The Little Things: Part III

Professional snowboarder and weaver Meghann O'Brien grew up in Alert Bay, Vancouver Island, coming from a family with Irish, Kwakwaka’wakw, and Haida heritage. 

In the final segment of this three-part series, O'Brien explains that she never wanted anything to do with being Native during her formative years. Instead, she moved to Whistler to pursue professional snowboarding. Her sister, Spencer O'Brien, followed, later becoming an Olympian. 

Eventually the elder O'Brien moved back to northern British Columbia to focus on weaving. As her experience with textiles blossomed, she reconnected with her Kwakwaka’wakw and Haida roots. She describes how this deepening spiritual process allowed her to see the mountains as an intangible resource. 

The Little Things is available on iTunes. All proceeds benefit Protect Our Winters.