​Learn the Story of the Frank Memorial Pole—carved by Tlingit Kwaguʼł Master Carver, Tommy Hunt Jr., raised in September 10, 2022 by Chief Kerry Frank & Family for his late father, Chief Norman Frank. The Memorial Pole now stands proudly along the Comox Foreshore. It speaks to the community's strength and ties to our Traditional Ways.

Norman Frank, who held the name Nim Nim um, was Hereditary, as well as, Elected Chief of the K’ómoks First Nation for over 30 years. He was a quiet man, generous to a fault and always willing to help others.

The Frank Memorial Pole was carved by Tommy Hunt Jr., to honour Norman Frank and to build strength into and uplift the community. It was a powerful day of mourning, healing and coming together that will be remembered for all time.

It is fitting that Tommy Hunt Jr. should be chosen to carve this work. His work is masterful and his close connection to the Frank family and the K'ómoks Community are reflected in this magnificent pole—at once public art and family legacy—that stands proudly at the Comox foreshore.

Tommy Hunt Jr., who holds the name Waławidi was born Thomas Daniel Hunt in 1964 to Hereditary Kwakwaka’wakw Chief George David Hunt (Born 1931) and Mary Susan (May) Hunt neé Henderson (1936-2022). His mother's parents were Sam Sr.  & May Henderson. His father's parents were Thomas (Tommy) Harris Hunt (1906-1983) & Emma (1912-1997) Hunt neé Billy.

​Waławidi is a father, mentor and respected community leader who we are honoured to know and call family.  ​You will want to plan time to look at all the fine carving and detail he poured into the Frank Memorial Pole. It is breathtaking to behold!

K’ómoks Festival is a free, family-friendly annual event honouring National Indigenous Peoples Day. Everyone is welcome. June 21, 2024, 9 AM to 7 PM, 3535 Bayside Road, Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada—with so much to explore! 

Spend time with our Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, and hear talks on Climate Change, Stewardship, and Traditional Indigenous Ways of Governing versus Western Law. Participate in Traditional Medicine, Plant & Food Workshops, Sacred Salmon Pit Cook Demonstration, and Hands-On Learning through Art for Children & Youth.

Bring a friend and come and enjoy the delicious Hase' Artisan Market. You will have a chance to see, taste, smell and purchase a wonderful assortment of foods, Traditional handmade delights and meet some wonderful people.

For this event, there is free parking onsite for those with mobility issues. There is additional parking for your use at 3330 Comox Road. You are also welcome to Take BC Transit to 3420 or 3330 Comox Road—or walk, bike, hike or kayak to this year's festival. A Festival Shuttle will be running between the Festival Parking areas and Festival site. There will be Washrooms & ATM onsite. 

We will have seating and shaded areas to rest. We have free food and non-alcoholic drinks available. Please ensure you keep yourself hydrated and comfortable on the day. We will have First Aid Staff onsite for any health concerns.

This is an open, community event with activities for everyone. We are so excited to share the day with all of you!   

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Welcome guests at this year's festival will witness artworks on display by some of the most celebrated First Nation Artists and Carvers on the West Coast.
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Learn the Legends Behind the Masks through interactive stories and the magnificent artwork of Henry Speck Sr., Dicky Joseph, Tommy Hunt Jr., Waławidi, Wayne Alfred, Richard Hunt, the Late Beau Dick, Late Marcus Alfred, Late Douglas Cranmer, Geary Cranmer, Bruce Alfred & Rachelle Antoine.

K’ómoks Festival is a free, family-friendly event anticipated to attract up to 300 visitors from Vancouver Island and beyond to witness the historic opening of Queneesh House, hear talks and presentations, view rare masterpieces in First Nation art and carvings, participate in tours, and attend workshops designed to provide a culturally rich experience.

Come as our guests from 9AM - 7PM, June 21, 2024 at 3535 Bayside Road, Courtenay, BC for National Indigenous Peoples Day!

Comox Rocks Brings on the Smiles—We are delighted to offer some amazing drop-in craft, workshops and special treats for Children & Youth at this year's K'ómoks Festival.

We'll have Kelly Everill working her creative magic transforming our Littles into Butterflies, Bears and more with her magnificent Face Painting. She will be offering Art Classes and Rock Painting for all to enjoy. 

Let's Get Messy—from 2 PM to 6 PM, the awesome team at Lake Park Society (look for their tent) will have drop-in art and activity classes for children and youth of all ages and abilities. All programs are free to participate in. Bring home a memory of the festival to hang on your fridge or frame for all time!

Let's create something amazing together! Guests of all ages are encouraged to participate in the 2024 K’ómoks Queneesh Under the Sun Community Art Mural Project, a large-scale mural celebrating Queneesh—and all of you! 

Come together to create Legacy Art where everyone contributes their smiles, creativity and a dab of paint! The theme for this year's festival is Queneesh Under the Sun—honouring Solstice and the Historic Opening of Queneesh House.

​The work will live onsite after the event and be viewed for years to come. You can tell folks that you were there and that wee dab bit of red, yellow, blue or green—that was you!

Come Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on the Lands of the K'ómoks First Nation from 9AM to 7PM on June 21, 2024. Enjoy the Traditional Sacred Salmon Pit Cook on the Beach. Learn how the Pit Cook is built and how the salmon is harvested. Oh, the smell of salmon smoking. Delish!

Come Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on the Lands of the K'ómoks First Nation. Hereditary Chief Yax’nukwalas, K'ómoks & Pentlatch Hereditary Chief Namnam’am, Kerry Norman Frank Invites You to Witness the Historic Opening of Queneesh House.

The first of many ceremonies will be held on June 21, 2024, to honour and open the space named for the beautiful glacier of legend who watches over it. We call the Comox Glacier, Qʷənɛs (kwun-ees), which is also the K'ómoks word for whale. The two are closely tied together in history and legend.

For many years, our ancestors lived along the shoreline, rivers and estuaries, close to and in synch with the rhythm of the seasons and the tides. Queneesh House now stands on these shores. Her walls and wood feel the caress of the wind and salt off the sea.

As we stand together on June 21st, we will feel it, too. We'll smell the smoke from the fire, the fresh salt air of a new season—the bounty of salmon in the Pit Cook. We'll hear the drums, bare feet on ground, voices rising and know that we celebrate just as our ancestors did in the time of Queneesh. 

We invite you to join us as we mark the Solstice—sharing our culture, our stories, our communities pride in National Indigenous Peoples Day—and welcome a new season of life.

Come learn the legend of Queneesh, the inspiration that led to this building's creation in the old style. We look forward to being with you on this historical occasion and very special day!

Have you ever wondered how Indigenous artists craft those masterful works of artistry known as the Bentwood Box. How do they hold together? Is it glue, nails, or magic? 

In truth, it's none of the above. The box is formed from a single piece of wood, grooved, steamed and bent into its final shape using hand tools and pure, inspired talent. 

Join Bruce Alfred, respected Kwakwaka'wakw artist and carver of the 'Namgis for a special Bentwood Box Demonstration Workshop at this year's K'ómoks Festival.

Bruce Alfred hails from "Yalis, Alert Bay on Cormorant Island off the north coast of Vancouver Island. His crests are Whale and Sun, Sisiutl, Raven, Thunderbird, and Kulus—the down-covered bird and younger sibling of Thunderbird.

Bruce comes from a long line of some of the most talented artists on the West Coast. He has worked with and been mentored by many names you will know—Tony Hunt, Doug Cranmer, Richard Hunt, Beau Dick, Wayne Alfred, Bill Reid and his brother Harold Alfred. Each name holds our respect and that list taken together requires a deep breath to consider— the talent, mastery and knowledge held between them—we are awed.

Bruce has produced many masterful works in his career and contributed greatly to many hugely significant projects—the replica building of a Haida village with Bill Reid and Doug Cranmer, his work in "Yalis, Alert Bay, including the restoration of the Mortuary Poles. 

We are hugely grateful to Bruce for his generosity is sharing his art, his stories, and his craft with all of us at his Bentwood Box Demonstration Workshop. It is an event not to be missed!

You're invited to be an Archaeologist for the Day at this year's K’ómoks Festival. Join us for a walking tour of the K’ómoks Fish Weirs along the river mouth along the foreshore at Comox Harbour from 11AM to 2PM on June 21, 2024. 

A fish weir is a series of stakes set out in a pattern to trap fish. They are used in estuaries, rivers and streams to harvest the sea's bounty.

Fish weirs are fences built to let water flow through and gently direct and guide fish to a place where they can be captured and harvested. It is a wonderfully efficient system that allows for the capture of this resource when the fish are at their most plentiful.   

After noticing the thousands of wood stakes in the intertidal zone along the shoreline, an intrigued archaeologist began to explore the site, count the stakes and make some heart pounding conclusions.

Community Archaeologist Nancy Greene and her team mapped more than 13,600 Cedar and Fir tree stakes from an estimated 300 fish traps! 

The scale of the endeavor is awe-inspiring and so is the age. The weirs are a technology that dates back 1,300 years to the 8th century. When Nancy reached out to Elders from the K’ómoks Nation to share their knowledge of the stakes, she learned that some had been told by their grandparents the stakes were used as weirs.

And for their age, the stakes are in remarkable shape. The preservation allowed the team to look closely at their design and notice subtle changes. The younger stakes were originally designed and placed to harvest the herring we see along the east coast of Vancouver Island in early Spring each year. 

Herring and herring roe are still harvested each year. Both are delicious and an excellent source of protein, Vitamin A & D, iron, zinc and other nutrients. You may have seen the frothy roe along the shores last month. It is gathered on cedar branches and eaten fresh, dried or rehydrated. Dried herring roe is especially tasty if you mix it with oil and salmonberry shoots.

Outside of our enjoying them, herring are important to our ecosystems and feed the many animals we are blessed to call neighbours—and relatives!

Up the coast in the Great Bear Rainforest, millions of birds and thousands and thousands of seals and sea lions gather to feast on them each year. They are joined by Humpback and Gray Whales in a frenzied all-you-can-eat herring buffet!

The early fish traps on the beach were built to allow for the scooping up of herring from the water during a declining tide with baskets, dip nets, or using spears and long-handled rakes. 
Later, the traps were altered to take in the bounty of larger fish—chum, pink, coho, chinook and sockeye salmon. It would have been an epic system to have seen in use. 

Test your fish weir stake spotting skills as we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on the longest day of the year. As you walk along, see how many of the fish weir stakes you can count.
Are you up for the challenge? Can you count them all? We'll have a place for you to drop your name and contact number your count from the day. Your final total is based on an honours system. The highest count will win a prize.

ARCHAEOLOGIST FOR THE DAY / FISH WEIRS ON THE FORESHORE 11AM - 2PM
(Free Family-Friendly Event for the Community)

You are welcome to come to 3535 Bayside Road, Comox to participate in the festival and this Archaeologist for the Day Workshop. There is no need to register.

Plants and animals have many names in many languages. During the tour, we will share resources to name some of the living species you will see along the shoreline in both Coast Salish and Kwak'wala. 

Low Tide is Noon. Dress for the weather and know that the rocks can be slippery! For any cuts, bangs or bruises, know that we have trained First Aid attendants onsite. 

This is a family-friendly festival and experiential workshop. School groups are welcome with accompanying supervision. This program is from 11AM - 2PM.

Before, after or instead of this program, you can join in the fun at various Children and Youth Workshops under the Tents on the festival grounds. These run continuously from 11AM - 6PM.

Stroll up, join in and enjoy the day! 

Rachel Jannati, a Traditional Knowledge Keeper shares how each of us can live in harmony with nature and enjoy the benefits of Traditional plant medicines. Her passion has led to the creation of a unique line of skin care products that uses all native plants harvested from K'ómoks First Nation territory. 

4 Sacred's Indigenous skin care brings the very best to soothe, hydrate and rejuvenate our bodies while honouring our Cultural Traditions. Her line features Sage, Stinging Nettle, Wild Rose, Snow Mushroom, Cedarwood and Devil's Club—all harvested through the sacred practice is steeped in the respectful tradition of taking only what is needed and thanking the Earth for the bounty received.

4 Sacred follows Indigenous protocols around harvesting in their sustainable harvesting model and apply an ethical picking practice—utilizing just 20% of a crop area so plants will reproduce naturally and be available for all year after year. Her products have a positive impact on the community by keeping Traditional Medicine alive and teaching people about the Traditional uses of each of the plants. 

Rachel will be hosting a Devil's Club Workshop at this year's festival. We are excited to learn what she has to share and to spend time absorbing her extensive knowledge of our sacred plants. ​This is knowledge passed down from generation to generation—and now to all of you!

We wanted to share with each of you the story of the development of Kus-kus-sum—a project to revitalize the land on the northern riverside of the Courtenay River at the confluence of the river and the K’ómoks Estuary.

Kus-kus-sum was the name of a First Nation village near where the Courtenay Airpark sits today. The name means very slippery—a nod to the algae that grows along the shoreline of the old village site. 
The northern side of the river—and likely the current Kus-kus-sum site—held mortuary trees and were burial grounds for our ancestors of the Kus-kus-sum village. 

K’ómoks First Nation named this area Kus-kus-sum in 2017. The name honours the memory of this ancient village and those who lived, loved and were buried in the trees and grounds of this sacred land.

Back in the 1930s, the site was tidally influenced by the forested riverside and riparian habitat, a vital contributor to the health of local riverine and estuarine creatures. 

If you head over to Hollyhock Flats you can see what the area used to look like—and may do so again. In the 1940s, the site was logged and cleared to install a sawmill and the marshy areas became home to environmentally harmful debris from that enterprise. 

Fines were paid, and apologies were made. The site was bought and sold over the years and a new restoration plan began. 

That new beginning was the collaboration of Interfor Corporation and Project Watershed. Instead of selling off the property for a profit, Interfor chose to work on a conservation plan to return the site to its former pristine glory.

Through fundraising efforts, education and conservation work, teams of sponsors and volunteers, the site is being rewilded. Native plants that once flourished here are being replanted. Today you can see their work in the flourishing displays of Nootka Rose, willows, alder, Douglas fir, red flowering currants and Salmonberry bushes that are reclaiming the land. Those inviting plants are bringing back insects, birds and animals who now call this area home. 

A huge thank you to the City of Courtenay, Interfor, Project Watershed, K’ómoks Milestone Joint Venture, Streamside Native Plants, Chinook Forest Products and Grow Tree Care—plus dozens of amazing volunteers. Your work betters our world today—the City of Courtenay and Lands of the K’ómoks for future generations. 

It is our hope to provide the same love and care in rewilding the K’ómoks Foreshore with native plants to help teach Traditional Medicine and foraging practices and for the beauty they will create.

Salmonberry: The glorious berries you see here are the ripe fruit of the Salmonberry, a delicious member of the Rose Family. For generations, we have enjoyed both the berries and the new sprouts each Spring. If you pick them and peel them, they are delicious raw (we sometimes dip them in sugar. Shhhh). You can steam the bright green, bendy stems as a "vegetable" side dish.

Look for them in May and June in shaded swamps, beside our estuary, along the roadside and along the shoreline. So good!

Rubus spectabilis (Pursh); Rosaceae / In Kwak'wala we call Salmonberry: 'kamdzakw ('Kum-zook) and Salmonberry Sprouts: k'wa'lam (Quat-sum)

Learn to eat like a local at this year's ​Kʼómoks Festival. Did you know that the Clover you see as you walk around the community has delicious roots enjoyed as a vegetable for many Coastal First Nations in British Columbia?

For generations, we have not only harvested them but kept clover patches groomed and cared for so that our families and many relations could collected the tap-roots of this beautiful and tasty herbaceous perennial. The largest of these are harvested in early Spring, leaving the smaller ones cleared of rock and debris to grow strong and lush.

Sometimes, the clover roots were wrapped in cleaned Skunk Cabbage leaves and buried deep in the cooking fire's hot ashes to roast. They can be also stacked on a cedarwood plank in a kettle, covered with damp cedar bank and boiled or steamed. For a larger feast with many guests, the tap-roots are steamed in big cedar boxes. It fills the air with the most delicious aroma!

​Look for them as you visit the beach and on your walks around town. They love soft-sandy soil like the type we find in our coastal dunes, estuaries and tidal meadows—so they love Kʼómoks Territory.

In Kwak'wala, we call them ‘ta’gwanu (pronounced tag-wanu). 

We are honoured to showcase the art of Wayne Alfred, a highly respected Kwakwaka'wakw artist, singer, dancer and Knowledge Keeper from 'Yalis, Alert Bay, British Columbia. 

Wayne has learned from and worked with many of the most renowned First Nations on the West Coast including the Late Henry Hunt, Charlie George Xalxidi, the Late Beau Dick, the Late Benjamin (Blackie) Dick (Sr), the Late Russell Smith Ye-Ku-tla-las—to give all—and the Late 'Namgis Chief Pal'nakwala Wakas and Kesu' Doug Cranmer. Great Masters all.

His work reflects the Traditional culture of the 'Namgis and the oral and written traditions of his respected mentors and family. Wayne's work has earned him respect and a reputation as an artist to watch. His work is meticulous, dramatic—mixing Traditional and contemporary elements to create something new, fresh and compelling. 

​He has gifted us all through his paintings and carvings of poles, boxes, masks, bowls, frontlets and rattles. The original painting above, Chief Maker, is his work from 1994. The image is at once powerful and engaging. His work earned him the British Columbia Creative Achievement Award for First Nations Art in 2012.

Beyond his carvings and paintings, he is an engaging historian and sublime First Nations dancer. He fills his words and his dance with heart and honest reflection. He can regale you with tales of his fishing exploits humbly knowing his works sit in places of honour in First Nation households, communities and museums around the globe.

​We are honoured to showcase him and celebrate Wayne's gifts to us all.

We are thrilled to Alisha Drinkwater as a Knowledge Keeper and Earth Ambassador at this year's K'ómoks Festival on June 21st to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day at the beautiful beach site location of the Frank Memorial Pole, 3535 Bayside Road, Courtenay, British Columbia. 

Alisha is a Senior Environmental Biologist with the GOC with 20+ years of experience creating, developing, and implementing tangible changes in the way environmentally mandated Departments mitigate for environmental stressors in aquatic environments and sensitive ecosystems. She is a 5-year Executive Board member of Comox Valley Project Watershed Society - Project Watershed, an organization that offers technical environmental services, maintains a stewardship information library, and manages research, restoration, education and awareness raising projects in the Comox Valley. 

She has been recognized by her peers, senior managers and Provincial Minister of Environment for her contributions ensuring environmental resilience and sustainability. Alisha is of Saulteaux/Metis ancestry. 

Alisha has lived experience with chronic Anxiety and is a mental health advocate championing setting a #ThriveTrajectory and #ModernLifestyle with intentional, fulfilled living www.LuluWCLifestyle.com who share reminders of Intentional Living—Living Beautifully. Living Conscientiously. She is an Ambassador of the Op-Ed Project (www.theopedproject.org)—Changing who writes history. She is a Wonder-full human and vibrant human being. Thank you for being with us, Alisha. You honour us truly!

We are blessed to have Bruce Alfred joining us for a Bentwood Box Making Demonstration. As well as being a hugely accomplished artist and beautiful human being, he is the genius behind Tumtum Threads—Weaving Stories, Weaving Cultures.

Tumtum is more than a brand; it's a tapestry of hope, culture, and unity. Tumtum embodies the spirit of collaboration, bringing together the First Nations families of the Kwakwaka'wakw in the Pacific Northwest Coast and the proud Indigenous Zapotec families of the Central Valley of Oaxaca. 

In Teotitlan, a renowned Zapotec weaving village, the weavers have sustained their traditions over generations, primarily producing woolen rugs. The cushions for Tumtum, skillfully handmade by Arnulfo Lazaro Bautista's family, are dyed using entirely natural methods using techniques passed down from generation to generation.

The dyes used in Tumtum's products come in four distinct colors:

• ​Blue, dyed with Indigo.
• Red, dyed with Cochinia.
• Black, dyed with Zapote Negro (with a plum-like taste).
• Grey, crafted from two types of sheep wool, requiring no dye.

Mitla, famous for its ancient ruins and intricate mosaics, serves as the backdrop for Zapotec rug designs. Arturo Hernandez Quero's family, Tumtum's partners in Mitla, masterfully craft products using both cotton and wool, employing the pedal loom technique to create their throws.

Tumtum is a celebration of diversity, a symbol of the beauty that emerges when cultures intertwine. As you hold Tumtum threads in your hands, it's a reminder that we are all connected, no matter where we come from. 

Tumtum shares handmade Oaxaca weavings of artisan blankets, throws, pillows and tapestries using Traditional 'Namgis designs. Their inaugural product line showcases the exquisite craftsmanship of Oaxacan artisans. It is a blend of two honoured cultures woven beautifully.

Their offering includes meticulously handwoven blankets, throws, cushion covers, and tapestries—each infused with the rich heritage of 'Namgis patterns and cultural significance. Each piece is a work of art celebrating this coming together—the impeccable quality something to enjoy for a lifetime and pass on to the next generation. 

​To see more of their work, visit tumtumthreads.com 

​We have a very special gift for you at this year's festival—the Yisya̱’winux̱w Dancers. To see them live is a memory you will cherish for life. Each member of the Yisya̱’winux̱w Dancers is an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper who shares not only their talent in dancing but their rights and privileges to sing and dance the stories we are honoured to witness.
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We are thrilled to have them with us on this special day. Many members live and work in 'yalis, Alert Bay, a village on Cormorant Island, northeast Vancouver Island, British Columbia so they must travel a ways to be with us. 

Each of the Yisya̱’winux̱w Dancers is initiated in First Nation Potlatch ceremonies. The dances and songs shared in the performances are owned by the members, and families within the group. 
You will mark this day in your memory forever as the time you met  Thunderbird, his brother Kolas, the seagull, Orca, NAN, the Grizzly Bear, and the Chief Ghost. Witnessing them is a very special experience.

You can see them at K'ómoks Festival 2024 on National Indigenous People's Day, June 21st at 3535 Bayside Road, Courtenay, BC.

We're excited to have Stacey Lynn, Textile Artist and the genius behind Too High To Tie Dye at this year's K'ómoks Festival Market. 

She works primarily with tie-dye clothing to create unique vibrant pieces that enhance the wear's style and bring attention to the art of slow fashion. 

By discovering and using individual processing methods, she creates easily recognizable pieces that quickly gain attention. Stacey will be bringing an array of traditional, one-of-a-kind unique, and upcycled tie-dye creations to this year's festival.

We have a sneak peek here for you to see. To look at more of her work (and put your wishlist together) you can see more of her wonderful creations at Too High To Tie Dye.

​Join us in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, 2024 at the beautiful beach site location of the Frank Memorial Pole, 3535 Bayside Road, Courtenay, British Columbia. 

Come Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on the Lands of the K'ómoks First Nation with Hereditary Chief Yax’nukwalas, K'ómoks & Pentlatch Hereditary Chief Namnam’am, Kerry Norman Frank and First Nation Knowledge Keepers of the West Coast. 

Immerse Yourself in Indigenous Art, Culture, Language, Storytelling, Workshops & Dancing. The day will be celebrated along the foreshore and in sight of Queneesh, the K'ómoks Glacier and witnessing the Historical Opening Ceremony of Queneesh House—the building which bears its name.  

Enjoy delicious Food, the Seafood Pit Cook on the Beach, the Artesian Market, Local Businesses, Vendors, and Entertainment. Tour the K'ómoks Estuary, Shell Middens & K'ómoks Fish Weirs along the Comox Foreshore. 

Learn the Story of the Frank Memorial Pole—Carved by Tlingit Kwaguʼł Master Carver, Tommy Hunt Jr., Waławidi, Legend of Queneesh & the Tales Behind the Masks & Artworks on Display.

​This year's festival features artwork by renowned First Nation Artists & Master Carvers:

• Henry Speck Sr.
• Dicky Joseph
• Tommy Hunt Jr., Waławidi 
• Wayne Alfred
• Richard Hunt
• Late Beau Dick
• Late Marcus Alfred
• Late Douglas Cranmer
• Geary Cranmer
• Bruce Alfred
• Rachelle Antoine

All are welcome. This is a family-friendly open community event. It will be amazing with you there!  
Call for Vendors, Sponsors & Volunteers. Come and join us! 

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT CONTRIBUTED LOVE, HEART, KNOWLEDGE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPONSORSHIP TO THE K'ÓMOKS FESTIVAL 2023

Katherine Frank, Lisa Bowie, Laura Dahl, Heidi Henderson, All Elders and K’ómoks community & K’ómoks Elected Chief, Ken Price, K’ómoks Elected Councillors, Susan Savoie, Coral McKay & Candace, Newman, Dave Taylor, the Farmer, Lush Valley, Maurita, Taylore (Chef), and James for incredible lunches for the volunteers and invited guests.

Comox Valley Regional District: Christianne Wile and Staff, City of Courtenay: Geoff Garbutt and Staff, Village of Cumberland and Staff, Town of Comox and Staff, Village of Sayward and Staff, RE/MAX, Mosaic Forestry, Nyrstar Myra Falls Mine, Chan Nowosad and Boates, Comox Valley Airport, CIBC, North Island College, Providence Living, BC Transit for the free bus rides with Andy.
Melissa Quocksister for the MC’ing, Cydney Neely and Jason Stevens at the 1st Aid Station, Shane Rempel and Greg Frank, Michael Tomlinson and his crew James and Ashton, Norman and Jordy Rudolph, Jaycob Frank, Blair Bentley, Vera Cranmer and Lynn Collins.

Royal Bank Canada, The Ministry for Children and Families (many Social Workers taking the time out of their day), First Nation’s Health Authority, Janet Haigh, Amy Gibson, Jay Da Montarnal, Carol Hardy, Mike Zbarksy, Karen Hlady, V.I. Gaming, McDonald’s Aldred Family Restaurants
Puntledge RV Campground Staff: Tim and Terry, Max Sagadore, Salish Eye Productions, Cory Cliffe, Vanessa Sharkey, Tyler Cranmer, Amy Criss, The Roe & #39's Garden, All in One Party Rentals, Simply Green Environmental, Artist Geary Cranmer, Hereditary Chief of the Pentlatch ‘NAMNAMAM and Hereditary Chief of the K’omoks Yax’nukwalas, Kerry Norman Frank. Presenters and Performers: Joanna Recalma, Letitia Pokiak, Dorothy Kennedy and Randy Bouchard, Kelly Shopland, Felicity Chetty, Susan Leslie, Natasha Rankie, Caitlin Dyck, Lalita Kines, Brent  Mainprize, Dean Quiring & Ray Thunderchild.
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The Yisya’winuxw Dance Group, “The Core” featuring Barry Polichek and Randy Pryce. The T-Shirt Team:  Craig Simon, Barb Mareck, Rachelle Ross, 
The amazing information booths, the food vendors that served fantastic food, and the artisan booths.

And all the amazing volunteers that showed up and helped with parking and helped out everywhere you could.  And all of the amazing guests and community that supported the K’omoks Festival 2023.  

Thank you to the K’ómoks First Nation for the opportunity to work with many communities and outstanding people! Apologies for anyone that we’ve missed. 

It was an amazing day because of you! We look forward to coming together again in 2024! 
A very special thank you to Kat Frank for having the inspiration, passion and drive to bring us all together.

To each and every one of you, Gilakas'la!