Gilakas’la! My name Kwak’wala name is Ika’wega, and my English name is Lou-ann Neel; I am from the Kwagiulth and Mamalilikulla tribes of the Kwakwaka’wakw people. I am a practicing Kwak’wala language learner and  visual artist.  In addition to my work as a language learner and artist, I have worked for over 30 years in policy and program development in the areas arts, culture, languages and community development. I currently work full time at the Royal BC Museum as the Repatriation Specialist, and enjoy meeting people from all BC communities to discuss repatriation and reconciliation.

U’lamgilagw, Lily Erford (nee Flanders), is from the Mamalilikulla, Ma’amtagila and Da’naxda’xw tribes of the Kwakwaka’wakw people. Now retired, Lily worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse and then as a Registered Nurse for 37 years at the Royal Jubilee Hospital and the Victoria General Hospital in Victoria, BC. Lily is a fluent speaker of Kwak’wala (her first language), and she has been a language teacher in urban Kwak’wala language classes that take place in Victoria, BC. Lily is also called upon frequently to assist in translating a wide range of texts from English to Kwak’wala and vice-versa.