Elders in Residence
Elders in Residence are a core part of the 糖心vlog传媒community.
Fernanda Par茅, Comox Valley campus Elder in Residence, helps facilitate a drum making workshop for 糖心vlog传媒staff and students
Indigenous Elders in Residence support Indigenous students and also act as liaisons with First Nations communities. They鈥檙e also available to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff and students interested in Indigenous culture or in need of guidance.
You鈥檒l also find our Elders in classrooms, taking important ceremonial roles at events and supporting curriculum development.
Meet the Elders
Daryle Mills
Campbell River campus
Daryle is of Cree, Dene, Stoney and Irish heritage. He participates in local cultural events and activities, where he shares his cultural background and Cree and Lakota teachings. His family is from Fort Chipewyan, north of Fort McMurray on Lake Athabasca, where he is known by his Cree name of Tipiskowpisimwikimusqua. A former millwright and trades person, he has provided social services and youth support for the last 16 years.
June Johnson
Campbell River campus
Known by her traditional name 鈥楿m鈥檃galis, June is from We Wai Kai Nation, Cape Mudge. As an elder, she leads workshops in traditional plants and medicine, blanket making, traditional cooking and cedar weaving and also teaches youth the cultural protocol of the Big House and traditional dances. June holds a Developmental Standard Term Certificate in Language Revitalization from the University of Victoria and now teaches Liqwala/Kwak鈥檞ala language and culture. She is a grandmother to six.
Fernanda Par茅
Comox Valley campus
Fernanda鈥檚 traditional name is Nagega, and she is of Kwakwaka鈥檞akw, Namgis, K鈥櫭砿oks and Carrier Sekani ancestry. She makes traditional button blankets, attends numerous potlatches, and believes we must practice and live by our traditional ways with honour and dignity. She has worked as an administration assistant with the City of Toronto鈥檚 Finance and Land Use Planning departments. Fernanda and her husband have one son and five grandchildren, and they reside on traditional territory in K鈥櫭砿oks.
Dr. Evelyn Voyageur, RN, BScN, PhD
Comox Valley campus
Evelyn is of the Kwakwaka鈥檞akw Nation, of the Dzawadainox tribe. She speaks Kwak鈥檞ala fluently. She has worked in hospitals and communities in Alberta and BC, as well as taught and developed nursing curricula at UVic and NIC. Evelyn counsels survivors for the Indian Residential School Society. She has received many awards for her contribution to Indigenous nursing, including becoming one of Health Canada鈥檚 First Nation and Inuit Branch鈥檚 first recipients of the Award of Excellence in Nursing.
Wilma Gus
Port Alberni campus
Wilma is a member of the Tseshaht, living and working in the Alberni Valley, in her traditional territory, as her family has for generations. She has worked with children, youth, adults and elders, taught in elementary school and at UBC, and has worked for the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. Wilma has worked at 糖心vlog传媒since 1993, and as Elder in Residence, pursues a commitment to promoting student success and works as a team to help students achieve their educational goals.
Contact an Elder
Our Elders in Residence are available at our main campuses and can be reached by email.
If you live outside of the Campbell River, Comox Valley and Port Alberni regions and would like to connect with an Elder, get in touch with an Indigenous education navigator.
We're with you along the way.
Book an appointment
Indigenous navigators and counsellors are available on campus but can also meet by phone or online.
Get in touch
If you can't reach an 糖心vlog传媒campus, reach out to an Indigenous navigator鈥攚e're ready to connect.
Email us