Roxane has loved art since a very young age. During her younger years, her Elders taught her and provided her with guidance and support. In the 90’s, Roxane and her husband Rick took up wood carving. Roxane further developed her art in 1999, when she began to study engraving under her mentor and teacher Sweewa.

In 2006, Roxane left a full time job to follow her passion for art. Shortly after, in 2007, Roxane started working on a project that involved helping carve the Mission House Post, which was raised at the Information Centre on Lougheed Highway in 2008. In the summer of 2008, Roxane volunteered to help paint the City of Mission, which was a great and rewarding experience for her. After finishing this project, the District of Mission awarded her with a beautiful plaque.

In January 2009 Roxane was commissioned to paint a 29 foot long canoe. The design on the canoe is a sturgeon. Fisheries and Oceans now use Roxane’s sturgeon design on endangered sturgeon memorabilia. Roxane also volunteered to help carve a House Post that was raised in Oyama, Japan, Mission’s Sister City, in October 2009. Roxane has also been awarded a plaque from the District of Mission along with a beautiful glass bowl from the Mission Arts Council for this project. Roxane has also served as an instructor at Seabird Island College for Basic Engraving.

Emily is from the Nisga’a Nation and was born in Prince Rupert, BC. Her Nisga’a name is Adiiyoox, coming from the House of Axdii Wil Luu-Gooda of the Git-Wilt’uuts’kwhl Aks Clan of the Raven/Frog tribe among the Nisga’a People. She currently resides in Vancouver/Ts’amiks.

Adiiyoox/Emily and her son, Keane, have worked as a team under their home-based business “Radiating Ravens Nisga’a Apparel”. Their work is predominately in the form of sewing by hand and machine; Keane creates all of the artwork for the Regalia and/or Feastwear.

• Regalia using fabric: Button Blankets (with or without buttons), tunics, leggings, dance aprons, headbands
• Regalia using leather: Tunics, leggings, dance aprons, headbands, moccasins, pouches
• Beadwork: Closure for Button Blankets (various crests and beaded chilkat face), beaded pouch, earrings, Crest
  bracelets
• Feastwear: Vests (various fabrics including Melton) for men, women, and children, christening gowns, wedding dresses, groomsmen vests and jackets, hats (similar to cedar bark hat, but made out of material)

Adiiyoox/Emily began sewing while in high school; she made her own Regalia to wear to her graduation at a time when no one was wearing their Regalia in public. Her dad, Tom Tait, drew the raven for her blanket. Adiiyoox/Emily has participated in fashion shows in Gitlaxt’aamiks, BC, Terrace, BC, North Vancouver, BC, and Musqueam, BC.

Una-Ann is a Tahltan/Tlingit Artist from northern British Columbia, born in Prince Rupert B.C. She is the mother of three. Una-Ann has worked as a Cultural Presenter and an Aboriginal Support Worker in the Langley School District for the past nineteen years. She was a member of the Fort Langley Artist Group for seven years, participating in shows and presentations.

Una-Ann has established herself as an artist and clothing designer. Incorporating her traditional designs with a contemporary flair she works with various mediums including acrylics, pen and ink, fabric, leather, metal, and cedar.

Una-Ann enjoys sharing her knowledge of aboriginal culture and West Coast art designs with students and teachers. Over the years Una-Ann has been involved with the traditional ways of the Sto:lo and Coast Salish people. She has learned how to carve cedar and weave wool and cedar, as well as drum and sing traditional songs. For seven years she participated in “Pulling Together” and “Tribal Canoe Journeys”.

Una-Ann presently lives in Langley. Her artwork and clothing can be seen at Pow Wows, arts & craft shows, conferences, and Aboriginal art exhibitions.

Mike Dangeli is of the Nisga’a, Tlingit, Tsetsaut, and Tsimshian Nations. He belongs to the Beaver Clan and carries the names Goothl Ts’imilx (Heart of the Beaver House) and Teettlien (Big Wave). Since childhood, Mike has been training under the leaders of his family to be the Simoget (hereditary chief) of his clan among the Nisga’a. His people’s traditional territory is the Nass River Valley area of British Columbia, which is approximately 500 miles north from Vancouver.

At an early age, Mike began to attend feasts, potlatches and other ceremonies in BC and Alaska with his mother Arlene Roberts to start his training in each of the languages of his diverse background and begin study their art forms, histories, and cultures. At these gatherings, Mike also danced with his family’s dance group, the Juneau Tsimshian-Nisga’a Dancers, lead by his grandmother and grandfather, Louisa and Reggie Dangeli. From these experiences, he learned how to host his own feasts, potlatches and totem pole raisings, prepare traditional foods, speak for his family, and to perform the songs and dances of his people.

Striving to expand his understanding of and ability in carving, painting and design, Mike always honors opportunities to learn from many Master Carvers including: Beau Dick, Simon Dick, Robert Davidson, Reg Davidson, Henry Greene, Lyle Campbell, and many others. He has also held two major apprenticeships with Master Carvers: Randy Adams, and David Boxley. Also contributing greatly to his work is the regularly returning home to Northern BC and Alaska where he continues to learn oral histories, songs, dances, and protocols from his Nisga’a, Tsimshian, and Tlingit elders.

Mike currently lives in Vancouver, BC where he founded the House of Culture: Art and Carving Studio. The programs that he organized in the House of Culture sought a holistic approach to teaching Northwest Coast art to urban First Nations children, youth, and adults through classes, workshops and seminars. Mike is also the Director and lead Artist Instructor for Indigenous Roots Art Mentorship now on its 11th Round with over 500 students having gone through its 14 week program. Working primarily as a commissioned based artist, the House of Culture also functions as Mike’s studio where he creates his art for his commissions, galleries, and ceremonial pieces for his community. Mike’s works include masks, drums, regalia, paintings, and limited edition silk-screened prints. In 2011, Mike has completed twenty totem poles and a thirty-foot ocean going canoe.