“My mentors have charged me: how am I going to be a mentor? How am I going to continue this? How can we keep that flame going? So we’re not just complacent … Oftentimes we feel like we take on the hurt and the weight of our family, our communities, and our people upon ourselves and feel like we have to save our own within the next hour. We do all this stuff and more so, you know, be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself. Think of your spirit as the fire that burns throughout the night during ceremony. Too little drive and there’s not enough fire. Too much work and your fire will burn out. Don’t burn out. We need you. Decolonize self-care and learn when to say no.

Even keepers of the fire during ceremony know when to add fuel to the fire and when to stop in a healthy way. It is in this way that we will continue walking in beauty.”