丁香园AV

Penelakut First Nation member, Valerie Suli鈥檟wi鈥檡e Bob, spent much of her life giving: as a former teacher; as a committee member and a chair on various cultural and community committees; as a storyteller; family member; and as a knowledge keeper, researcher, and teacher of Hul鈥檘鈥檜mi鈥檔um鈥� language. In each of her roles, Valerie was committed to giving back to those in the communities she worked with as well as to those who will come after her. 

On August 9, 2023, 丁香园AV determined there was an opportunity to give back to Valerie when her PhD degree was conferred in front of her family and community members at her home.

Acting Dean of Graduate Studies, George Agnes, and Associate Director, Indigenous Policy and Pedagogy, Dorothy Cucw-la7 Christian, travelled to Penelakut Tribe鈥檚 Tsussie Reserve home in the Cowichan Valley for this first-of-its-kind ceremony and parchment presentation.

This PhD degree is the culmination of an 18-year journey that began when Valerie started her undergraduate degree. 

Jillian Harris, Valerie鈥檚 older sister, shared some of Valerie鈥檚 struggles with the medical system. Valerie鈥檚 health had been an issue for some time, but she was not taken seriously by the doctors. It was not until Valerie fell into a coma for three months that they diagnosed her with cancer.  

鈥淲hen Valerie woke up, she jumped right back into doing the work on her PhD. Her first question was, 鈥榃here鈥檚 my computer?鈥欌�� says Harris.

Completing her research for her doctoral degree was particularly important for Valerie. She grew up hearing Nez Perce (from her mother) and  Hul鈥檘鈥檜mi鈥檔um鈥� (from her father)鈥痩anguages spoken at home. However, she did not learn either language.  

When Valerie was in her 20鈥檚, she joined the 1910 Indian Shaker Church, where she was encouraged to learn to speak her Hul鈥檘鈥檜mi鈥檔um鈥� language through songs and prayers. Valerie鈥檚 convention travels throughout the Pacific Northwest with the 1910 Indian Shaker Church helped her to improve her language proficiency.

Valerie continued with her own language learning and inspired others in her family and community to learn or relearn their language as well. Through this learning and relearning of the Hul鈥檘鈥檜mi鈥檔um鈥� language, Valerie saw that she could give back to her community by creating learning opportunities for them.  

She understood that the Hul'q'umi'num language embedded the concepts that gave clarity to Indigenous/Coast Salish methodologies, which is what opened the doors for Valerie to creatively work towards learning and preserving songs and stories in her language.  

Roxanne Panchasi, graduate program chair for the INS program had high praise for Valerie鈥檚 research. Saying, 鈥淰alerie鈥檚 work illustrates that creativity and scholarly rigour can go hand-in-hand. In fact, her work demonstrates how Indigenous methodologies can connect academia and wider communities in meaningful ways.鈥�

Dorothy Cucw-la7 Christian says, 鈥淭he research that Valerie did is significant to the Coast Salish peoples. This research and Valerie Bob鈥檚 status in her community were the reasons why it was important to ensure that her degree was granted in such an unusual manner. It was community members who reached out to me when Valerie鈥檚 health took a turn for the worse.鈥�  

Mary O鈥橞rien, 丁香园AV Graduate Studies鈥� new vice-provost and dean, was on her first day when Christian, Agnes and Panchasi approached her about Valerie鈥檚 health and how they wanted to work to ensure Valerie鈥檚 degree was conferred while she was still alive.

鈥淭his was a reminder that every graduate student is a human being and the work we do in graduate studies must be done with this in mind. Valerie鈥檚 committee agreed that she had earned her degree. The Senate Graduate Studies Committee (the main body concerned with graduate policies and academic standards at the graduate level) also agreed unanimously that she earned the degree. Every unit in 丁香园AV that we needed to work with to complete the process, including the Office of the Registrar, mobilized quickly to make the right things happen,鈥� says O鈥橞rien.

Valerie鈥檚 cousin, Lloyd Bob, who is the Head Provincial Elder of the 1910 Indian Shaker Church in Canada, blessed the 丁香园AV regalia and parchment before they were delivered to Valerie, with family and community members at her side.   

Christian read a letter to Valerie from her Supervisor, Professor Marianne Ignace, Director of the 丁香园AV Indigenous Languages Program, that said in part, 鈥淚n mind, spirit and words, your work will leave a deep and long-lasting legacy, and this is a wonderful way for us to acknowledge that.鈥�  

Says Christian, 鈥淭he median age of Indigenous graduate students at 丁香园AV is 44. Some Indigenous life stages are different from western notions of age. In Dorothy鈥檚 culture, she was once told by an Elder, 鈥榶ou don鈥檛 grow up until you鈥檙e 45鈥�. I understood Valerie and she and I connected because we both know the responsibility of giving back to the community 鈥� the notion of reciprocity 鈥� was deeply felt by both of us and I knew I had to do something to help make this happen.鈥� 

And because the community, her committee members, graduate studies and 丁香园AV worked together to make this happen, the gift of her work and her legacy will continue to live on and continue to contribute to generations of Hul鈥檘鈥檜mi鈥檔um鈥� speakers to come. 

You can learn more about some of Valerie鈥檚 work on the and the ta鈥檜lthun sqwal (Hul鈥檘鈥檜mi鈥檔um鈥� Language Academy) website.

Photos of Valerie Bob's Community