We are thrilled to announce that Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Coastal Community of Care have won a 2023 BC Quality Award in the “Coping with Transition from Life” category for their work towards providing high-quality, culturally safe palliative care to community members at any level and point in the care continuum.
Indigenous peoples experience various systemic barriers when accessing palliative care such as inadequate care coordination, poor transitions between health care settings, and limited access to palliative care services in First Nations communities.
Two-Eyed Seeing is the foundation of the Indigenous Palliative Care Projects (IPCP), a partnership to improve palliative care services for and with Indigenous peoples in the Coastal Community of Care region. The majority of these projects were pursued by TWN, in partnership with VCH’s North Shore Palliative Care team.
Some of the ways the IPCP worked to overcome these barriers with TWN members included developing policies and procedures to promote safe discharges of palliative care patients from hospital as well as defining pathways for TWN members transitioning to hospital for palliative care, while being medically, culturally, and spiritually supported.
As Andrea Aleck, Director of TWN’s Health and Wellness department, shared: “We hear the voices of our ancestors and Elders, and are guided by the knowledge keepers to reclaim what is rightfully ours as Tsleil-Wautt people. It is with this spiritual guidance and ancestral presence that we strive to strengthen our partnership, whilst ensuring that our palliative care services are culturally and spiritually informed by our Indigenous ways of knowing and being.”
Tsleil-Waututh Nation and VCH collaborated to develop videos of traditional healing songs, with Elders sharing traditional knowledge about the final journey to “Go Home,” as well as brochures outlining palliative care that reflect Tsleil-Waututh ways of knowing and being.
These projects expand the level of culturally appropriate palliative resources that can be offered to patients in different settings, including hospital and hospice. The IPCP facilitates ongoing education and knowledge sharing between VCH and different Nation health teams on topics including serious illness conversations, cultural safety, traditional protocols, and palliative care.
Photo: Leonie Streeter (TWN), Sierra Roberts (VCH), Dr. Anis Lakha (VCH), and Andrea Aleck (TWN) receiving the Quality Awards at the Ceremony on June 6, 2023 at the Hyatt.
Robert Bartlett, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), shares the following reflection after his first month as CAO.
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh Nation) would like to invite the community to the The Boys Who Braid Their Hair Exhibition, a cultural celebration and exploration of the meaning behind the braid, showcasing the powerful narratives of boys and men who embrace their spiritual connection through the beauty of hair. The exhibit aims to celebrate cultural diversity, challenge stereotypes, and promote inclusivity by showcasing the art and cultural significance of boys and men braiding their hair.
Planning and design work are currently underway for the Spirit Trail’s eastern extension in North Vancouver. This extension aims to establish a continuous active transportation connection, linking key destinations and neighborhoods east of the Seymour River once completed.
“We are thrilled to share that Takaya Tours has recently been honoured with the prestigious ‘Leading the Way in Sustainability’ Award at the 2024 International Indigenous Tourism Conference held in Ottawa. This recognition serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Takaya Tours and Tsleil-Waututh Nation!”
– James Healy, General Manager, Takaya Tours
Filmmaker Kayah George was featured in IndigiNews, a culturally-respectful, Indigenous-led online journalism publication, regarding her documentary film, Our Grandmother the Inlet.
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) is pleased to announce that Robert Bartlett (he/him) has joined səlilwətaɬ in the role of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), effective March 4, 2024.
