Shane Pointe, Hopokeltun, is a proud Knowledge Keeper who belongs to the land of Musqueam. As an artist, teacher, cultural mentor and a proud community member he shares our culture with a generous heart and deep wisdom. Uncle Shane brings warmth, gentleness and generosity to all his interactions.

Faith Sparrow-Crawford is from the Musqueam Indian Band in Vancouver, BC. She was raised in her community by generations of storytellers and artists, surrounded by a rich culture and oral histories that instilled in her a passion for the arts. Faith graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2017 with a major in First Nations and Indigenous Studies, focusing her degree largely on Indigenous new media. After graduation, she worked for her nation helping to further their self-governance and writing their constitution founded on their traditions, protocols, and oral histories.

HOST is an Indigenous-led public art collective consultancy founded by Faith Sparrow-Crawford from xʷməθkʷəyəm, Salia Joseph from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and Jade George from səlilwətaɬ. HOST’s mandate is to cultivate and advance Indigenous representation in the unceded, occupied, and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəyəm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ peoples. Central to this work is a model of self-determination whereby nation members are provided with opportunities to flourish on their own territory. Since it’s founding in 2020, HOST has directly supported Indigenous artists, cultural workers, and knowledge keepers through numerous arts and cultural initiatives including public art commissions, community programs, educational workshops, and reciprocal mentorship exchanges.

xʷacúʔ Allan Lindley (they/them) is from Quilchena/Spaxomin, part of the Upper Nicola Band. They are Syilx (Okanagan – Upper Nicola) Nlaka’pamux (Thompson – Lower Nicola) Nehiyawak (Cree – Mistawasis). xʷacúʔ is stamíyaʔ (two spirit femme/Indigiqueer/nonbinary).  They are a founding member of the Syilx Indigiqueer Council and prioritize creating safe and inclusive spaces for trans and two spirit youth and relatives. They currently live on the lands of the MST in colonially called Vancouver, BC. They spent twelve years doing support work for our people in the DTES through harm reduction, advocacy, and outreach. They created and ran an Indigenous Services Department for a large non profit housing org. This work was informed by Aunties and Indigenous Kin, and centred our ways of being and knowing.  They have worked in facilitation around anti-racism and Indigenous cultural safety. Currently they are working in Indigenous language revitalization. They stand in solidarity and support of Land Back, Palestine, Sudan, and in all places where Indigenous People resist genocide and colonialism.

Veronica Martisius (she/her) is of mixed European and Mohawk (Wolf Clan) ancestry. She is a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River and was born and raised in Brantford, ON. Veronica currently resides, uninvited, on the unceded homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh and səlil̓wətaʔɬ (aka Vancouver, BC).

Veronica attended law school at the University of Victoria where she was an active member and co-chair of the Indigenous Law Students Association, completed a co-op term with the Indigenous Law Research Unit, and was a student participant in ĆELÁṈENEȽ: A Field Course in the Re-emergence of W̱SÁNEĆ Law. Prior to attending law school, Veronica was a support worker with the Victim Services of Brant and the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program. She also completed her Masters of Arts degree at the University of Guelph where she studied and wrote about the over-incarceration of Indigenous peoples and the establishment of Gladue and Indigenous Persons Courts in territories occupied by the Canadian state.

Veronica was called to the BC Bar in May 2021 and is Staff Counsel (Policy) at the BC Civil Liberties Association. Veronica is passionate about Indigenous rights, human responsibilities and approaching her work with a good mind in accordance with the Great Law of Peace.

Norm is a frequent facilitator and speaker on the Indigenous experience with colonization. He was born and raised in East Vancouver, with ancestry in the T’it’q’et community of the St’at’imc nation where he served as Chief and then Administrator. He draws on his experiences as a recovering alcoholic/ addict, computer nerd, inter-generational survivor, and spiritual explorer to inform his current work.

He is trained in facilitation with the Equitas and St’at’imc Restorative Justice. Norm worked with the National Centre for First Nations Governance developing Indigenous governance models. Norm facilitates the Indigenous cultural sessions for Police Academy and Sheriffs Academy at the Justice Institute. He teaches Indigenous Tools For Living (ITFL) across Canada and online. ITFL is built upon Indigenous Focusing Oriented Therapy (IFOT), which is an Indigenous, body-centred and land-based approach to trauma.

Jada holds a BA and Master’s from UBC is a certified grief and trauma counselor, and is the founder of Courage Consulting (a decolonizing firm specializing in truth and reconciliation, DEI, and organizational transformation). Jada is also a co-founder of Drawing Wisdom where she facilitates conversations around cultural safety, directs projects, and is generally on board to dream and design any project that upholds the voices of Indigenous Communities and Peoples. And she hosts the Drawing Wisdom Video Podcast. She takes the lead in all Drawing Wisdom projects, including directing our latest film. 

David is the Co-Artistic Director of Love Intersections. His work has also recently included collaborations with Primary Colours / Couleurs primaires, an initiative to decolonize the Canadian art system by putting Indigenous Arts practices at the centre, through the leadership of Indigenous artists, supported by artists of colour. David has been a filmmaker for 22 years, and more recently through Love Intersections, he has produced over 15 short films, which have screened internationally at over 60 film festivals. He is currently a PhD candidate at the Social Justice Institute at the University of British Columbia. He holds a Master of Social Sciences from the African Gender Institute at the University of Cape Town.

Kat got her start in marketing, campaigning, and directing at Adbusters magazine in the early 90s.  An expert in social branding and engaging audiences as well as nurturing partnerships with nonprofits, known for her dedication to social and environmental justice, Indigenous solidarity, health promotion, anti-stigma work, and harm reduction. In 2015 she co-founded Drawing Wisdom with Jada. 

In 2007, Kat received a “Woman of Vision” award from Women in Film for her work in interactive media. In 2013 she co-authored the book, Picturing Transformation, Nexw’áyansut (2013, Figure 1 Publishing) with Nancy Bleck and Chief Bill Williams. In 2016 she was profiled for her role as an impact producer for her work with the film 65_RedRoses in “Story, Money, Impact: Funding Media for Social Change” by Tracey Friesen (2016, Routledge). In 2019 she received a BC Achievement Community Award for her work mentoring youth and driving collaborative projects. Kat has an MA from the University of Leeds, UK, and a BFA from the University of Victoria.

D’Arcy Hamilton is a highly skilled Director of Photography as well as a passionate storyteller. He is also a skilled editor and has recently mastered After Effects. D’Arcy is part of our workshop team for “Drawing Wisdom,” (headed up by Jada-Gabrielle Pape, Saanich & Snuneymuxw Nations) which includes mentoring workshops with Indigenous communities and youth using video storytelling techniques to explore health and wellbeing, social justice, and cultural topics. D’Arcy graduated from Capilano University’s Documentary and Small Unit Production program in 2008. Visit his website at: darcyhamilton.pro