107: “So much of being Filipino is defined by our relationships.” Learning the language to make sense of our experiences through storytelling and the Filipinx-Canadian experience with Catherine Febria

This episode is also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JkW0GQL3RWQ

Freshwater Ecologist, boundary spanner, Filipinx settler on Turtle Island and Pinay-Canadian Catherine "Cat" Febria joins TFAW Project to officially marry the Filipinx-American & Filipinx-Canadian families. 

We discuss the intricacies of understanding who we are & what our purpose is as a colonized people spread out across a global diaspora, and how the relationships we have with each other are at the heart of how we identify, both as individuals and as Kapwa. Growing up in Toronto, an immigrant community that encourages its members to learn about others’ indigenous cultures as well as embrace their own, set the stage for Cat from an early age to walk through life aiming to make sense of her life events in the context of this collective.

Her mission as a Freshwater Ecologist is to use science to connect land, water & people for the benefit of future generations. Her lab employs a unique storytelling approach to humanize the land & water in their scope of work and engage people in dismantling the “pale, male & stale” oppressive systems that have displaced marginalized communities for so long. 

Cat reminds us there’s a time limit for how much longer we can continue to use & abuse both each other and the land we occupy, and urges us to center our focus on intentional connection. It’s only through sharing our stories that we learn the language to make sense of our experiences, and recognize the hard truths of our ancestors that prove we are all here today as a result of love.

Want to learn more about Cat and the meaningful work she’s doing? Connect with her on Facebook or Instagram @healthyheadwaterslab or visit her website: www.healthyheadwaterslab.ca

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The Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies Conference Committee, has accepted our proposal for the 2021 Bulosan Filipinx Studies Virtual Research Conference! For a couple of weeks now, Nani Dominguez, Stacey Anne Baterina Salinas and Jen Amos have been working on an academic paper about The Filipino American Woman Project titled, “Pinay Podcasters: Building a Self-Sustaining Community Through Storytelling, Collective Healing & Learning, and Collaboration.” We can’t wait to share more! Until then, SAVE THE DATE for Friday, May 28th from 1-5:30PM and Saturday, May 29th from 1-6PM (PST) or register for FREE at