Slade Williams

Sqwa First Nation

My name is Slade Williams, I am an Indigenous man. I have grown up in my traditional territory of the Coast Salish people, located in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Within the Coast Salish region, is our Sto:lo nation, where my community of Sqwa First Nation has about 700 members registered. I have grown to know our culture and traditions to the best of my ability. My grandparents have made learning a lifelong journey and appreciation of making family a priority throughout our lives, I have many members in my family. 

We learned to canoe train for the War canoe races and it has been the best for learning discipline and teamwork. I started paddling at  the age of 10 or earlier. The circuit for canoe racing stayed relatively close to the Fraser valley, reaching south as Seattle, west to Victoria on Vancouver Island as far up as Nanaimo. 

The employment position I fill in our band office is as a Community Energy Champion that requires me to learn about the impacts of climate change, renewable energy, lowering emissions and energy reduction techniques. My background is in Carpentry, Environmental Studies and Fisheries.