Ha7lh skwáyel iy ta núyap, Spelex̱ílh kwi en sna
Hello everyone, Spelex̱ílh is the ancestral name I carry,
Anjeanette (Angie) Dawson is also my name.
My family and I are descendants of X̱wemelch'stn Úxwumixw (Capilano Village) of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw.
Indigenous Educator | Knowledge Keeper
Traditional Wool Weaver
Welcoming’s & Ceremony | Workshop facilitator
Indigenous Education
Honouring Place and Time
Indigenous ways of knowing originate from place and the land. The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh stélmexw have occupied these lands and waters alongside our neighbouring nations since time immemorial. Over time, archival images have captured some of the drastic changes Indigenous territories and cultures have experienced throughout our local territories.
Local Coast Salish communities are connected through intermarriage, shared hunting, fishing, and gathering sites, as well as trade and networking. Archival images of traditional territories, people, and Elders are used throughout this online space to honour these existing ancestral family lineages and the traditional territories we each engage with today.
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim
Until as recently as the 1970’s, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim was preserved, protected, and spoken through an oral language system. This means our language was shared by a collection of sounds all deeply connected to the lands we occupy today. In other words, our worldview is deeply rooted in and stems from our local surroundings such as the animals and plants.
In 2010, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim was a language declared critically endangered by the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council with only 10 fluent speakers remaining. The traditional language of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh stélmexw is used throughout this online space as a form of education, preservation and act of personal reclamation.
Teaching Background
I deeply root my pedagogical practice in my upbringing in community and the cultural teachings I carry through learned experiences as Sḵwx̱wú7mesh women, ceremonial worker, and wool-weaver.
A Masters of Education in Indigenous Education from Simon Fraser University has strengthened my knowledge and skillset as a public educator. Lastly, my passion lies in centring Indigenous worldviews and teachings into the district and provincial curriculum and contemporary public education system.
Workshop Facilitator
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX — LEARNING TO WALK IN TWO WORLDS
Accepting the Truth
In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released 94 Calls to Action - a tremendously powerful gift from survivors of the Indian Residential School System (IRSS).
These are the essential steps survivors and Indigenous communities need to see change in the child welfare, education, healthcare, and justice system; to move forward in a good way and continue preserving Indigenous languages and cultures and support self-determination.
Education for Reconciliation
The focus of the work I share is implementing cultural teachings into learning spaces through Indigenous history. My teachings and knowledge are rooted in Sḵwx̱wu̓7mesh teachings and culture.
For example, wool-weaving workshops connects learners with local Indigenous history through a textile experience. A recently revived art-form in Coast Salish communities that involves multiple ways of learning (history, science, math, art).