Yo, gila'kasla! 'Nugwa'am Nah-gee-lah-gah. Gayutlan lax Wei Wai Kum. Gayutlan Laxa Awahoo. He'man umpi Bah-tah-geese. He'man abampi Gail.

Hello, welcome. My name is Laura. My tribe is Awahoo (Wei Wai Kum First Nation). My father is Fred. My mother is Gail.

In my Kwakwakaʼwakw culture, we introduce ourselves, and the family we come from. I use my traditional name, but it does not literally translate to Laura, it actually translates to “bright lights”.

I am the Travel Media & Storytelling Specialist at 4TVI, part of the 4VI Social Enterprise Group and represent the Vancouver Island region of Super, Natural, British Columbia.