The following is specifically from my work in Truth and Reconciliation (TRC).

In March 2017, Respecting Traditional Knowledge and Protocols was a very impactful and excellent workshop provided by a partnership with the En’owkin Centre, Theytus Books, and Suk’wtemsqilx’w West Kelowna Arts Council (SWAC). Thank you to sponsors BC Arts Council, Westbank First Nation, and City of West Kelowna. As past Chair of SWAC, I organized the project with terrific help from my two Vice Chairs Sarah Parsons and Pat Raphael. This clip is the trailer describing the over 10 hours of footage. Thank you to Jason and David at Crosswood Productions for your filming and expertise.

Based on my work focus on partnerships, and the work of Suk’wtemsqilx’w West Kelowna Arts Council, we won the privilege to host the 2016 BC Culture Days Provincial Launch. This was the second time this festival was launched on Westbank First Nation lands, and as always, incorporates an acknowledgement of Residential School Survivors. Here is the Global Okanagan New report of the event, from Sep 2016: https://globalnews.ca/video/embed/2976493/

The following news clip from Nov 2016 talks about “The Spirit of the Okanagan”, the name of the retail art kiosk at Kelowna International Airport. It was another project close to my heart that required equal presence for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous council members in support of TRC. When I gave the name “Spirit of the Okanagan” to the kiosk, it was because of the ideal of who we were and what we did as artists. https://globalnews.ca/video/embed/3094233/

Artwork related to my explorations may be seen in the Community and The Butterfly Project.

In November 2017, due to my move to Victoria I have been becoming more aware of the challenges of the fish farms in the Pacific, specifically near Alert Bay. While following the information on Facebook, I saw an image of this young girl, who I later learned was Brees McKinney, daughter of Rosalind and Donald, from Tlowitsis/Mamtagila and Namgis Nations. I hadn’t painted for quite some time, and was stirred to pick up the brush. I wrote to the Nation, and asked if I could use the photo, and the parents responded yes. I learned a great deal in painting this image, from community to relationships and determination. In thanks, I gave the parents the painting. I hope to work more with these nations as their fight is extremely important, and to demonstrate that all artists do not take from the Indigenous. The impact on the salmon in the Pacific is linked directly to the work being done in the Okanagan. Everything is connected.