COAST SALISH PROTOCOL PANEL DISCUSSION
Simon Fraser University November 2nd, 2016
Interested in genuine reconciliation and want to make “territorial acknowledgements” matter? Learn about Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh protocol practices and how settlers can integrate reconciliation into their own or their organisation's regular work. Deepen your practical understanding of colonialism and be an ally in confronting Coast Salish cultural erasure here in the Unceded Territories. Speakers: Charlene Aleck (Tsleil-Waututh), Khelsilem (Squamish), TBD (Musqueam), and Irwin Oostindie (Dutch Settler). Presented by SFU Institute for the Humanities, Heart of the City Festival, Coast Salish Cultural Network, and SFU School of Communications Graduate Caucus.
SPEAKERS
Charlene Aleck / Ts'simtelot - Elected Councillor with the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, and plays a Cultural Ambassador role for the Nation. Charlene is a granddaughter of Chief Dan George, an actress, known for The Beachcombers (1972) and The New Beachcombers (2002), a mother and grandmother. She is also an active participant with Children of Takaya and performs throughout Coast Salish Territory.
Tłakwasikan Khelsilem - Sḵwx̱wú7mesh-Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw is an educator, and language rights activist. He founded the Kwi Awt Stelmexw—a Coast Salish arts and education society—with the aim of creating and providing language programming to his community. He currently teaches at SFU in a Squamish Language Immersion Program.
Christina Nahanee - Musqueam is the executive assistant to the Musqueam Nation manager, and has extensive experience assisting the protocol department at Musqueam.
Irwin Oostindie - A Dutch settler media artist, curator, and researcher who has led local and international media and culture projects for three decades. Irwin has a Post-Graduate Certificate in Media Arts from Capilano University, and is currently a SFU graduate student. His research and activism involves settler cultural policy and redress.
MODERATOR
Aleks Besan - Originally from Latvia and with Russian as her mother tongue, Aleks immigrated to Coast Salish Territories as a child. She is an Educator with Check Your Head, and is interested in global migration and solidarity from diaspora communities, recently completing a degree in International Studies at SFU with an interest in sociological and culturally-informed aspects.
