VIU Elders receive King Charles III Coronation Medals

Geraldine Manson (C-tasi:a) and Thiyuas - Florence James were honoured earlier this month.

One current Vancouver Island University (VIU) Elder-in-Residence as well as a retired Elder-in-Residence were given the King Charles III Coronation Medal earlier this month for their role as culture keepers.

NDP MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith Lisa Marie Barron and retired MLA for Nanaimo – North Cowichan Doug Routley presented the medals to C’tasi:a and Thiyuas at a special event earlier this month. Elder Grace Elliott-Nielsen, Stz’uminus member and Executive Director of Tillicum Lelum Friendship Centre, who has worked with VIU on various committees and initiatives over the years, also received a medal.

“These incredible matriarchs of the Snuneymuxw and Stz’uminus Nations and the Penelakut Tribe are such important culture keepers both within their communities and in the region more broadly,” said Barron in her office’s news release. “Their generosity of spirit in sharing their knowledge, guidance and wisdom with us all shines through in every interaction. They are so deserving of this recognition and I’m honoured to have had the opportunity to help celebrate them in this way.”

Elder Geraldine Manson (C-tasi:a) has worked as an Elder-in-Residence at VIU since 2008, when Ellen White Kwulasulwut asked her to come to the university and take her place, telling her it was time for her to share her wisdom and knowledge. Kwulasulwut was on her mind in receiving this award. She went on to become VIU’s first full-time Elder-in-Residence in 2012.

“I’m just in awe about it, I have been thanking my beautiful Elders in my heart for all of the teachings they have passed along,” she said.

In her former role as Elder-in-Residence and Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies Professor at VIU, Thiyuas – Florence James has had a profound impact on the campus community by sharing her culture, language and family teachings with grace and gentleness. Thiyuas also received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from VIU last June for her commitment to sharing knowledge to keep Coast Salish culture alive and protecting the environment for future generations.

The three Elders were nominated for the award by Doug Routley, who was then MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan. 

“The contributions of these Elders to our region are immense and I have been honoured to learn from them and work beside them throughout my career.”

MP Barron will be presenting an additional 20 King Charles III Coronation Medals and expects to be announcing the recipients before the end of the year. Other VIU nominees submitted to her office for consideration include President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Deborah Saucier, retired Anthropology Professor Dr. Imogene Lim, and Dr. Graham Pike, former Dean of International Education. 

Bios of award recipients, courtesy of MP Barron’s office

Elder Geraldine Manson

Elder Geraldine Manson (C-tasi:a) has spent more than two decades as the Elder coordinator for the Snuneymuxw community carrying responsibilities related to the culture and traditions of the community. Working in her community since 1980, she gives credit for her cultural wisdom and education to her Elders, past and present, including Dr. Ellen White (Kwulasulwut). In 2013, she became the first full-time Elder-in-Residence at Vancouver Island University, where she has worked hard providing guidance and support to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students and sharing traditional knowledge and practices in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Human Services. She has also worked alongside the Royal BC Museum, in their Indigenous Collections work.

Elder Grace Elliott-Nielsen

Elder Grace Elliott-Nielsen is member of the Stz’uminus First Nation and is a pioneer in implementing programs to improve the quality of life of the urban Aboriginal community. As Executive Director of the Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Society in Nanaimo for the past forty years, Grace has established social service programs that serve and support 30,000 people each year. In 1993, Grace created the first dedicated Indigenous Health and Wellness Clinic in BC offering a unique range of intergenerational traditional Indigenous healing and western medicine practices a practice now being replicated across the country. From education and training programs, health and counseling services, and special cultural events to an elder and youth affordable housing project and licensed childcare, Grace’s wise and gentle guidance has made a deep impact on our community.

Elder Florence James

Florence James (Thiyuas) is a Coast Salish Elder from Penelakut Island. She is a fluent speaker of the Penelakut Tribe dialect of the Hul’qumi’num language, which is also part of the Coast Salish Nation. She is a highly respected Elder in her community, widely known for her cultural expertise, her knowledge of and dedication to the environment, and her commitment to the care and education of young children. Florence has been a teacher and powerful advocate for many languages, cultural heritage, environmental education, healing and legal projects for more than 15 years. Recently, she helped lead a virtual listening circle to share and heal from the stories of abuse in Canada’s residential school system, which was hosted by the Centre for Global Studies and the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at the University of Victoria. This year she received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Vancouver Island University.