T’uy’tanat-Cease Wyss
Skwxwu7mesh, Sto:lo, Irish-Métis, Hawaiian, and Swiss descent
Cease is an ethno-botanist, traditionally trained by Indigenous Elders. Her work involves site-specific and culturally focused teaching with storytelling as her means to sharing knowledge. She has used traditional plant medicines for 30+ years and thrives on sharing her knowledge with others. Locally known for her popular ‘plant walks’ in Stanley Park, she collaborated with Dene artist Anne Riley on, A Constellation of Remediation, a City of Vancouver public art collaboration, remediating former gas station sites
using plants and Indigenous methods of sustainable agriculture. She is also a media artist with close to 25 years experience in this field. She has produced
various formats of media art, as well as mentoring for over 15 years. Recently she has returned to her textiles art practice, learning Coast Salish weaving techniques. Building on this ancient technology, Cease has embarked on a high-tech project through Emily Carr College of Art and Design on Loretta Todd’s Indigenous Matriarchs 4, building virtual reality and augmented reality worlds. She recently co-authored Journey to Kaho’olawe, an artist’s book covering more than two centuries of the Kanaka family’s migration to the Pacific Northwest coast. She’s a recipient of the 2010 City of Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award for film and new media. Cease was named the 2018 Indigenous storyteller-in-residence at the Vancouver Public Library. She is a member of the Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast and lives in East Vancouver. She is a beekeeper and community engaged gardener.