Awi'nakola - Tree of Life

25/06/2026

Awi’nakola welcomes with gratitude all that the Strawberry Moon, g̱wag̱wa̱t̓a̱nx̱, brings to our communities. As we reflect during the Summer Solstice, we honour the deep connections between healing, biodiversity, Indigenous law, and cultural continuity. We are pleased to share our mid-year update, highlighting the impact, relationships, and collective work of the past six months, including:

🌱 N̓a̱msg̱a̱mk̓ala - Tom Child joining as our Director of Indigenous Engagement and Programs;
🌱 Engaging Knowledge Holders, Matriarchs, youth and Elders whose lands and waters were enveloped by the GBRO, the Great Bear Rainforest Land Use Order—and how this is benefitting Indigenous life ways or not—in lead up to the Province’s 10-year review of the 2016 Great Bear Rainforest Agreements;
🌱 Welcoming Tsee-tsak-sup Mellissa Jack (Mowachaht and Nuchatlaht) onto our Board of Matriarchs and Femmes;
🌱 Sparking a vital collaboration with SPUN and Dr. Miranda Hart (UBC Okanagan) in support of our ProtectFungi.Earth initiative;
🌱 Scoping fieldwork within a matrix of ancestral root gardens, cultural keystone forests, ancient village sites, and forage foods within newly expanded grizzly bear habitat.

G̱ilakas'la to everyone walking this path with us 🌿✨

🔗 Awi'nakola mid-year impact report:
https://heyzine.com/flip-book/22f2e8091f.html

17/06/2026

Tŝilhqot’in National Government The People of the River Scroll down Latest Updates News Tŝilhqot’in Reach Agreement On June 5, the Tŝilhqot’in Nation and Taseko reached an agreement under which no […]

05/06/2026

What an incredible evening at the Real Estate Foundation- Land Awards. We were deeply honoured to witness and celebrate the many leaders, Nations, organizations, and community champions who are working tirelessly to protect lands, waters, culture, and future generations.

For the Awi’nakola Foundation, the evening was a powerful reminder that when Indigenous knowledge, science, art, and community leadership come together, transformative change is possible. We left feeling inspired, humbled, and grateful to stand alongside so many remarkable people who are advancing the protection of biodiversity, Indigenous rights, climate justice, and the wellbeing of future generations.

Gilakas’la to the organizers, award recipients, finalists, presenters, and all those who continue to walk this path with courage, generosity, and vision. Gatherings like these remind us that lasting change happens through relationships, collaboration, and a shared commitment to caring for the lands and waters that sustain us all.

We raise our hands in gratitude for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful evening and to continue this work alongside so many dedicated change makers. It was wonderful to connect with our Board member Marilyn Baptiste

02/06/2026

Gilakas'la Real Estate Foundation of BC 🌏🌲🌲🌲🌲

27/05/2026

Reflection: Awinakola Foundation celebrating David Suzuki’s - Nanwakwe 90th Birthday

As witnesses for Awi’nakola Foundation, we continue to carry the spirit of Legacy: A Celebration of David Suzuki at 90 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. What unfolded that evening was far more than a concert. It was a powerful gathering rooted in love for the Earth, community, and collective responsibility.

We raise our hands in gratitude to the host Nations of these lands: xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), and to the Chiefs, Matriarchs, Knowledge Keepers, Medicine Holders, singers, dancers, and families whose presence grounded the evening in protocol, respect, and Indigenous law.

Alongside Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Nations representation and relatives from Namgis First Nation, we witnessed an evening filled with song, artistry, and truth in honour of David Suzuki and his lifelong commitment to protecting lands, waters, forests, and future generations.

The evening brought together extraordinary artists, speakers, and changemakers including Bruce Cockburn, Jane Fonda, Al Gore, Rick Hansen, Chantal Kreviazuk, Sarah McLachlan, Danny Michel, William Prince, Sam Roberts Band, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, George Stroumboulopoulos, Tanya Tagaq, Suzanne Simard, and Tia Wood, whose voices helped create a moving call for environmental responsibility and collective action.

We also extend deep gratitude to our Founder, Rande Cook, for gifting one of his remarkable works from the Atlakima: Resonant Forms / Forest Spirits collection. This contemporary series honours spirit beings of the old growth forest while bridging ancestral teachings with emerging technologies. Through the recording of plant and tree frequencies translated into sculptural form, these masks become living expressions of the interconnectedness between science, spirit, and the natural world. The work stands as both a cultural offering and a call to protect old growth ecosystems that hold ancestral memory and ecological intelligence. These pieces have been exhibited internationally and are currently on display at Rande Cook Studio.

The celebration continued long after the theatre lights dimmed. The evening carried forward in gathering, conversation, laughter, and shared reflections amongst family, friends, artists, and colleagues. The following day, people gathered again over lunch where stories, songs, respect, and love continued to be shared in honour of David and the relationships built throughout generations of work for the Earth and all living things.

What remained strongest throughout the gathering was love. Love for the Earth. Love for community. Love carried through songs, teachings, artistry, and relationships. As Awi’nakola Foundation, we left deeply honoured to witness such a historic and heartfelt moment and reminded that the work of protecting all living things must continue together with courage, humility, and responsibility.

21/05/2026

UPDATED Y'all move quickly! Thank you to our friends at Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions

Is anyone in our network traveling to Vancouver in the coming days for David's birthday celebration? We have staff already on the mainland and need to get a small (but very precious!) package picked up in Rock Bay... Please send a note to [email protected] if this is something you could help us with! 🐝

Jane Fonda is coming to Vancouver!

This iconic activist and actor is taking the stage alongside other amazing speakers and performers on Friday, May 22 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for Legacy: A Celebration of David at 90, in concert with Vancity — a once-in-a-lifetime event supporting the David Suzuki Foundation.

Secure your ticket now while some are still left! 🎟️ 👉 https://show.ps/l/fdc70571/

17/05/2026

We sure do adore the work of our friends at RELAW 👏

15/05/2026

This past Earth Day 🌎 Awi’nakola Foundation accepted the invitation to participate in a powerful and awe-inspiring event at the world-class Chan Centre for Performing Arts, in Musqueum Territories, alongside Dr. Suzanne Simard, Indigenous ecologists, musicians, and environmental champions, with more than 900 guests in attendance.

We hold up our hands in gratitude for a gathering rooted in connection, learning, and shared responsibility. The day began in protocol, grounding ourselves in relationship before moving into a deeper collective experience.

The evening’s live discussion, facilitated by CBC’s Laura Lynch, brought forward meaningful reflections from Awi’nakola’s Founding Director and Ma'a̱mtagila Hereditary Chief Makwala - Rande Cook, author Michelle Good, Suzanne, lawyer Christopher Rusnak, and Dr. Sm'hayetsk Teresa Ryan. Together, they shared insights on ecology, story, law, and our collective responsibility to the living world.

We offer a distinct and heartfelt acknowledgement to təlnaq̕ə (Alec Guerin), who graciously welcomed us all into xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Territories.

A significant highlight of the evening for our team was in bringing together youth cultural dancers and drum carriers for Dance of the Fungi Kingdom: a Mycelial Odyssey, a contemporary Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Kingdom dance from Awi'nakola's Rande Cook, honouring the sacred relationships carried within the underground.

This work stands as a courageous expression of Indigenous law, animation of governance, and ecological truth—grounded in ceremony and carried by the strength of the singers and dancers, who brought it out from behind the veil of the supernatural. We honour this work as part of Awi’nakola’s ongoing Fungi Campaign and Initiative, where Indigenous Knowledge, Western Science, Art, and Transformation blend together, deepening our understanding of the interconnected—and often unseen—systems that sustain life.

To all who gathered, shared, and witnessed: we thank you for your presence, your voice, and your commitment to carrying this work forward.

In the spirit of Awi’nakola, may we continue to honour a way of life that respects air, land, sea, and spirit.

23/04/2026

22/04/2026

Mic check 1, 2.... Dance of the Fungi Kingdom sound test, getting ready for Earth Day at the Chan Centre, featuring Dr. Suzanne Simard 🌎