Located on the ancestral lands of the Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples, now called Vancouver, I introduce myself as Mélanie Sue Caron, daughter of Michael Caron and Suzanne Guitard, and granddaughter of Eva Lejeune, Cléophas Guitard, Georgina Harris, and Omer Caron. My ancestry is Acadian, French, Scottish, Métis, and Mi’kmaq (Mi’gmaw). I grew up on my Métis and Mi’kmaq ancestral lands in Ksbamkeak’, now known as Bathurst, New Brunswick. Today, I am grateful to work, study, live, play, and most importantly, love on these Coast Salish territories, traditionally called K’emk’emeláy̓.

I am a Licensed Master’s-level Social Worker, a flight attendant, and an advocate for all my relations: human and more-than-human, including animals, plants, fungi, and our Mother Earth. I am also a herbalist and forager, wilderness enthusiast, vocalist and songwriter, Indigenous drummer, and a lifelong student of both academia and the land. At heart, I am a wild woman with an insatiable curiosity and adventurous spirit, living and loving with passion, fierceness, and mindfulness.

My own encounters with the child welfare and criminal justice systems as a youth led me to pursue studies in criminal justice and dedicate over two decades to working with marginalized youth and families in diverse settings. My lifelong passion for restorative justice naturally brought me to the Vancouver Association of Restorative Justice (VARJ), where I am deeply committed to advancing restorative justice practices in Vancouver and beyond.