Christie Charles

Christie Charles a.k.a “Miss Christie Lee” of Musqueam, with linage to Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish Nations, is an artist who expresses her gifts in many forms. Growing up in a world of music her focus has been hip hop, namely raps, where she as an emcee incorporates her traditional knowledge, stories and ancient Musqueam dialect. She is a story teller, coastal hand drum singer, filmmaker and a speaker for her ancestors. Her goal is to empower and reconnect spirits to who we truly are as first peoples of the lands. Christie was recently appointed as the City of Vancouver’s first Indigenous Poet Laureate.

Charlene George

“S7atsáliya (Charlene George) is a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language advocate. She has ancestry to both the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Sel̓íl̓wat First Nations. In 2016-2017 she took the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Language Immersion program through SFU, and helped teach it the following year. S7atsáliya is currently teaching off the language, as well as developing more language resources with the Sel̓íl̓witulh language team.

S7atsáliya has also participated in a wool weaving apprenticeship with Janice George and Buddy Joseph. She takes pride in learning and practicing this old form of creating protection (and art), handed down through the generations.

S7atsáliya is also a part of two dance groups. Ta Na Wa Káwstem, a new Sḵwx̱wú7meshulh group, and Children of Takaya, a Sel̓íl̓witulh group. She sees both groups as a way to bring knowledge and understanding of the cultures to her communities as well as other communities, settlers, and tourists. By singing and dancing the old and the new, S7atsáliya feels connected to her ancestors, too.

S7atsáliya hopes to continue sharing and growing within the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language, weaving and drumming/singing lifestyles.”

Wil George

Wil George is Coast Salish from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. He is a poet. Wil’s work is published in various literary magazines and literary journals including ricepaper magazine Issues 17.3 and 17.4 special issue Aboriginal & Asian Canadian Writers and Salish Seas Anthology published by Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast. His book of poetry called Survival In Its Many Shapes was published by UNIT-PITT Projects. Wil’s poetry focusses on water-bodies (inlets, rivers, oceans, etc.) and the land (mountains, forests, shore-lines, etc.) He also uses Wolf and Raven from traditional Salish stories in contemporary settings and addressing contemporary issues. Wil was the 2017 recipient of the Mayor’s award for emerging artist in Literary Arts.

Kamala Todd

Kamala Todd is a grateful guest born and raised in the beautiful lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Skwxwú7mesh-speaking people (also known as Vancouver). She is a community planner, filmmaker, writer and curator with a Masters degree in cultural Geography (UBC). For six years she was the City of Vancouver’s Aboriginal Social Planner. Kamala’s film credits include Indigenous Plant Diva, Cedar and Bamboo, RELAW: Living Indigenous Laws, and Sharing our Stories: the Vancouver Dialogues Project and many others. In 2015 she created a video series about Indigenous law for UVic’s Indigenous Law Research Unit. Kamala writes and directs for children’s television, including the Indigenous science series Coyote’s Crazy Smart Science Show on APTN. She is the author of “This Many-storied Land”, in the 2016 book, In This Together: Fifteen Stories of Truth and Reconciliation. She recently completed a report for Vancouver Park Board entitled, Truth-Telling: Indigenous Perspectives on Working with Municipal Governments.