Emily Pictou-Roberts helping Indigenous students navigate their education while being away from home; initiative part of Mount Saint Vincent University and University of King's College actions for reconciliationEmily Pictou-Roberts of Millbrook First Nation is the first official Auntie in Resident at Mount Saint Vincent University and the University of King's College.HALIFAX, N.S.
However valuable elders are for their wisdom and knowledge, many are stretched and needed more than they can meet. That’s when Small Legs-Nagge presented the idea of an Auntie, after reading about one at Western University. Many agreed that they had found female professors, student advisors or older friends who were like aunties that helped them out in university, said Small Legs-Nagge.
Since starting at both King’s and MSVU, Pictou-Roberts has consolidated resources for things such as scholarships, events, housing, food security and more into an accessible drive for Indigenous students. And if she doesn’t have the information needed, she will find it. “I was always grateful for always just having access to my community, even if I didn't understand how important that was,” said Pictou-Roberts. “It was really difficult for me, as you can imagine, coming from a small town and having a lot of Indigenous teachings in my education to moving somewhere where there were no supports.
Pictou-Roberts is the granddaughter of Robert Pictou, a living survivor of the Shubenacadie Residential School and is proud to live up to her family's legacy of accomplished individuals, including her proud mother, RCMP Cst. Shari Pictou, who is the liaison officer for Pictou Landing First Nation. Millbrook elder tells her Shubenacadie Residential School story: 'I need to talk about the sadness that was there'