Avis O'Brien — Project Lead
Nalaga (Avis O’Brien) is a member of the Kaa’was Staa!stas Eagle Clan from the Village of K’yuusda in Haida Gwaii and the Geegilgum Namima of the Lig̱wiłda!x̱w people of Cape Mudge, one of the 18 Tribes of the Kwakwaka’wakw. Her role in the initiative is project lead, lead curriculum development & lead facilitator.
Nalaga utilizes a positive connection to bak̓wa̱m (Indigneous) identity, a̱wi’nak̕wa̱s (land), breath, body & culture to heal from the attempted and ongoing impacts of colonial genocide. Safety and trust is built through building a container of belonging for youth.
Erika Doehring — Project Support
Erika Doehring is a Gwich’in, Dene, and German Granddaughter raised on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Kwikwetlem, Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
She is involved with the project for development coaching, marketing and communications. Erika uses art, theatre and creativity to create safer places to process trauma. She brings extensive knowledge to the team around marketing and sales as well as decolonizing program development.
Ivy Richardson — Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher
Ivy Richardson is Nuxalk, Gusigmukw and of mixed European descent. Her traditional name is Snomochadice. She was named after a prophetess from her family’s village in Bella Coola.
Her role in the initiative is to facilitate trauma informed yoga practices. Ivy uses a combination of physical movement, breathwork and meditation as tools to support healing and empowerment. Her work always begins with safety.
Kirsten Dobbler — Kwak'wala Language Teacher
Kirsten Dobler ( Q̓aq̓uƛ̓amas ) has ancestry from the Liǧʷiɫdax̌ʷ of the We Wai Kai Nation, and also has mixed European descent. Kirsten is a language teacher at the Kʷak̓ʷala Lik̓ʷala program in in Campbell River. She is currently finishing her Masters Degree in Indigenous language revitalization at the University of Victoria.
Kirstens role with the initiative is language teacher and language consultant. She creates trust in her work through the use of Lik̓ʷala , connecting gəngənanəm (children) to a part of their identity that was taken during the process of colonization.
Ferrin Yola Willie — Clinical Counselor / Language Consultant
Yola (wind), Ferrin Yola Willie is Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw & Haíɫzaqv and gratefully living & learning in Snuneymuxw on the ancestral lands of the Hul’q’umi’num’ language. Yola holds a Masters in Indigenous Counselling and is in her second year of a Phd program in Indigenous language revitalization. Her doctoral pursuits have been a way to make space for learning her language of Kwak̓wala and to promote wellness as part of ancestral language reclaimation. She hopes to support Indigenous healing by creating safe spaces for encouraging ancestral language learning.
James Quatell — Elder Support
James Quatell is a Hereditary Chief of the Weiwaikum First Nation. He is a recognized and highly respected in the Kwakwaka’wakw community as an Elder and Culture keeper. He has been working as an Elder with a variety of organizations from across Vancouver Island for the past 20 years.
As one who embodies traditional ceremony, leadership and cultural knowledge as a daily practice, he has been sharing teachings on health and wellness with the John Howard Society, Vancouver Island Health Authority and Ministry of Children and Family Development. He is also the In-House Elder for the residential drug and alcohol treatment facilities Tsow-tun-Lelum and Kackaamin family Development Centre.
James is an advocate for the Truth and Reconciliation Process and has delivered numerous workshops on the history of residential schools. He has been active with Vancouver Island Health Authority initiatives for the past 7 years, including facilitating workshops around cultural safety. James is an instrumental part of providing teachings on cultural teachings within the health care field.
He has been married to his wife Lorna for 45 years, has 1 daughter and 1 grandson. He is a leader in the community and his life’s work is deeply rooted in living a cultural life