Thank you for your interest in the BCAFN Women Chiefs and Leaders Caucus meeting. We look forward to welcoming your First Nation to the 2024 BCAFN Women Chiefs & Leaders Caucus Meeting on January 19, 2024. We will be gathering in the ancestral, traditional and unceded territories of the Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ilwətaʔɬ/Sel̓ílwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) at the Coast Coal Harbour hotel and online via Zoom.
We invite all First Nations Chiefs and leadership who identify as women to register and attend. We also encourage youth to attend. For Chiefs who are not able to attend, we invite you to share this opportunity with a Councillor, Youth, or other leader to attend for your First Nation and confirm their attendance as your Nation’s representative via email.
This caucus meeting will hold space for First Nations women Chiefs, Councillors, Traditional/Hereditary leaders, and youth to discuss their experiences as leaders and priorities within their communities. BCAFN representatives will provide an update on BCAFN’s advocacy, and co-chairs will hold a collaborative dialogue on strengthening and supporting First Nations women in leadership. There will also be keynote addresses with Coreen Child and Elaine Alec and a panel exploring how First Nation women are leading the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and how we can ensure the rights and wellbeing of First Nations women are advanced in this process.
Meet the inspirational keynote speakers who will be sharing their insights and experiences with us during this event!
Telxnitkw, Elaine Alec
Telxnitkw, Elaine Alec is a storyteller and facilitator and CEO of Naqsmist (nux-meest) which translates into “many coming together as one” She is an expert in Indigenous planning processes and has extensive experience working with Indigenous governance and decision-making and shifting systems and engagement pathways to support self-determination.
She is author of “Calling My Spirit Back” and belongs to the Syilx (sey-uhk) and Secwepemc (suh-wep-muhc) nations from the southern interior of British Columbia and Washington State and is registered with the Penticton Indian Band where she spent most of her life.
Yakawilas Coreen Child (She/her)
Coreen Child, Yakawilas, is a member of the Kwakiutl (Kwagu’ł) First Nation and has many connections to the nobility across Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw communities. She traces her lineage to times before contact and carries many ancestral lines across Kwak’wala-speaking Nations. Coreen has served multiple terms as an elected Chief Counsellor and in many leadership positions advocating for Indigenous rights and title, the rights of Indigenous women and girls, and language and cultural revitalization. She is a traditional singer, dancer, and cultural educator, as well as a leader advocating for Indigenous communities across British Columbia and Canada. Coreen holds a bachelor’s degree in education, with a specialization in language revitalization and is currently completing her Masters in Indigenous Governance. She is currently the Executive Director of the Awi’nakola Foundation. Awi’nakola Vision – Maya’xa̱la x̱a̱n’s a̱wi’nakola: A way of life that respects the air, land, sea, and spirit.
Travel funding is available for up to one (1) Chief and one (1) Traditional/Hereditary Leader/Councillor/Youth per First Nation community, in accordance with BCAFN’s Travel Policy.