We believe in
holistic
cultural
resurgence
Gwagwaltama
Revitalization
Society
Gwagwaltama (fireweed) is the first to grow after environmental disturbance. Drawing from this, our society is dedicated to the cultural and linguistic resurgence of the Kwakwaka’wakw communities we serve. We imagine a day when community members raise children, conduct ceremony, work, celebrate, play and move through life speaking our language. 
Adult Immersion Programming
Language Technology Development
Language Programming in Schools
Who We Are
Emerging out of calls from our communities, we created the Gwagwaltama Revitalization Society to enable deepening the growth of possibilities for change toward language and culture restoration. We are guided by our core values:
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Strong relationships with our elders, speakers, communities, learners, and teachers centre respect, accountability, and inclusivity. We strive to be inclusive of all the experiences of our people and work to empower connection and community at all levels.
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We recognize our responsibility in serving not only our communities at this point in time, but also acting with integrity for the generations that have come before and those that will come after us.
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We are the product of the gifts that have been given in the work that came before us and those that stand in this work with us. Our responsibility is imbued with the integrity of our relationships which strive to give back in acts of restoration.
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Passion for our language, culture, and peoples is a driving force for what we do. We believe in fostering this love in our everyday and leaning into joy to foster this work for the long-run.
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Jaymyn La Vallee
CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jaymyn is from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and ‘Namgis Nations. She has a B.Ed. in the Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP) and a Master’s of Indigenous Land-based Education through the University of Saskatchewan.
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Arynn King
CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Arynn is a member of the Ḵwiḵwa̱sut'inux̱w Ha̱xwa'mis First Nation. She has a BA in Political Science from UBC. Alongside being a Bak̓wa̱mk̓ala learner, she is completing a Master’s in Linguistics of an Indigenous Language from SFU.
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Lucy Hemphill
BOARD MEMBER
Lucy is a mother from the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations. She has worked for land-based healing, food sovereignty and cultural revitalization for her community and built the GNN Language Program from the ground up.
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Meighan King
BOARD MEMBER
Meighan is of Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, Métis, and European descent. She is an architect and artist that explores the role of storytelling in creating Indigenous spaces within the urban landscape, to reclaim place, space, and identity.
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Kristen Rivers
BOARD MEMBER
Tiyaltelut Kristen Rivers is a proud Indigenous woman of Squamish and Kwakwaka'wakw descent with extensive governance experience and a deep lived commitment to reconciliation and advancing social and economic justice.
Our Partners
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Fundraising
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