Tansi, Jacylin Rose Marie Poirier dishinihkashon. You can call me Jace, actually.

I am the daughter of Helene Rose Poirier, woven into the Red River Métis heritage of the Poirier, Landry, Lamontagne, and Fisher families of Treaty 5 territory, through a life marked by constant movement and profound innovation. My late father, Gary Paul Cooper, adds a layer of complexity to my lineage with his French Canadian and Irish descent—placing me in a space where I would be both too Indigenous and not enough. Born in Peterborough, Ontario—due to the absence of a military doctor in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, where my parents were stationed with the Canadian Air Forces—my early life was a tapestry of resilience, stitched together from experiences of frequent moves, domestic violence, sexual abuse, divorce, and systemic injustices across Turtle Island.

During my coming of age, I led STEM outreach programs and built R&D education initiatives for young people, eventually launching a global ascension pathway of Indigenous entrepreneurship hubs. These roles opened my eyes to the trauma our people carry, often starting businesses out of necessity and around their babies. Having met many Indigenous women in these spaces, I learned how much trauma is involved in our births, motivating my dedication to moving us away from the medicalization of birth towards recognizing it as a ceremony.

Today, I have rooted my life in the Lekwungen-speaking Territory with my Poirier and Lacerte family. I am an aunty to many little ones, each of whom I had the privilege to witness being born and to whom I offer ongoing guidance as they grow. I am a proud mother to a 2-spirit child. The Creator gifted me the ability to recognize and name the divine gifts in everyone, empowering them to share these gifts with the world. As an artist, a teacher, an entrepreneur, and a birth worker, I am dedicated to creating learning environments where individuals are encouraged to self-actualize.

You can learn more about my work at jaceactually.ca