Our presenters are curated for their quality, depth, integrity, and alignment with our educational purpose. Since 1982, a distinguished faculty of authors, educators, activists, artists, performers, and practitioners have shared their work at our Cortes Island campus and in Vancouver.
Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee, Squamish Nation
Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, is a decolonial facilitator & strategist catalyzing social change to transform colonial narratives & impacts. She works within the intersection of class, culture and creativity focusing on social change through communications and deep engagement. Michelle’s collaborations have influenced opinions, changed behaviours and mobilized community action. She is the designer of a life-size board game called Sínulhkay and Ladders. Her workshop Decolonizing Practices aims to answer the question “what now” in this era of truth & reconciliation. Her approach earned her the 2019 City of Vancouver Award of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion.
Michelle is also a 2020 Dialogue Associate with the Simon Fraser University Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue. She is the author and designer of a decolonizing workbook called Decolonize First, a liberating guide and workbook for peeling back the layers of neocolonialism.
Ta7talíya is grateful to amplify the words and life work of two of her spiritual teachers and cultural mentors Chepximiya Siyam’ Chief Janice George and Skwetsimeltxw Willard ‘Buddy’ Joseph through the launch of M̓i tel’nexw.