Meet our Team: Patience Tram
Who are you?
I am Patience! I am a friend, a daughter, an older sister, a scientist, and a feminist. In addition, I am half Cree and half Vietnamese (Creenamese, if you will). While my family is originally from a Cree nation, an Ojibwe reservation located in Ontario is home. However, I haven’t always lived on reserve and while most of my life has been spent living in the city, my community is where my parents and younger siblings currently live and is a place that has and continues to be an influential part of my journey in becoming the person I am today.
I am currently a fourth-year student at Mount Royal University, studying General Science with a minor in both Biology and Women and Gender studies. Throughout my degree, my own values and passion in social issues have led me to focus my scientific path in specific areas such as environmental and animal conservation. It is this passion that has also led my interest in exploring the dynamic experiences and concerns of marginalized populations based on a variety of identities including my own as an Asian and Indigenous woman.
How has living on reserve and in the city informed your views on sustainability?
Living both in Calgary and on reserve has offered me the unique insight of understanding two drastically different worlds within Canada. Within my own community, the collection of resources and food sources from the surrounding environment is as natural as going to the grocery store for those in the city, however, I feel that the most significant difference exhibited within the city is that there is a stronger disconnect between resources and consumption. On reserve, the uptake of resources is personal, physical, and requires time spent in the surrounding environment which I believe has provided me and my community members with a greater sense of how our actions affect not only the environment, but the animals and each other.
Ultimately, having observed how community needs are met while also considering environmental health, animal welfare, social relations, and other factors, I have a greater understanding of how sustainability encompasses a myriad of different elements and how they all interplay.
Why do you think diversity in sustainability is important?
Through my minor in Women and Gender Studies, I have learnt that while people around the world may have a shared and universal experience, such as gender, each gendered experience is unique due to varying factors such as geography, culture, and religion; I think the same notion applies to sustainability. While we are all facing the question of how to be more sustainable, elements such as geography, race, and economic standing are all things to consider within our efforts to address the issue of sustainability as a global issue which affects a variety of people rather than a localized and homogenized issue based on Western ideologies.
“I think defining the field of sustainability based on a single ideology undermines the voices and experiences of others who are facing the same challenges and ultimately disadvantages the movement. ”
Sustainability is important because the lack of representation not only affects the hegemonic group within predominantly white fields, but also the POC in those fields who are aiding in creating diversity rather than experiencing it.
Who do you look up to?
My mother! There are a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding Indigenous people, all of which have played a major role in how I chose to Identify myself growing up.
“I often felt ashamed about being Indigenous and struggled with internalized racism and while I admire my mother for a multitude of reasons, what I appreciate about her most is that she pushed me to have a relationship with both my Vietnamese and Indigenous side. This is significant because while she was growing up, she herself didn’t have much understanding of her relationship with her Indigenous identity other than it made up her physical appearance and how people treated her because of it. Despite the status and misconceptions of Indigenous people in Canada, my mother made the effort to understand and love our culture and as a result, I have perspective and love for who I am and for that I am grateful.”
Is there a quote or mantra that you most live by, and why?
“We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are” - Max De Pree
Many, including myself, fear change because it's uncomfortable. However, I’ve grown to understand that growth and moving towards becoming who you want is uncomfortable because you’ve never been there before. I love this quote because it reminds me not to fear the uncomfortable and to always push myself to meet new people and embrace new experiences.
What issues in sustainability are you most concerned about?
Right now, one of my biggest concerns is not only the exploitation of the natural environment but how this in turn can result in the exploitation of people. Countries including Canada, have developed from imperialism and benefit from the use of resources and labour of people, which not only harms the environment but also the cultural and social relations of those native to that region.
You’re just about to graduate from university. What would you like to do next?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, travelling was one of my favourite things to do. To me, travelling and exploring new places, people, and cultures is a form of learning that cannot be taught in a classroom and while I have plans to further my education, I would like to take some time to explore the world. In fact, I have considered prolonging my graduation so that I can participate in a field school program in Peru as well as study abroad. However, with the uncertainty presented with the pandemic, only time will tell if that will be possible; either way, my goals of exploring the world remain.
Besides traveling, I would like to further my education and pursue my master's in Women and Gender Studies and hopefully go on to pursue my Ph.D. What inspires me about this field is its intersectional approach and how it can be applied to our understanding of life, whether scientific or social. I feel that pursuing Women and Gender studies is a good foundation for my future endeavors which could eventually include teaching or research, both of which I’m extremely interested in.
Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future, and why?
I think more than anything I am excited to see the progress of the world and our journey towards a more sustainable future. One of the most intriguing shifts that I have observed is the fall of fast fashion. Fast fashion has been a significant issue facing us today, however, with growing understanding of its effects on environmental and social sustainability and significant shifts within generations to shop second-hand have grown as more sustainable options. With options such as these, I feel optimistic because I can contribute in my own way. However, while I categorize myself as an optimist, I think that both pessimism and optimism are key in evaluating challenges in both a realistic and meaningful way.