salmon as family
“When I say ‘our’ salmon I’m talking about the world. It is not my salmon or your salmon but our salmon. And when something is yours, you need to take care of it. So everybody needs to help. Even if you’re just one person, you can make a difference.”
– Elder Rick Bailey
Through this website we share three interrelated projects guided by Elder Rick Bailey that encourage people to care for salmon as family by planting trees; to learn about the environmental challenges at the Katzie Slough and to collaboratively envision a different future for this waterway; and to share stories to care for the Fraser.
Meet Our team members
Elder Rick
Katzie First Nation
Elder Rick Bailey is a long-standing Councillor and Fisheries Manager within q̓íc̓əy̓ First Nations. He meets regularly with Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Nations of the Lower River, and contributes regularly to provincial Fisheries conferences throughout the year, including the Fraser Salmon Management Council. He works tirelessly to protect Salmon and the waterways within his Nation and beyond. He has been hunting and fishing nearly all his life, learning these skills from his father, grandfather and Elders.
Dr. Cher Hill
Simon Fraser University
Dr. Cher Hill is a teacher-educator and an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University. She is deeply invested in co-creating and researching educative experiences that contribute to more connected, thriving, and just communities. Cher is a passionate supporter of relational, land-centred, and community-based educational initiatives.
Carman McKay
máthxwi First Nation
I am Carman McKay, a Contemporary Salish Artist, Cultural Educator, and Life Skills Facilitator. My father’s ancestors, the “River” People, have benefited from this livable region for at least 9,000 years. My history speaks of geological events, which have shaped how we lived and adapted to this vast British Columbia coast with direct links to the Cascade Mountain Range. My teachers from all over North America facilitated a cultural, experiential learning environment in its traditional and contemporary space. Walking alongside teachers who found no fault in my learning for what I didn’t understand has given me an awareness of how I wish to be with others. I excel as a self-determined artist with passions for sharing Indigenous life skills, understandings, and perspectives through education to all learners. All My Relations.
Neva Whintors
Simon Fraser University
Neva Whintors is a doctoral student at Simon Fraser University, and an elementary school teacher with over 20 years of experience, having taught kindergarten through Grade 7. Her areas of expertise include outdoor pedagogies, social emotional learning, and action research.
Recent Collaborative Scholarship
Hill, C., Bailey, R., & McKay, C. (2024). Disrupting Colonial Narratives of Place: The q̓íc̓əy̓ Slough Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Project. Canadian Journal of Education Revue Canadienne De l’éducation, 47(4), 1057–1089.
Hill, C., Whintors, N., & Bailey, R. (2023). We are the Salmon Family: Inviting reciprocal and respectful pedagogical encounters with the Land. Engaged Scholar Journal, 8, (4), 1-22.
Hill, C., Rosehart, P., Roze des Ordons, D., Aileen, K., & Blenkinsop, S. (2024). Nature-based teacher education as beyond ‘getting outside:’ relational attunement, attending to the un-noticed, and ethical responsibility. Teacher Development, 1–19.
Acknowledging contributors:
Cedar Woven Salmon – Elder Coleen Pierre, Katzie First Nation
Salmon Photos – Eiko Jones https://www.eikojonesphotography.com/
River photos – Leslie Bailey
Web design – Quincy Wang: Knowledge Mobilization Officer, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University.
