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“Indigenous lives matter.”
A powerful statement that Kamloops’ Nikki Fraser has been thinking about since her one-on-one interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“No other Prime Minister has ever said that, and I had the opportunity to get him to say that,” Fraser said.
The 25-year-old was one of 10 people selected by CBC to have a 10-minute one-on-one conversation with the Prime Minister. Topics ranged from the economy, climate change to immigrants. Fraser was the first of the interviews and asked Prime Minister Trudeau about missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
“It’s such a huge topic. Everyone asked if I was nervous to see him and I was, but I was way more nervous to bring in the topic that I was bringing in,” Fraser said.
Fraser was able to share her own story with the Prime Minister, showing him photos of her aunt and cousin who have been killed or have gone missing.
“My story is so much like other families out there, and it was important to me to make sure that we have a safer future for the younger indigenous youth today,” said Fraser.
After the interviews were over, Fraser recalls thanking the Prime Minister and saying, “Mr.Trudeau, you made history today.”
“He said, ‘No. You made history today,’ and that’s something that has really stuck with me. It was huge.”
The interviews were filmed in Ottawa on January 28th. Fraser returned home on Tuesday and was able to watch the interview with her two young children.
“They said, ‘Mommy, why are you sad?’ because they see me tearing up,” said Fraser.
“I said, ‘That’s the Prime Minister and I’m sharing my story and I was talking about you,’ and they were like, ‘Why were you sad mom?’ and I said, ‘Because I love you and I’m trying to do something bigger than me.”
Fraser says her children, three and five years old, are too young to fully understand, but hopes they understand when they get older.
“That’s why I did it. For my daughter and my son. To have equality for them both.”