Kecia Larkin & Steven Lewis at the XVI International AIDS Conference


tary was screened at virtually every reserve across Canada and is still in use today. As the first Aboriginal woman in Canada to disclose her status, Larkin became the face of the HIV epidemic for Aboriginal com- munities. “I was a young Aboriginal women and most of the people who were testing positive at that time were gay men,” she says. “And this made it real for people, I think.” Although Larkin hasn’t had the opportun- ity to travel internationally with her work, her message has. In 2006, she was invited to Toronto to speak at the XVI International AIDS Conference. As part of the clos- ing ceremonies, she brought attention to the challenges faced by positive Aboriginal women and families, including stigmatiza- tion, poverty, sexual abuse, violence against women and a lack of access to services and support organizations.


Words to Live By


KECIA LARKIN WAS CANADA’S FIRST ABORIGINAL WOMAN TO DECLARE HER STATUS. TODAY, SHE HELPS OTHERS FIND THEIR VOICE.


Kecia Larkin’s journey started more than 20 years ago on September 11, 1989, the day she learned that she was HIV positive. All the odds were stacked against her—she was an 18-year-old with a history of substance abuse living on the streets. There wasn’t any treatment available and people were dying quickly around her. And as an HIV positive Aboriginal woman, she faced insurmountable stigma and discrimination. “At first I didn’t cope very well,” she says.


But soon, she began to realize that more lives were at risk. It just as easily could have been one of her relatives or friends from her home community of Alert Bay, British Columbia. “Because it was incurable I thought, ‘If I’m going to die, then I want to do something positive. I want to make a difference—not just for myself, but for my community,’” she explains. After reconnecting with her family, she found the strength to disclose her status. “I knew the importance of the work that had to be done because there was so much fear and stigma around [HIV/AIDS] already.” In July 1990, Larkin began travelling as an education speaker for weeks at a time, visiting communities and reserves from Whitehorse to Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia. The following year, she starred in “Kecia—Words to Live By,” a documentary chronicling the events leading up to her infection. In addition to being featured on national news networks and distributed internationally, the documen-


Now 40, Larkin lives in Victoria with her


18-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son. With much of her time devoted to “being a mom,” her focus has shifted from education to policy and committee work. She’s the co- chair for the Red Road HIV/AIDS Network and works with the National HIV Pregnancy Planning Guidelines committee. She’s also involved in the development of the first Aboriginal Women’s HIV/AIDS strategy in Canada, which focuses on alleviating barriers. Larkin hopes the strategy will enable women to respond to the challenges they face. “I think it’s really important to engage the most valuable resource—people living with HIV—because we really are the experts,” she says. “We’ve been the ones to inform and tell people what needs to be changed.” Although Larkin’s work now focuses on


research, advocacy and policy change, she hasn’t forgotten her roots. “Where I started my journey was providing the awareness and putting a face to HIV in Aboriginal com- munities,” she says. “My heart is always with education. If I have a opportunity to go and speak, I will.”


And while she may not travel as much these days, Larkin’s journey is far from over. “I do everything I can to stay alive and strong so I can continue to work in my com- munity,” she says. “My belief is if there’s one person that benefits or can take one thing from what I said, then it’s worth it.”


4 : Produced by Verge Magazine, www.vergemagazine.com


Following in her mom’s footsteps: 18-year-old


RAKIYA LARKIN


“Without her strength I would not be who I am today; I cannot imagine life without her. Her strength and love radiates off of her. All I can say is thank you for trusting you would be alright in the end,” says 18-year-old Rakiya Larkin about her mother, Kecia. Although Rakiya has grown up


HIV-negative she has become a strong community activist, encouraged by her mother, friends and family. For the past 11 summers, she has attended Camp Moomba, a camp for kids affected by or living with HIV. This summer Rakiya will take on the role of a counsellor—a leadership position that she takes very seriously. “I have realized, overall, I cannot save everyone at camp nor can I make sure that everyone is taking their medication—which is frustrating beyond belief! What I can do is support everyone to the best of my ability— and hope that they are loving life and enjoying themselves to the best of their ability”. “We should have a voice in


making the world a better place: we have the knowledge and the skills to change the outcome for future generations,” she says. This message is echoed through Larkin’s own life path and choices: in July, 2010, she was crowned Miss Victoria Island. Being an inspiration to future generations is a gift she learned from her mother. When asked what message she would like to give HIV+ teens of today, Rakiya says, “Take advantage of the one life you have; you not only hurt yourself when you don’t take your medications and take care of yourself, you hurt everyone around you who loves you. All I have to say is that I love you, never give-up on yourself and trust that at the end of the day everything will be all right. Just have faith.”


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