The Yisya̱’winux̱w Dancers is a professional, adult and youth dance group whose members represent many of the 16 tribes of the Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw people.

Many members live and work in 'yalis, Alert Bay, a village on Cormorant Island, near the town of Port McNeill on northeast Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

The Yisya̱’winux̱w Dancers come together to perform by invitation or special arrangement for private events.

Although, Yisya̱’winuxw is the most recently formed dance group of the Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw Nation—though many members have performed professionally for over 20 years.

Each of the Yisya̱’winux̱w dancers is initiated in Potlatch ceremonies. The dances and songs shared in the performances are owned by the members, and families within the group.

Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw oral history shares that our ancestors (ʼnaʼmima) came in the forms of animals by way of land, sea, or underground. When one of these ancestral animals arrived at a given spot, it discarded its animal appearance and became human.

Animals that figure in these origin myths include the Thunderbird, his brother Kolas, the seagull, the orca, the grizzly bear, or the chief ghost. Some ancestors have human origins and are said to come from distant places. Some of the dances you may see share these stories. Witnessing them is a very special experience.
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You can see them on the Main Stage at the K'ómoks Festival 2023 on National Indigenous People's Day, June 21st at the Puntledge RV Campground, 4624 Condensory Road, Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada, V9J 1R6

Come out to meet the lovely folk working at the Comox Valley Child Development Association (CVCDA). They will have a booth on-site at K'ómoks Festival 2023. Their work supports children, youth and adults with diverse abilities and their families.

There are currently 17 programs operating under the CVCDA umbrella along with a number of community partnerships and support groups.

All of their services are designed to not only enrich the lives of the people who access them but also to contribute to a stronger Comox Valley that welcomes and includes everyone who lives here.
We're proud to have them as a sponsor and partner for this Free, Family-Friendly Community Event celebrating National Indigenous People's Day 2023.
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Visit them at their booth and check out their website at cvcda.ca to learn more about their services!
K'ómoks Festival 2023 on National Indigenous People's Day, June 21st at the Puntledge RV Campground, 4624 Condensory Road, Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada, V9J 1R6

​We are thrilled to have Panikpak Letitia Pokiak sharing a talk on Climate Change as part of our morning program at this year's festival. 

​Panikpak is from Tuktuuyaqtuuq located in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, of the Western
Arctic, North West Territories. As an Inuvialuk, she was raised traditionally on Inuvialuit Nunangat, her arctic homeland, which frames her lens and worldview.

Inuit Nunangat is an Inuktitut term meaning “homeland.” It is used to describe the four Inuit land claim regions which includes the land, water and ice. Inuit Nunangat is a massive region covering more than a third of Turtle Island/Canada’s land mass and half of its coastline.

Panikpak completed the MA Anthropology program at the University of Victoria with the culmination of her thesis defense, for which she received the Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS)  / Proquest Distinguished Masters Thesis Award.

​Prior to grad school, Panikpak was instrumental in establishing the Giant Mine Oversight Board
office, an independent body that monitors the Giant Mine Remediation Project in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories—as well as supporting the implementation of the Giant Mine Environmental Agreement, which guides the remediation of the Giant Mine located Yellowknives Dene First Nation
territory.

Panikpak was an Indigenous Support Worker for the School District No. 71 for five
years, on the unceded traditional territory of the K’omoks and Pentlatch People of Vancouver
Island.

With her anthropology background, Panikpak has been involved in a number of
archaeological expeditions in her home territory, including the 2010 Archaeological Survey in
Aulavik National Park in the high Arctic on the Northwest Territories' Banks Island in which the HMS Investigator—the merchant ship purchased in 1848 to search for Sir John Franklin's ill-fated Northwest Passage expedition—was rediscovered.

Both Panikpak and the archaeology crew received the Excellence Award from Parks Canada. Panikpak aims to support and empower Indigenous Peoples in their sovereignty, rebuilding and well-being efforts.

Panikpak Letitia Pokiak's presentation on Climate Change is at 10:15 AM as part of our invitation only morning sessions at the 2023 K’omoks Festival.

When you come on down to K'ómoks Festival 2023, be sure to look for Aldred Restaurants Ltd. (McDonalds) Community Events Tent & Trailer offering complimentary Coffee, Tea, Cold Fruit Splashes and Cookies which we're sure will be delicious! They will be offering their goodies from 3:00PM to 7:PM. Visit them at their booth or at 1799 Cliffe Avenue Courtenay for a refreshing treat!

Aldred Restaurants Ltd. serve both the Comox Valley and Port Alberni. Greet them as neighbours as that is who they are! They are proudly locally owned and operated and have likely provided a tasty snack (or even employment) for you or someone you love! We love to support local and we love what Aldred Restaurants Ltd. do for our community. 

Their Mcdonalds' restaurants proudly serve the communities of Comox Valley and Port Alberni from each of their six (6) locations. We're thrilled to have them as a community partner!

We're thrilled to have Cory Cliffe, Lekwiltok First Nation, Artist, Jewellery Maker & Steward of the Land join us at this year's festival.
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Cory will share how he makes beautiful necklaces and bracelets with Devil's Club. Devils Club beads are made from the stock of the Devils Club plant. This is a locally grown plant that has been harvested by Indigenous people since time immemorial.

Cory will share how he collects Devil's Club and uses it to make medicinal salves and beads for jewellery. He will be bringing some prepared beads to show and for you to use in your own creations so that you can have the chance to make something beautiful yourself.

T-SHIRT LOGO DESIGN COMPETITION / CALLING ALL K'ÓMOKS ARTISTS!
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This is your chance to design the T-Shirt for the K’omoks Festival happening June 21st, 2023, at the Puntledge RV Campground.  

We would love to see your design on this year's t-shirts! Draw an original illustration by hand and send it in. If we choose your design for the 2023 K’omoks Festival T-Shirts, you’ll not only be famous, but you’ll get a $100 cash prize! 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: 
Submissions must be black and white; be drawn by hand. Digital renderings or clipart may not be used. Your design must fit on an 8½” x 11″ sheet of paper set vertically (use the full sheet!)
You must include "K’omoks Festival 2023" in your design submission. Include your name or signature. Include your contact information including a telephone number. 
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You are welcome to scan your design in low resolution for the email submission. A photo of the design is acceptable for submission.  Original submissions may be given directly to Kat Frank. 

DEADLINE:
The deadline for submission is before midnight (PST), Friday, June 2, 2023. ​Please email your submissions to Kat Frank at [email protected] or call 1-250-650-7271 with any questions. 

2023 FESTIVAL WINNER:
The winning T-shirt design will be announced on Tuesday, June 6th 2023 on the www.komoksfestival.com website and our Facebook (META) page—plus a happy call to the lucky winner. 

Your design for the 2023 K’omoks Festival will become the property of K’omoks Festival 2023 for use on t-shirts and other promotional products. After this year's festival, you are welcome to use the design in any way you choose with the words "K’omoks Festival 2023" removed. 

Good luck! We're excited to see your submissions!

Come out to meet the lovely folk working at Mosaic Forest Management. They manage the forest planning, operations and product sales for TimberWest and Island Timberlands, two proud companies operating on Vancouver Island.

Mosaic Forest Management is committed to recognizing and respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is their objective to increase representation and employment opportunities for Indigenous Peoples in the workplace to help foster Indigenous participation in the forest economy and support business development opportunities by increasing commercial partnerships with Indigenous groups in their supply chain.

We're proud to have them as a sponsor and partner for this Free, Family-Friendly Community Event celebrating National Indigenous People's Day 2023. Visit them at their booth and check out their website at mosaicforests.com to learn more about their services!
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K'ómoks Festival 2023 on National Indigenous People's Day, June 21st at the Puntledge RV Campground, 4624 Condensory Road, Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada, V9J 1R6

We are honoured to have Joanna Recalma as our Keynote Speaker for this year's festival. Joanna will share her thoughts on, Reconciliation and Reckoning within the Canadian Legal System.
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Joanna Recalma is an unconventional mother, wife, lawyer and wonderful orator. She is often recognized by the unmistakable silhouette of her wild curly hair. She is a random abstract thinker known to make compelling legal arguments. Brilliant in court and in life, she is also easily distracted by her intense focus and curiosity of the world—regularly losing her wallet, keys and all sense of time.

Her bloodlines include Pentlatch, 'Namgis, Haida, Icelandic and Chilean. Her work is inspired by her grandparents and mentors—she roots for the underdog. She mainly practices family law, but in a pinch, she takes on constitutional and civil law cases focusing on Indigenous rights to hunt, fish and live. Like a salmon, Joanna has returned home to the Qualicum reserve where she was raised on the Big Qualicum River.

Her passion for wildlife photography and her inappropriate sense of humour provide Joanna with peace and relief from the adversarial legal world. We are honoured to have Joanna as our Keynote Speaker at this year's festival. 

Gilakas'la! For this event, there is Free Parking, ATM, Food Vendors & Washrooms onsite. We will have seating and shaded areas to rest. Please ensure you keep yourself hydrated and comfortable on the day. We will have Paramedics and our KFN Health Nurse, Cydney Frank, onsite for any health concerns. 

​Feel free to contact Kat Frank at 1-250-650-7271 or email [email protected] for details on how to get involved. Thinking of volunteering? We'd love to have you join us and we will make sure you are well fed! Lush Valley will be providing food for our volunteers.

VOLUNTEERS: As well as volunteering on the day, we are looking for a few volunteers to help the day before and after with deliveries and pick-up of rental equipment. Could that be you? Please be in touch!

FOOD TRUCKS AND ARTISANS: ​Please spread the word as we are actively looking for Food Trucks ($50 Fee) and Artesian Vendors ($20 Fee). Vendors need to bring their own tables and chairs. A downloadable copy of the Food Truck Application Form is below. ​

Open call for Comox Valley Food Truck Vendors! Interested in having your Food Truck at this event celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day? We are expecting hundreds of attendees who will be hungry!

You can find a downloadable PDF of the FOOD TRUCK VENDOR APPLICATION FORM here on the website. We are excited to have you join us! Food Truck Vendors are responsible for their own tables, chairs and generators. Cost is $50.00 

​June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a day for all Canadians to recognize, celebrate and honour Indigenous peoples, cultures and communities. ​

K'ómoks First Nation today is made up of several formerly separate tribes—culturally K’ómoks and Pentlatch of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. 

The Sathloot (‘sath-loot), Sasitla (sa-‘seet-la), Ieeksen (eye-‘ick-sun) and Xa’xe (‘ha-hey) are all culturally K’ómoks and each have their own unique origin stories. The Pentlatch had a similar culture but spoke a distinct language and also have their own unique origin story. These origin stories all tie the tribes’ first ancestors to their respective tribal territories.

We say Gilakas'la in Kwak'wala as a heartfelt welcome greeting or to say thank you. It translates to “I share my breath and spirit with yours.” Kwak'wala is the language of the Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw First Nations of British Columbia, Canada.

​Come and spend some time with your neighbours, learn more about Indigenous culture and share in a free, family-friendly event this June 21, 2023 in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day.