Ta7talíya Michelle Nahanee

DECOLONIZING FACILITATOR, CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND INDIGENOUS CHANGE MAKER

Ta7talíya Michelle Lorna Nahanee (Squamish) is the creator of a life-size board game called Sínulhkay and Ladders. She is a decolonizing facilitator, creative director and Indigenous change maker. In 2018, she founded Decolonizing Practices to use her skills to actively undo colonial impacts.

Michelle grew up in the the Squamish Nation community called Eslha7an between the mountains and the ocean. She works within the intersection of class, race, culture and creativity focusing on social change through strategic communications and deep engagement. Michelle’s collaborations have influenced opinions, changed behaviours and mobilized community action.

Her current clients include City of Vancouver, Pivot Legal Society and Vancouver Coastal Health. Her past clients include Qmunity, HCMA Architecture + Design, Simon Fraser University, Squamish Nation, Yekooche, Calgary Foundation, and Vancouver Foundation. Michelle is the Board Chair for Kwi Awt Stelmexw.

Michelle recently completed a Master of Arts in Communication from Simon Fraser University where she wrote “Decolonizing Identity: Indian Girl to Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Matriarch.” She concluded her research with a call to dismantle academic barriers to decolonizing practices.