempting to make him remove his jacket. The wind boasts of its might, claiming it can force the man to give in. With a howl and a gale, it blows harder and harder, but the stronger it blows, the tighter the man clings to his coat. Exhausted, the wind finally admits defeat.

The sun, in contrast, does not boast. Instead, it simply shines — gently at first and then with growing warmth. As the man feels comforted and secure, he willingly slips off his jacket. Malbeuf explained that while force may create resistance, kindness has the power to bring about true change.

“It’s not power and it’s not control. It’s not the perception of power that changes people. It’s kindness,” he said. “Kindness changes our hearts … kindness changes people from the inside out.”

Aaron Walker

Reporter

Moose Jaw Express