Pictured above: Top Row: Carolyn Dawson, Instructor Deanna Nicolson, Elder Advisor Margaret Wilson; Middle Row: Mercedes Webb, Elder Advisor Robert Joseph, Instructor Ryan Nicolson; Bottom Row: Emily Lyall, Alana Jacobson, Pewi Alfred. 

Students not pictured: Rebecca MacKenzie, Danielle Dawson, Rachel Hunt; Instructors not pictured: Gloria Hunt, Yola Willie; Elder Advisors not pictured: Maggie Sedgemore, Betty Dawson

Congratulations to the Kwak'wala DILR graduates

by Deanna Nicolson

A huge congratulations to the DILR students on your graduation! After two years of intense language learning and teaching, earning the diploma in Indigenous Language Revitalization is a huge milestone. So many people are proud of you, and we hope you feel proud of everything that you have each accomplished. ha̱yuła̱lala o’a̱mx̱! The Kwak̓wala-Speaking-People are excited to see all the great things you will continue to work towards and achieve next!

Pictured above: The W̱SÁNEĆ Instructional team. 

W̱SÁNEĆ Curriculum Retreat

by Aliki Marinakis

The W̱SÁNEĆ Instructional team and I spent four days revising program outcomes and designing course outlines for the fall term. The team heard from Aidan Pine about the SENĆOŦEN bot (LOBOT) project and SENĆOŦEN.org. We organized schedules and content for the coming year for both the first year of the W̱,SENĆOŦEN,IST program, new intake starting in September 2026, and the 3-year program, new intake for the BA in ILP SENĆOŦEN.

Pictured above: 1st picture: W̱SÁNEĆ teachers; 2nd picture: The W̱SÁNEĆ Instructional team and Aliki Marinakis, Indigenous Language Programs Manager, UVic. 

Pictured above: Students learning to keep the beat at the log in Mungo Martin Big House. 

Building Community Through Art, Music, and Storytelling

by Alex Taylor-McCallum

It was an emotional day completing the last class of my summer Artist in Residency at the University of Victoria. I worked with nearly 40 students in June and July and I’m grateful to have met and learned something from each and every one of them. I thank them all for expressing themselves creatively, through art, writing, poetry and music. I thank them all for sharing their stories with me as we sat in circles, getting to know one another as we collaboratively worked together.

I thank all my guests that shared their gifts. My buddy @kian_585, a talented musician and record engineer who helped produce and master 6 tracks with all students. Thank you for all your help. This experience of bringing students into the studio was so unique and fun.

My relatives Gilbert Dawson, Kingston Daniels and James Power who shared songs, teachings and fun times teaching in all your own meaningful ways. This was a highlight for us all to learn in the Wawadiła.

Thanks to Chief David Knox for granting us permission to visit and learn in the Guxwdzi and Krystal Hunt for helping arrange this, accommodating us and opening the door for us to learn.

Thank you to @frankzappppper who came in to share his story, talk about hip-hop, healing, freestyling, flow and so much more. A beautiful full circle moment.

Pictured above: 1st photo: James Power sharing his gift of song and teachings; 2nd photo: Students dancing in the Mungo Martin Big House. 

Pictured above: L to R: Victor Caniuñir, Researcher and Anthropologist, Jean-Paul Restoule, Chair of Indigenous Education, Miguel Melín Pehuen, Professor, UFRO, Carmen Wiigwaas Craig, Teaching Professor, UVic. (Photo by Xianjing Zhang)

Visit from Universidad de la Frontera, Chile

by Jean-Paul Restoule

In early July, the Office of Global Engagement (OGE) welcomed Mapuche delegates from the Universidad de la Frontera to UVic. They were interested in how Indigenous departments are run and wanted to know more about our academic governance as well as our Indigenous Language Revitalization programming. We discussed the benefits and limits of working from Indigenous values in a non-Indigenous institution and dreamed about what might be possible to do to bring Indigenous knowledges into academic spaces.

Our guests presented IED with a Mapuche flag that prominently displays the Morning Star (Venus) on a blue background. Pictured are Researcher and Anthropologist Victor Caniuñir Railaf, Chair of IED Jean-Paul Restoule, Professor Miguel Melín Pehuen, and Assistant Teaching Professor Carmen Wiigwaas Craig.