Tell us about yourself – What is your name, and where’s home for you?
My traditional name is Kwa̱nxwa, which translates as “Thunder” in Kwak’wala. I was born in Alert Bay at the old hospital that burned down. I’m Haida Gwaii, We Wai Kai from Cape Mudge and Irish on my dad’s side, and Scottish on my mom’s side. My grannie was Haida Gwaii and was adopted into a Cape Mudge family.
My great-great grandfather was Tom Wallace. From 1885 – 1951, the Indian Act included clauses banning the potlatch and making it illegal to practice. He decided he was going to potlatch anyway. For that, he was put in jail and he died there. They took away our dances, our coppers, our regalia, our names – everything was lost. Some of my older cousins had a feast to bring things back and that’s where I got my name. I wasn’t really sure if that was real, but Wah told me a naming ceremony is anywhere people are gathered and food was served and that’s where I got my name.
My grandfather was the fire chief in Alert Bay in the 1950s. The shop behind my granny’s house is the old firehall.
I’ve moved around a lot. My family moved away to Nanaimo with my two siblings when my mom did her Bachelor’s degree in Forestry; then when she did her Masters of Forestry at UBC, we lived in Vancouver for a few years. I’ve lived all over Vancouver Island, and I’ve been back in the Bay for 13 yrs.
In my early 20s, I worked a lot of random construction jobs, roofed houses, and worked on tug boats on and off.
I was part of the Bill C31 movement. My granny was forced to give up her native rights when she got married. I didn’t have my native status until I was 22 or 23. My mom jumped through all the hoops to make sure I had it. At the time, I didn’t care about it, but I’m really glad she did it.
The government was offering grants for young people to get into trades in BC. In the pre-application, I included the background information about Bill C31 and so I was able to get funding from my band for a living allowance. It was a huge help, and a big part of my decision to go back to school. I couldn’t never have gone back to school without that support. I was working to earn enough money just to survive. I couldn’t have stopped working to go to school and survive without the funding that bridged the gap, so I’m really grateful for that.
It was my mom who encourage me to get certified in a trade.
My background in is heavy-duty mechanics. I did my apprenticeship in Port McNeill at All Pro Marine. I started my own business during COVID, when I found there was lots of demand for mechanics – for outboard, heavy duty, automative in general. There was nobody doing anything like that in Alert Bay and it’s been going well.
That background in construction and trades gave me confidence to try my hand at quite a few things. It’s been a great journey.
What is your role with Nawalakw?
My title is Head of Maintenance, which means keeping the electricity on, the water running, staying on top of building maintenance, keeping the woodshed stocked – basically making sure our camps run smoothly. Every day is different depending on what needs to be done. It’s very busy and it’s never boring.
How did you get involved in the project?
I’d been hired as a contractor to do work for Nawalakw three times before, when the tiny homes were being built, so I’d been to Hada doing mechanics work. Immediately I was blown away – it’s such a beautiful place. The lodge was already built the first time I went. The tiny homes were under construction when I came back the second time.
Someone told my girlfriend about the posting, so I applied. I was hired October 10th, 2025.
My favourite part of the job is spending time out at Hada. Honestly, sometimes it doesn’t feel like a real job being surrounded by so much beauty.
The camp crew is like a close family, and I’ve never had a job where everyone is so close and feels like family, and I can’t wait to get out there, can’t wait to get to work. I get the benefit of feeling like part of family when I’m at home and when I’m at work, and that’s a pretty rare and awesome thing.
All of the tools are there, you have an unlimited supply of cedar, and you have time to let your ideas come to life. It’s like a playground for handymen and being there, working there, it’s like having a dream come true.
What does it mean for you to do this work for/with Nawalakw?
I didn’t get to grow up around Kwak’wala; I didn’t know how much I was missing. My friends weren’t that interested in the singing and dancing and the culture. Being around that environment has really opened my eyes. Seeing the kids so happy and learning, watching the young crew learning to sing and dance, learning and writing new songs. They’re so proud of who they are. It’s really inspiring.
When we have camps, I get the goosebumps. Being around people more fluent than I am, it’s awesome and my vocabulary has just exploded. I’m gaining confidence to try speaking more and I’ve even danced, which is something I hadn’t done in over 20 years. I like the attitude of everyone – it feels really special. It’s hard to put into words.
What has been a highlight for you in doing this work?
The seafood harvesting is probably my favourite part. We typically dump our compost around the bay, and usually pull traps at the same time to see what we got. It’s amazing hauling up the prawns and crab. I even tried my first cockle – which is called dzoli in Kwak’wala. We’re getting into the habit of tracking what we pull up and harvest, because it’s important to understand the ecosystem.
We do a seafood harvest and have a mini-feast as part of the regular camp programming on Thursdays – we feast on prawns, crab, seaweed, and have it with t̕łi’na. Then we have dancing and singing after we eat.
I used to be so scared to try to pronounce Kwak’wala words. I remember my first language lesson in the managers’ meeting and I was so scared to have Pewi call my name. At Hada, the environment is more relaxed, they’re very encouraging, not at all like my experience in elementary school, which was a lot more strict. At Hada, they encourage you to just try, and the pronunciation will come with practice. It’s a very supportive learning environment, and I’m really enjoying that a lot.
What are your hopes for the future – for yourself personally, your community, this work/project?
If you’d told me about Nawalakw five yrs ago, I would have said it was a crazy idea. I got to spend some more time with K’odi at this last camp and he told me about the whole long-term vision for Nawalakw. K’odi is really inspiring about his dreams for the future, to continue creating jobs for the future and opportunities for the youth going forward, that are grounded in our language and culture. I love the idea of a place-based, circular economy. I see a great long-term future for Nawalakw and I hope to be a part of it for a really, really long time.
Personally, I want to get more involved with the culture. I would love to be confident enough to dance in the big house one day. Right now, I know one move – I’m learning as I go up there, with 20-30 people watching me learn! It’s pretty intimidating, and I’m just trying my best. But it’s my dream to keep getting better.
What are you currently reading/learning about?
I’m trying to level my basement floor, so I’m learning about concrete in ways I never thought I would!
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I joke, but it’s also work. I have old vehicles and I like to learn how to fix them. I’m always on the internet and YouTube learning new things, and I like to keep busy. I enjoy spending time with my 2-year-old nephew and family, walking my dog in trails, and skateboarding when I’m not working. I also like to travel, especially in our winter months. I’ve been to Mexico 5 times, and really love it there.
10 years from now, when you look back on your journey at Nawalakw, what do you hope will have happened? What are your hopes for the future?
10 years is a long time. When I think of how far I’ve come in the last decade, I can’t even imagine where I’ll be in 10 years! I hope to have played a part in creating and building out this plan we have for Nawalakw, for our children and our children yet unborn.
G̱ilakas’la James for sitting down with Christine Marks to capture this interview
