Snowchange welcomes a large delegation from the Nuu-chah-Nulth people from British Columbia, Canada. The delegation, led by n̓aasʔałuk (John Rampanen) will participate through the Oceans Wide relief programme to immerse in a range of cultural heritage, fisheries and restoration processes. Rampanen will travel with his whole family to North Karelia for 3 weeks.
n̓aasʔałuk (John Rampanen) with his wife Nitanis and children have advanced Indigenous food security and sovereignty and cultural revitalization of their peoples for decades. Currently John serves as the Ahousaht’s Elected Chief Councillor for the 2022 – 2026 Council Term.
n̓aasʔałuk (John Rampanen) comes from ʕaḥuusʔatḥ (Ahousaht) and qiłcmaʔatḥ (Keltsmaht) ancestry within the nuučaan̓uł (Nuu-chah-nulth) territory on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. He is a Cultural Consultant, Historian and, Decolonial Strategist that is actively involved with Language & Cultural Revitalization specializing in areas of: spirituality, medicinal practice and plants, history, traditional governance and indigenous foods. n̓aasʔałuk is also an Independent Instructor with the University of Victoria where he develops and offers land-based approaches to language immersion through a nuučaan̓uł lens.
A former founding member of the West Coast Warrior Society, he is also an advocate and activist with a firm stance on Indigenous sovereignty. As a father of eight, he shares a family-oriented approach toward cultural revitalization and believes firmly that language and connecting with land is the key to the future wellbeing for indigenous peoples.
Rampanen family including John Sr. have been in contact for over a decade and Snowchange welcomes the Rampanens to Karelia for an extensive visit!