xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Canoe Project
Reconciliation, Cultural Revitalization, and Community Wellness in Action
Health and wellness cannot be achieved in a doctor’s office alone. True wellness is attained by creating the conditions where people, families, and communities can thrive. The xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Canoe Project is an Indigenous-led initiative that brings together cultural revitalization, experiential learning, and relationship-building through the creation of a traditional Salish sea-going canoe. Guided by Indigenous leadership and grounded in community values, the project creates opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants to learn together while advancing reconciliation through action.
The Opportunity
Across Canada, governments, institutions, and communities continue to grapple with how to meaningfully advance Truth and Reconciliation. While important frameworks such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, UNDRIP, DRIPA, and the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls have established a path forward, many people and organizations remain uncertain about how to move from awareness to meaningful action.
At the same time, Indigenous communities continue to revitalize cultural traditions, knowledge systems, languages, and practices that were disrupted by generations of colonial policies. Cultural connection, time on the land and water, intergenerational learning, and sharing traditional knowledge are recognized as important contributors to community wellness, resilience, belonging, and identity.
For many coastal Indigenous groups, the canoe is far more than a means of transportation. It is a powerful symbol of identity, community, and enduring relationships with the land and water. Canoe traditions have strengthened relationships among First Nations for generations while supporting food harvesting, travel, knowledge sharing, and cultural continuity. Opportunities to build traditional sea-going canoes of this scale are now rare, making this project a unique opportunity to preserve and revitalize important cultural traditions while fostering new pathways for learning and reconciliation.
The Solution
At the centre of this initiative is the carving of a traditional xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) red cedar Salish sea-going canoe, one of only a few of its kind to be created in the past century. The canoe serves as both a cultural asset and a platform for experiential learning, bringing together artists, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, youth, partners, donors, and community members through a shared process of creation.
Participants are invited to engage directly in the canoe’s creation through site visits, workshops, cultural teachings, dialogue sessions, and opportunities to spend time both in the carving space and on the land. These experiences deepen understanding of Indigenous lived experiences, while fostering meaningful relationships across communities.
The project also creates mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities for Indigenous youth and emerging artisans, giving them the opportunity to learn traditional carving methods that have been passed down from Indigenous ancestors since time immemorial. Once completed, the canoe will become a xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) community asset that supports cultural practice, learning, and connection to the land and water for generations to come.
The Impact
The Canoe Project serves to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities together, improving community relations, health, and wellness.
Cultural Revitalization: The project supports the preservation and renewal of Indigenous knowledge, teachings, songs, ceremonies, and cultural practices. The canoe itself represents a living expression of Coast Salish knowledge, artistry, and cultural continuity.
Intergenerational Learning: Elders, Knowledge Keepers, youth, artists, and community members come together through a shared process of learning and teaching. These interactions strengthen cultural identity while supporting the traditional knowledge sharing across generations.
Health and Wellness: Indigenous leaders involved in the project emphasize the connection between culture and health. Time on the land and water, participation in ceremony, cultural learning, traditional harvesting practices, and stronger community connections all contribute to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Reconciliation Through Action: Rather than learning about reconciliation in theory, participants experience it directly through relationship building, collaboration, shared learning, and accountability. The project offers a practical model for how Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can work together with humility, respect, and reciprocity.
The impact of this work will continue long after the carving is complete. As a community asset, the canoe will support cultural practices, youth engagement, food harvesting activities, and ongoing learning opportunities for future generations.
The People and Vision Behind the Project
A Vision Rooted in Reconciliation
The xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Canoe Project was conceived by Michael Glendale (“Gya’us’dees”), Lead Facilitator with the Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism Education Team at the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), and Dr Titus Wong of the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). Together, they recognized an opportunity to create something that was far more than a canoe. Their vision was to use the traditional art of canoe carving as a vehicle for cultural revitalization, education, relationship building, and reconciliation.
What emerged was a project that brings Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together through a shared learning experience. By participating in the carving process and engaging in cultural teachings, dialogue, and reflection, participants gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, and ways of knowing, while contributing to a powerful act of cultural resurgence.
Jody Sparrow
At the heart of this initiative is Jody Sparrow, a xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) artist, master canoe builder, and Red Seal carpenter who is leading the creation of the traditional Salish sea-going canoe.
Introduced to carving by Musqueam carvers at the age of seven, Jody has spent decades developing expertise in Coast Salish art, woodworking, canoe carving, and traditional design. He trained as a jeweller, studied at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and the Native Education College, and earned his Red Seal certification in carpentry in 2005. Today, he is widely recognized for his traditional and contemporary canoe and paddle carving, Coast Salish artwork, and his commitment to sharing knowledge with future generations.
The canoe project reflects Jody’s passion for cultural revitalization and mentorship. Through the carving process, he is creating opportunities for Indigenous apprentices, artists, youth, and community members to learn traditional skills while participating in the restoration of cultural practices that have connected coastal First Nations to the land and water since time immemorial.
Michael Glendale (“Gya’us’dees”)
While Jody is bringing the canoe to life, Michael Glendale is shaping the educational and reconciliation journey that surrounds it.
An Indigenous artist, writer, and producer of the Da’nax’da’xw – Mama’lili’kala – Ma’amtagila First Nations, Michael serves as the architect of the project’s learning experience. Drawing on his work in Indigenous-specific anti-racism education, he is developing workshops, facilitated discussions, cultural teachings, and experiential learning opportunities that help participants deepen their understanding of Indigenous history, culture, colonialism, anti-racism, and reconciliation.
Through Michael’s leadership, this project creates a welcoming space where Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants can learn together, build authentic relationships, and explore what meaningful reconciliation looks like in practice. His vision is helping transform the canoe from a cultural artifact into a learning opportunity for dialogue, reflection, and shared understanding.
Leadership, Guidance, and Legacy
The project is further guided by Joe Gallagher (k’ʷunəmɛn) of the Tla’amin First Nation, and Vice President of Indigenous Health at PHSA, whose leadership helps ensure the initiative remains grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, cultural safety, and meaningful systems transformation. His involvement reinforces the project’s commitment to Indigenous self-determination, fostering nation-to-nation relationships, and advancing reconciliation in ways that create lasting change within public health systems and beyond.
The project is also grounded in the teachings of Shane Pointe (Siem Te’ta-in), a respected Coast Salish Knowledge Keeper who recently joined his ancestors. The team honours his legacy by carrying forward the teachings he shared, including “Whax hooks in shqwalowin” — Open your hearts and minds to what is being taught to you. When you are open you are able to do your best. These teachings remind us that meaningful change begins with humility, openness, and a willingness to learn.
Why Philanthropy Matters
These kinds of projects are rarely supported through traditional funding streams, yet they address some of the most important determinants of health and wellness: culture, identity, belonging, relationships, and connection to community. Philanthropic support enables Indigenous-led initiatives to move from vision to reality while ensuring that Indigenous leadership, cultural protocols, and community priorities remain at the centre of the work.
Funding supports the material and carving of the canoe, apprenticeship opportunities for Indigenous youth, community engagement activities, cultural learning experiences, and opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants to come together in meaningful dialogue and shared learning. It also helps create a lasting community asset that will continue generating cultural, educational, and wellness benefits for generations to come.
By supporting the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Canoe Project, donors are investing in a powerful model of cultural revitalization, community wellness, and reconciliation in action — one that creates lasting impact not only for Indigenous communities, but for everyone committed to building a healthier, safer, and more equitable future.
Please contact fundraising@pphf.ca to learn more about supporting the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Canoe Project and other Indigenous-led public health initiatives.
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