Cecil Dawson
Cecil Dawson, or G̱ixkastallasame-gi, is a First Nations Hereditary Chief, artist and storyteller from the Kwakwaka’wakw. His father is head chief of the Mountain Goat Hunter clan and his mother comes from the Wolf clan. Cecil currently lives in Port Alberni where he creates, collaborates and connects with others over artwork rooted in and inspired by his experiences, respect for nature and ancestral history. Cecil’s exhibit in Campbell River, Standing in the Gap, won the BC Museum Association’s Merit Award for Social Impact in 2022; in addition to considering colonization’s impact through Cecil’s family history and regalia, the exhibit offers an Indigenous perspective of the history of the coast and its peoples.
A portion of profits from art sold goes to supporting Indigenous social movements as well as efforts to protect old-growth, ancient forests of the west coast.
Read more about who we support here:
Idle No More:
Idle No More is an Indigenous, women-led social movement. Idle No More is “an inclusive, continent-wide network of urban and rural Indigenous working hand in hand with non-Indigenous allies to build a movement for Indigenous rights and the protection of land, water, and sky.” The group states that “colonization continues through attacks to Indigenous rights and damage and harm to all our relations. We must repair these violations, live the spirit and intent of the treaty relationship, work towards justice in action, and protect Mother Earth.”
The Ancient Rainforest Alliance (AFA):
The AFA is “a registered charitable organization working to protect BC’s endangered old-growth forests and to ensure a sustainable, value-added, second-growth forest industry. Founded by Ken Wu and TJ Watt in February 2010, the organization has quickly grown into British Columbia’s main organization working toward province-wide legislation to end the logging of endangered old-growth forests.”
