Xwalacktun from the Squamish and Kwakwak’wakw Nations will share some of his stories and experiences from the Salish Sea. Stories of canoe journeys, time on the water, and the animals who call it home.
About Xwalacktun:
Xwalacktun was born and raised in Squamish. He carries with him the rich ancestries of his father’s (Squamish Nation) and mother’s (Kwakwakw’wakw Nation) of the Coast Salish clans. His father, Pekultn, carried a hereditary chieftainship from Seymour Creek in North Vancouver. He would like to acknowledge Capilano College and Emily Carr College of Art for teaching him the skills to have a start in his career. His endurance and commitment through trial and error helped propel him forward as an artist.
Xwalacktun is an accomplished artist in wood, paper, stone, glass and metals. Recent significant works can be seen at the West Vancouver Community Centre (30 foot conference room panel), Whistler’s Peak to Peak building (welcome figure), University of Victoria (double doors), Capilano University (Chancellor’s mace), Emily Carr University (mace and two outdoor house posts) and West Vancouver Secondary School (welcome carving).
Healing, growth and raising an awareness of the environment are central themes in Xwalacktun’s work. By focusing on how the traditional stories relate to his own life, he suggests to us how to use this ancient knowledge to help heal ourselves and our community. The giving out of positive energy and seeing it come back through the young people is the reward that continues to feed his spirit so that he can give back to others.
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“The Next Little Mermaid Should be Black: How does identity impact our access to the ocean?” / “ La prochaine petite sirène devrait être Noire: Quels sont les impacts de nos identités par rapport à l’accès aux océans?”
During this webinar, Chúk Odenigbo from Future Ancestors Services will be talking about intersectional identity and barriers to blue spaces. He will be diving into the various ways one can form a connection with the ocean and why it is important that everyone find their own unique way of belonging in blue spaces. In discussing the barriers (real and perceived) that are present for various peoples, Chúk provides suggestions and solutions to increase inclusivity in blue spaces and marine-related events. Attendees will be leaving with an increased awareness of how social justice and environmental issues are linked as well as steps that they can take in their own work/volunteer efforts to make things better.
Pendant le présent webinaire, Chúk Odenigbo de Future Ancestors Services discutera des identités entrecroisées (l’intersectionnalité) et les barrières concernant les espaces bleus. Il entrera en détail sur les innombrables façons de se rapprocher des océans et l’importance que chaque personne s’y prend à sa manière. En parlant des barrières vécues et perçues par plusieurs groupes de gens, Chúk fournira des suggestions et des solutions visant à augmenter l’inclusion dans les espaces bleus et dans les événements marins. Les participant.e.s seront sensibilisé.e.s aux liens entre les enjeux sociaux et environnementaux ainsi que les actions qu’ils/elles/iels peuvent prendre dans le cadre de leur travail/bénévolat d’améliorer.
About the Speaker:
Proudly Franco-Albertan, Chúk’s passion lies in the interactions between culture, health and the
environment. He recently started his PhD at the University of Ottawa in Medical Geography after completing a masters degree from the School of Public Health at the University of Montréal. Chúk is your typical urbanite, in love with technology and fashion, all the while retaining a connection with nature and integrating green and blue spaces into his everyday. His vision is to reconnect humanity with nature in a way that accommodates modernity, sparking that green revolution without decimation of the present.
Fièrement franco-Albertain, Chúk est incroyablement passionné par les interactions entre la culture, la santé et l’environnement. Il poursuit présentement un doctorat à l’Université d’Ottawa en géographie médicale après avoir terminé ses études de Maîtrise à l’École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal. Chúk est un citadin typique, amoureux de la technologie et du magasinage, mais conservant toujours ce lien avec la nature en intégrant la verdure dans son quotidien. Sa vision consiste à rétablir le lien entre l’ensemble de l’humanité et la nature tout en intégrant la modernité: une révolution verte sans une décimation du présent.
Join us on Zoom on July 8 at 1:30pm PDT to learn all about the birds that you might encounter during your exploration of the coast!
About the speaker:
Caroline Biel is an Ontario-born birder, naturalist, and woman of the outdoors. Her interest in birds first started out as a hobby, but she soon became determined to turn her passion into a career. She began banding at her local bird observatory, contributing her sightings to eBird, leading bird walks, photographing birds, and making wildlife art – which earned her the title of the American Birding Association’s Young Birder of the Year in 2016. Caroline went on to study ecology and evolution at the University of Toronto. As a recent graduate, she has moved to the Salish Sea area to do conservation work with the non-profit organization Birds Canada. Caroline is an aspiring teacher and enjoys sharing her passion for nature with others.
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It’s estimated that there are 37 species of mammals, 172 species of birds, 253 species of fish, and more than 3,000 species of invertebrates call the Salish Sea home. This summer, we celebrated all of them at the Great Salish BioBlitz! A BioBlitz is a form of community-science where community members try to identify as many species as they can in a short period of time. This gives us a snapshot of an area’s diversity of wildlife, or biodiversity. 
