Summer Student Scoop: More than just a summer job

As Akenhnhà:ke starts to settle in and the weather begins to get warmer, many people, including students, are left wondering what will fill their upcoming months.

As people begin to figure out their summer plans, whether it be youth scoping out the job market or parents figuring out whether or not they’re going to send their kids to summer camp, individuals are forced to confront the uncertainty that comes with the end of the school year and summer begins.

I remember often eagerly looking forward to the beginning of summer vacation as a child, only to become bored with myself after a week or so, which always left me with the question, so what do I do now?

This is what led me to decide to apply to work at The Eastern Door this summer. Since I’ve had the opportunity to work for The Eastern Door in the past, the decision to return for the duration of this upcoming summer was something that I welcomed with open arms.

This time, coming back to The Eastern Door was slightly different. In the past, I was a summer news reporter, but this summer, I began a new position as their communications assistant.

Before, I would be responsible for attending community events, interviewing people, and writing articles about the event, but this summer I found myself responsible for creating a visual element to those events as well.

I had to find a balance between telling a story within a short timeframe, which, if you can imagine, is harder than it looks.

I eagerly looked forward to beginning again at The Eastern Door, partly because of how much I enjoyed it last time I was here, but also as an honest effort to help me overcome my anxiety, which is something I’ve struggled with since I was younger.

By going to community events and interviewing people, it has caused me to begin a steady progression in overcoming any fears and anxieties that I’ve had about speaking to or interacting with new people.

In addition, my recent return to working here has caused me to realize the importance of the work that’s being done at The Eastern Door, and Indigenous newspapers in general.

Although there are many news organizations in the world, many are hesitant to give the spotlight to Indigenous issues, or stories that highlight Indigenous voices. By recognizing the importance of Indigenous issues, I am able to take part in uplifting and enhancing the great things that are being done within the community.

But, speaking of community, after being away from Kahnawake to attend university for the majority of the last few years, being able to return and attend various community events allowed me to reconnect with the community and get in touch with my roots in ways that I didn’t know I needed.

Adapting to coming back to a small town such as Kahnawake after spending some time in a bigger city has caused me to reflect on the importance of community. There is so much that goes on in Kahnawake when I’m not here that I’m completely unaware of, so rather than asking for updates from friends and family, I realized what better way is there to keep up with what’s going on within the community than working directly with the people reporting it?

Although I will say that being back in Kahnawake after spending the last two-and-a-half years away for school has been nice. It was a welcome change and allowed me to be able to reconnect with my family, which is always a good thing. Oftentimes, I don’t realize how much I miss town until I come back to it, or how much my family members have grown or changed while I was away.

As I begin to look ahead towards the rest of the summer, I am reminded to think of the significance of the present moment. Constantly having to move back and forth between Kahnawake and Syracuse in the past few years has caused me to appreciate the value of the present moment, rather than constantly looking ahead towards the next big thing.

Instead of being anxious about my future as I begin my final year of university, I’ve begun to find solace in the uncertainty, and found myself beginning to appreciate the value of taking things one step at a time, or in this case, one TikTok or news article at a time.

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