Sharing Wisdom: Indigenous Elders Perspectives on Waste and the Environment | Session 2 with Joan Morris
– DETAILS –
Another great Virtual Event Series!
Using a respectful, interview-style storytelling format, CWMA members will hear from Indigenous Elders from across BC as they share their observations and experiences. Indigenous Peoples have been stewards of the land for millennia, and their perspectives stem from this deep, continuous connection that we can all learn from.
CWMA is proud to partner with Indigenous Community for Leadership & Development (ICLD) to bring this series to life. ICLD have worked with over 90 First Nations communities in British Columbia and has developed strong relationships with them all. As an organization, they place Indigenous traditional knowledge at the forefront of their operations and are committed to sharing wisdom and celebrating community.
These unique events intend to raise awareness of Indigenous perspectives on the environment, waste, and how it impacts our earth and people.
This series is part of CWMA’s own efforts toward reconciliation with an invitation to our members to be part of our journey to build knowledge and community.
Session 2 – Elder
Sellemah, Elder Joan Morris, is a member of the Songhees Nation and a lifelong teacher of the cultural and ecological history of Lekwungen territory. She was born and raised at Tl’ches — the small archipelago known today as the Chatham Islands and Discovery Island, off Victoria at the western edge of the Salish Sea — and she is the last Songhees member to have been born on the island, where her family lived until 1957, when the well went dry.
Raised by her grandparents and her great-grandmother, Sellemah learned from an early age about the lands and waters of her home place — how to care for them, and how to live safely and healthily from them. Her family raised sheep on Tl’ches for wool and meat and lived almost entirely self-sufficiently, teachings that ground her deep knowledge of plants, animals, water, and traditional stewardship.
A Survivor of the residential schools, Sellemah has been a powerful advocate for Residential School Survivors and Indian Hospital Survivors, and brings that same commitment to social justice, truth, and reconciliation into all of her work.
Her environmental leadership is felt across the region. Her vision of restoring the traditional gardens and orchards of Tl’ches — and her people’s relationship with the land — has inspired ethnoecological restoration research at the University of Victoria, and she is co-author, with renowned ethnobotanist Dr. Nancy Turner, of “Living on the Salish Sea.”
Her guiding words, “Heal the Land, to Heal the People,” have become a mantra for those working to preserve and protect Tl’ches. She also served as the key Elder guiding the West Shore RCMP’s TL’Ches Spirit Canoe Program, ensuring that cultural teachings about the islands are shared with every paddler who goes out on the water.
Sellemah has served as a caregiver in hospitals and an advisor to many initiatives spanning culture, environment, and health, and she continues to educate people of all ages about the history and significance of these lands and waters.
Meet our Interviewer
wəqʷaqʷələq | Cyril Morris, ICLD: Born into the x̌əx̌ə teŋəxʷ (sacred lands) of Leǩʷəŋən Territory — the homelands of the Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation on what many now know as Victoria, B.C. — I spent my earliest years rooted in the snepənəq (teachings) of my grandmothers, my mother, and the stories of our people. My name, wəqʷaqʷələq, carries the weight (eyʔ steɫŋəxʷ – good medicine) of my lineage as my mother was born and raised on our lands, known as tl’čəs (the original Songhees Islands) and reminds me every day of my cultural responsibility to walk in balance.
– COST–
$23.00 +GST
CWMA’s work is supported entirely by events, sponsorships, and membership. We’re grateful you’re here. Reduced pricing is available for students and non-profit organizations — reach out to learn more. Am I a member?
These sessions may not be recorded; it is up to the Elder
No refunds, but registrations may be transferred to another attendee or used toward another event.
Group Rates
Attending as a team is a great way to support your organization’s reconciliation journey. Groups of three or more are eligible for a discount — email Sheila for the code.
– AGENDA –
1:00 PM
Welcome Everyone / Introductions
Interview, Listening, Learning
Questions (if time) and as preferred
1:58 PM
Farewell
– VIRTUAL NOTES –
CWMA uses the Zoom Platform for events. Zoom Link is sent the DAY BEFORE the event.