Third-year USask medical student Annette Pegg's experiences have strengthened her resolve as a physician and an advocate.

Aboriginal Achievement: Award winner hopes to make a difference in her community

Medical student Annette Pegg grew up on Kawacatoose First Nation and in inner-city Regina where she witnessed abuse, addictions and intergenerational trauma. Her experiences have strengthened her resolve as a physician and an advocate.

By Girard Hengen for the Saskatchewan Medical Association

The Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) spoke with Annette Pegg, a third-year University of Saskatchewan medical student in Regina. She was a recipient in 2017 of a USask Aboriginal Student Achievement Award for Leadership.

SMA: Tell us a little bit about yourself, your family and background, where you are from, etc.

Growing up on Kawacatoose First Nation and in inner-city Regina, I have witnessed the cycles of abuse, addictions and intergenerational trauma first-hand. These experiences have taught me a lot about humility and gratefulness. After having many family members lost too young, I am grateful for each day I get to spend wiith my family, as they are my world. Some of my family members attended residential school and it wasn't until much later that I realized how much this affected my upbringing. After years of silence, being able to hear the horrors that occurred in these institutions shook em to my core, but motivated me to learn more about my culture and the traumas experienced by my people. Although I am still learning, I have gained a new perspective on my commmunity, as well as myself, to be more forgiving and understanding.

 

Read more about Annette Pegg's story in the SMA Digest Spring 2019 edition.