THE ONE THING WE ARE HERE TO DO
OUR MISSION
Creating a safe space for us to learn & heal together with the land as the Creator intended.
Guiding Principles
Women centred & led project open to all
Language revitalization - comes from the land. Learn it & teach it to others
Matriarchal Responsibility to honour children and families and keep them safe
Caring for youth / creating homes / impossible to always protect
Communities doing work to care for youth / all relations
More needs to be done- this is to fill that gap
Can’t get healing from rehab/detox/psych ward/police/hospital dr
Need to have safe places for ppl to go & connect to the land / Be Safe
Safe place to build social and relationship skills through working together on land and sea.
About US
Our Board of Directors
We are a group of Matriarchs that wish to fulfill our Matriarchal responsibility to the lands, the youth, and future generations. Our approach is centered in Matriarchal ways of knowing and being on the lands and waters and in the world.
GEORGINA UNDERWOOD
Georgina Underwood – mother of 5 and great grandmother of 14 – is a Saltwater Salish Matriarch born in the village of STAUWTXW on December 22nd, 1956. She is a warrior womyn who earned a BA in Child and Youth Care and completed all of the course requirements for an MA in Indigenous Governance. When she isn’t enjoying reading and writing, you’ll find her wandering the woods, walking on the beach, or gardening to eliminate invasive species.
TRACY UNDERWOOD
Tracy Underwood is a W̱SÁNEĆ Matriarch who upholds daily her Matriarchal duties of protecting and preserving children, land, language, and the culture of her people. She currently works as an Assistant Teaching Professor in Indigenous Studies. Tracy holds an MA from the University of Victoria and is a PhD Candidate. Tracy is an expert in land-based learning, history, storytelling, ethics and care for children, families and communities. She can discuss issues of land occupancy, the doctrine of discovery and how ongoing land dispossession negatively impacts herself and her husband, her eight children and ten grandchildren in their daily lives.
JONAH CLAXTON
Jonah Claxton is W̱SÁNEĆ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh man who grew up in Tsawout First Nation. He works as a Red Seal tradesman, and is serving on the board to support the Rematriation on Salish communities.
TIFFANY JOSEPH
Tiffany Joseph’s ancestry is of both Sḵx̱wu7mesh (Fresh Water people) and W̱SÁNEĆ (Saltwater people, Emerging people) peoples. She currently works as a SENĆOŦEN Language & Culture Revitalization apprentice for the SȾÁUTW̱ SENĆOŦEN,ÁUTW̱ (Tsawout Language Nest) – which is a preschool for children ages 0-3 – and parents of language nest students who wish to join in learning SENĆOŦEN language. Her apprentice work includes the daycare as well as learning about Indigenous plants of the W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich) territory. She grew up learning Sḵx̱wu7mesh (Squamish) language from preschool to grade 10, and also at community language nights. Understanding that the wellbeing of the land and the wellbeing of the people are intertwined, Tiffany is drawn to work that promotes wellness of our minds, bodies, and the environment.