Jaymym La Vallee is of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Kwikwasut’inuxw and ‘Namgis descent and grew up in North Vancouver, BC on the Capilano Reservation. She is currently learning her Indigenous language, Kwakwala, and is completing her Bachelor of Education through the Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP) at the University of British Columbia. Her interests include working with Indigenous children and young adults, teaching language and culture. She is passionate about food sovereignty and hopes to incorporate land-based learning values into her philosophy of teaching.

Marianne Nicolson’s (‘Tayagila’ogwa) (Scottish, Dzawada̱’enux̱w) training encompasses both traditional Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw forms and culture and Western European based art practice. She holds a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art and Design (1996), an MFA (1999), an MA in Linguistics and Anthropology (2005) and a PhD in Linguistics, Anthropology and Art History (2013) from the University of Victoria. Her practice engages with issues of Aboriginal histories and politics arising from a passionate involvement in cultural revitalization and sustainability.

Nicolson works as a cultural researcher and historian for the Kwakwaka’wakw as well as an advocate for Indigenous land rights. Her practice encompasses photography, painting, carving, video, installation, monumental public art, writing and speaking. All her work is political in nature and seeks to uphold Kwakwaka’wakw traditional philosophy and worldview through contemporary mediums and technology. Exhibitions include the 17th Biennale of Sydney, Australia; The Vancouver Art Gallery; The National Museum of the American Indian in New York; Nuit Blanche in Toronto, Ontario; and many others. Major monumental public artworks are situated in Vancouver International Airport; the Canadian Embassy in Amman, Jordan; and the Canadian Embassy in Paris, France.