18/01/2026
Join Our First Session: Indigenous Perspectives: The Power of Water
DATE: Thursday, January 15, 2026
TIME: 5:30–8:20 PM PST
Online via Zoom
🌐 For Oceania: Fridays, 12:30–3:20 PM (UTC+13)
The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) and Pacific Peoples’ Partnership (PPP) invite you to a powerful opening night for our 13-week course, Indigenous Perspectives — The Power of Water.
Learn directly from Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and advocates as we explore the sacred, cultural, and legal dimensions of water. Participants will learn alongside students, and a certificate is available.
Evening Schedule
💦Welcome from Lheidli T’enneh Territory with Elder Darlene McIntosh (Lheidli T'enneh Nation, Chancellor of UNBC).
💦Orientation to the Course with Dr. Darlene Sanderson (Scholar & Advocate for Indigenous Water Laws).
💦Dakelh Culture and History with Elder Marlene Erickson (Yinka Dene/Dakelh Educator & Storyteller).
🗣️Community Q&A
BREAK
💦The Art of Listening with Dr. Meré Tari Sovick (Motari Muramura, Bule Tribe, Vanuatu).
💦Youth Film on Lheidli T’enneh Perspectives with Keilani Rose (Lheidli T'enneh & Kanaka Maoli Artist & Advocate).
🗣️Community Q&A
Meet Your First Guides
✨ Elder Darlene McIntosh is a respected leader from the Lheidli T'enneh Nation and Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia. She has dedicated her life to fostering understanding and building bridges between diverse communities. She will open this webinar with a prayer and reflection. In her presentation, she will share her knowledge on water and cultural continuity, highlighting their deep connection and vital importance.
✨Dr. Darlene Sanderson (Nehiyaw/Cree, Saulteaux, Métis & Doukhobor) is a scholar, former nurse, and advocate who has worked for over two decades on Indigenous water laws and cultural reclamation. Her research bridges water protection, health, and climate change. She will open our course by offering a short orientation to its foundational mission and vision.
✨Elder Marlene Erickson is Yinka Dene/Dakelh from Nak’azdli Whut’en and a member of the Lusilyu (Frog) clan. A dedicated educator and storyteller, she is committed to preserving and revitalizing Yinka Dene oral history. In this session, she will speak on the Dakelh culture and history, sharing vital knowledge about the potlatch, clan structures, and the traditional roles within society.
✨Dr. Meré Tari Sovick (Motari Muramura) is from the Bule Tribe of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu. A dedicated leader and advocate, she works to amplify the voices of Melanesian women, girls, and Pacific Islanders. In this session, she will discuss various approaches to listening, sharing vital insights on how to engage deeply with Indigenous knowledge and stories.
✨Keilani Rose is a Lheidli T'enneh and Kanaka Maoli (Hawaiian) artist, actor, and community advocate. Guided by her ancestors and a profound connection to water, she channels her experiences into storytelling and film. In this session, she will speak on her work with a youth film project focused on Lheidli T'enneh perspectives of water, blending creativity with cultural reclamation.
📍📌IMPORTANT NOTICE: 📍📌
The Zoom link will be emailed out tomorrow before the sessions start.
TIME ZONES:
5:30–8:20 PM PST = Pacific Standard Time (North America west coast, e.g., Vancouver, Seattle)
12:30–3:20 PM UTC+13 = Pacific Islands time (Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati)
Remember the course runs Thursday evenings in North America (PST) and Friday afternoons in the Pacific Islands (UTC+13)
