ÍY, C̸NES QENOṈE ṮÁ : It is good to see you all here.
We are the WSÁNEĆ people, all the land on the Saanich Peninsula is our winter home. All the islands in between Vancouver Island all the Gulf islands and the San Juan islands are the traditional W̱SÁNEĆ territory and the homeland of the WSÁNEĆ people. We have always travelled and lived throughout all these islands. We have many places such as we have here. This island is SḴŦAḴ. ÍY SȻÁĆEL HÁLE. - J,SIṈTEN Dr. John Elliott
Campbell Bay Music Festival is held on the unceded traditional territories of the Straits Salish peoples, on the Island called SḴŦAḴ in SENĆOŦEN and later called Mayne in English. Since 2018, CBMF Society continues to run an Indigenous Arts program, in an effort to highlight the phenomenal artistic practices of the W̱SÁNEĆ people, and to correct the erasure of these practices by colonialism.
Visit walkingforwardwiththepast.com/events for upcoming language, arts, and music events we are presenting throughout the year on SḴŦAḴ / Mayne Island.
ROSE SPAHAN Indigenous Arts Curator
Rose Spahan is an artist, teacher, and independent curator in First Nations art. She comes from W̱SÁNEĆ and Nłeʔkepmxc territories, and has been instrumental in working with the Campbell Bay Music Festival for the inclusion of W̱SÁNEĆ artists and their artworks which have led to creation of the welcome poles, murals, exhibitions, workshops and liaison between the artists and organizations on SḴŦAḴ / Mayne Island.
ŚTEṈIST ȻENTOL EȻSIÁ TĆÁNȻE / Walking Forward With The Past
ŚTEṈIST ȻENTOL EȻSIÁ TĆÁNȻE (shtung,eest cwun-tall ucw-see-ya T-chane-Cwu) / Walking Forward With The Past is a major project creating a new wetland ethnobotanical garden and permanent outdoor art exhibit celebrating W̱SÁNEĆ knowledge and culture on SḴŦAḴ / Mayne Island.
This project is a collaboration between the Campbell Bay Music Festival Society and W̱SÁNEĆ partners including Elders, artists, the PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ Foundation, and curator Rose Spahan, with island partners Mayne Island Agricultural Society and Mayne Island Conservancy, and funding support from the BC Arts Council, CRD Arts Commission, and the provincial 150 Time Immemorial fund through Heritage BC.
See walkingforwardwiththepast.com to learn more, and visit the first carved welcome pole at 430 Fernhill Road!
In 2023, the Campbell Bay Music Festival began with the unveiling and blessing of a welcome pole carved by TEMOSEṈ Chazz Elliott and Matthew Parlby-Elliott, and installed on the grounds of the Agricultural Hall in “downtown” SḴŦAḴ / Mayne Island as part of ŚTEṈIST ȻENTOL EȻSIÁ TĆÁNȻE / Walking Forward With The Past.
Dance and music by the HELI,SET Drum Group, led by SX̱EDŦELISIYE Renee Sampson
Words from TEMOSEṈ Chazz Elliott and J,SIṈTEN Dr John Elliott
2023 festival workshop hosts
SELILIYE Belinda Claxton and ȻOSINIYE Linda Elliott
Cedar Bark Harvesting and Cedar Rose Making
Myrna Crossley Elliott
Salish Weaving Demonstration
Lillian Underwood
Bannock and Soap Berry Ice Cream Making
Artist Myrna Crossley Elliott discusses her work with traditional Salish weaving, spinning, and dye.
Filmed on June 23rd 2023 on SḴŦAḴ / Mayne Island as part of ŚTEṈIST ȻENTOL EȻSIÁ TĆÁNȻE / Walking Forward With The Past.
These videos were created in 2020 and 2021. J’SIṈTEN Dr John Elliott, a respected Elder from the W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip) First Nation who has played a pivotal role in the preservation and revitalization of the SENĆOŦEN language, shares WSÁNEĆ stories about this place. The HELI,SET Drum Group share a performance and invitation to the community on SḴŦAḴ / Mayne to dance, and more WSÁNEĆ youths perform a jingle dance.