Thank you for visiting our newly launched site. You may also find out on twitter or facebook or instagram!

Our organization was started with a dream. Vancouver has been declared as being on “unceded Coast Salish territory”. The Indian Residential School policy has been declare cultural genocide. And yet the work to rebuild our Indigenous communities continues!

Kwi Awt Stelmexw is a phrase that means “the ancestors” in our Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language. We chose this phrase as the name of our organization because of a simple understanding:
We are ancestors to the generations to come.

What we do

Kwi Awt Stelmexw is a new start-up non-profit. In the coming months you can expect us to announce:

• A sponsor campaign to create a community of supporters of our work.
• A place name mapping project that connects the public to the rich history connecting land to language.
• Details of a six month language immersion fellowship program offered to people of Coast Salish ancestry.
• The plans for a Coast Salish Cultural Centre space in the City of Vancouver.
• The City of Vancouver has long needed an organization that creates a platform for the Coast Salish cultural production of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh peoples. We aim to create bold, innovative practices that represent our people honourably, and create a sustainable legacy for our people with heritage, language, culture, and art.

Kwi Awt Stelmexw exists to change the world.