Way̓ x̌ast sx̌lx̌ʕalt iskʷist Janelle
Hello good day my name is Janelle
Kń tĺ Vancouver uł apna isnʔiliʔtn Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ
I am from Vancouver and now I live in Ucluelet
IDENTITY
I AM MIXED INDIGENOUS, WITH FINNISH, SCOTTISH AND SYILX OKANAGAN HERITAGE. I GREW UP OFF RESERVE AND LARGELY REMOVED FROM MY SYILX CULTURE, ALTHOUGH I AM AN OKIB BAND MEMBER AND HAVE FAMILY THAT LIVE ON RESERVE.
THROUGHOUT THE LAST 7 YEARS I HAVE BEEN ON A CULTURAL RECONNECTION/RECLAMATION JOURNEY, ONE THAT ALTHOUGH HAD BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, WASSPARKED BY WORKING WITH OTHER INDIGENOUS AND MIXED INDIGENOUSPROFESSIONAL CREATIVES IN 2018. MY WORK EDITING ON TV SHOWS
FOR APTN – QUEEN OF THE OIL PATCH (SEASON 2) AND WILD ROSE VET (SEASON 1&2) EXPOSED ME TO PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS THAT CALLED ME TO RECONNECT. AFTER EDITING A POWWOW SCENE IN AN EPISODE OF QUEEN OF THE OIL PATCH, I FELT A PROFOUND LONGING TO CONNECT TO MY CULTURE AND ANCESTRY AND
TO EXPLORE MY INDIGENOUS ROOTS. I WANT TO SHARE WHAT I HAVE LEARNED AND FURTHER EXPLORE MY JOURNEY OF CULTURAL RE- CONNECTION THROUGH FILMMAKING.
LANGUAGE JOURNEY
I AM HAVE COMPLETED N1 (NSYILXCEN
LANGUAGE) ONLINE OFFERED THROUGH OKIB. I AM CURRENTLY TAKING IN N2. I HAVE BEEN TAKING CLASSES TWICE A WEEK SINCE OCTOBER 2024. I FEEL PROUD TO BECOME A BRIDGE AND A LINK TO LANGUAGE THAT HAS BEEN BROKEN.
MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER ELLA JANE WAS A FLUENT SPEAKER. MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A SURVIVOR OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL. HER CONNECTION TO LANGUAGE WAS DAMAGED AS A RESULT. MY MOTHER WAS NOT RAISED TO KNOW OUR LANGUAGE.
IT’S A DREAM OF MINE TO SHARE AND REVITALIZE OUR LANGUAGE THROUGH MY PASSION, FILMMAKING. THROUGH WORKING WITH OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND SHARING TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURE I HOPE TO INSTIL CONFIDENCE IN PEOPLE TO RECONNECT TO THEIR OWN CULTURES AND IDENTITIES.
tmʼxʷúlaʔxʷ qʷlʼqʷilʼst | The Land Speaks 