Trailblazers: Representation in Politics By Georgina Mbamalu
Natteal Battiste Photography contributed Natteal Batiste was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Growing up African American and Native American, her family instilled a pride in using her voice for both of her cultures. Her interest in working within the community started when she moved to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. “I was a part of activist spaces such as Idle No More and extracurricular competitions where I represented my reserve in both sports and pageants.” In 2010, Battiste moved to Halifax where she attended Saint Mary’s University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. In her final year of school, she started working as an Aboriginal Student Advisor, a role in which she helped her community’s students navigate the ups and downs of university. During this time, she became involved in the Loretta Saunders case. Loretta Saunders was an Indigenous student who was working on a master’s thesis on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. This thesis also included the story of Anna Mae Aquash, Battiste’s grandmother’s best friend. “Loretta had caused a huge, much needed shift at Saint Mary’s that year as hundreds of previously non-identified First Nations students surfaced.” Natteal used this momentum to become a key organizer of the memorial and aided the community in Halifax through talking circles, sacred fires and tobacco ties. Since graduating, Natteal continues to give back to the community. “My full-time job is at RBC where they give me a lot of freedom to directly work in the communities. I understood the importance of basic financial management and the lack of education our communities are faced with, so, I teach everything I learn back to my people.” However, her community outreach doesn’t just stop at work. She spends her evenings and weekends at foster and group homes working as a youth care counselor. She is also the co-founder of the Strive to Reach Association and the Lighthouse Association, two outreach groups that support Black communities in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Their most recent projects include the delivery of over 250 “Do Not Visit” door signs to raise awareness of COVID-19 and encourage Preston residents to stay home and stay safe. “Recently, I have decided to take my passion for community work into the political sphere,” Natteal states. “This fall, I am running in the elections as a Councillor for my reserve, Acadia First Nation. I want to use my entire background and connections to give back to my communities in a meaningful way.” Natteal resides in Dartmouth with her partner, Robert, and new addition to the family, daughter, Nevelynn.
BLACK to BUSINESS
10
Summer 2020
