Ravina Morgan
Skookum Surrey Indigenous Social Innovation Coordinator
Ravina Morgan, whose Indigenous name is Âmow-piyêsîs Iskwew; ᐋᒧᐤ ᐱᔦᓰᐢ (Hummingbird Woman), belongs to Smiths Landing First Nation in the Northwest Territories. Ravina is of Tthebatthi Dënésułiné, Cree, Métis, Central and South Asian ancestry. She was born and raised on the unceded territories of the Kwantlen, q̓ic̓əy̓, Qayqayt, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ, and Semiahmoo. Ravina is also a proud mother who is raising her son in the same territories she was raised in.
Ravina is the Indigenous Social Innovation Coordinator with Skookum Surrey. As the Social Innovation Coordinator, Ravina works with Indigenous people across the City of Surrey. She has been with the team since the beginning when Skookum Surrey was formerly Skookum Lab. In her position with Skookum Lab, Ravina worked as part of a three-year research project about reducing urban Indigenous child poverty in the City of Surrey. When the research project was over, Skookum Surrey was created to continue engaging Indigenous people in Surrey on matters that affect them. Ravina has been working in the Indigenous non-profit sector for ten years.
Krystal Dumais
Skookum Surrey Facilitator and Engagement Specialist
Krystal Dumais is Plains Cree from the Treaty 6 Nation in Saskatchewan. She grew up on the territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən, Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples. Krystal now lives on the unceded territories of the Kwantlen, q̓ic̓əy̓, Qayqayt, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ, and Semiahmoo where she raises her children. Krystal holds various roles within the urban Indigenous community in Surrey. She is a Cree language coordinator with Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association, a research assistant for the health department at Simon Fraser University, and a parent representative for the Racial Equity Committee for Surrey schools.
Krystal is a Facilitator and Engagement Specialist with Skookum Surrey. In her role, she engages Indigenous youth and community members in the City of Surrey on important topics that affect their well-being. Krystal joined Skookum Surrey because she likes being a part of like-minded and strong Indigenous ambassadors that help with addressing and tackling Indigenous Youth in Poverty.
Catherine Garcia
Skookum Surrey Cultural Connections
Catherine Garcia is Shuswap and is from the Simpcw First Nation. Catherine has lived on the unceded territories of the Kwantlen, q̓ic̓əy̓, Qayqayt, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ, and Semiahmoo for over ten years. She is a proud mother of three wonderful children. Catherine is also a pow-wow dancer and has been doing pow-wow dance since she was a young girl.
Catherine’s role with Skookum Surrey's Cultural Connections. In her role, Catherine works with Indigenous youth hosting community cultural events in the City of Surrey. Catherine became involved with Skookum Surrey when it was formally Skookum Lab as a Guide Group Member. As a Guide Group member, Catherine engaged with other Indigenous people in Surrey to inform the work of Skookum Lab, which is nurtured to this day by Skookum Surrey.
Marcia Mejia-Blanco
Skookum Surrey Post Secondary Events Coordinator
Marcia Mejia-Blanco is Indigenous to the Nahua-Pipil people in Central America, with family ties to the Nlaka’pamux people of Lytton First Nation. Marcia was raised on the unceded territories of the Kwantlen, q̓ic̓əy̓, Qayqayt, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ, and Semiahmoo where she is also raising her son.
Marcia joined Skookum Surrey after bringing her son to a community event that made a lasting impact on them. Marcia works as the Post Secondary Events Coordinator with Skookum Surrey. In her position, Marcia creates opportunities, in partnership with Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Simon Fraser University, for Indigenous students in the City of Surrey. The opportunities she helps create are cultural connections which facilitate community belonging and well-being.
Aspen Shima
SUILC Social Media Coordinator
Aspen Shima is Cree from White Bear First Nations in Treaty 4 territory. She lives on the unceded territories of the Kwantlen, q̓ic̓əy̓, Qayqayt, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ, and Semiahmoo. Before that, Aspen lived on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, səlilwətaɬ and Sto:lo territories. Aspen is an avid lacrosse fan and has extensive knowledge of the sport and the appreciation of well-being that comes from the medicine game.
Aspen is the Social Media Coordinator with Skookum Surrey as part of the Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee. Aspen is an artistic and visual person who uses her skills to capture Skookum Surrey events through photography. She also creates social media outputs for Skookum Surrey to communicate events to urban Indigenous youth in the City of Surrey.
Amei-lee Laboucan
Communications Coordinator
Amei-lee Laboucan is Cree-Métis from Treaty 8 territory. She was born and raised on the unceded territories of the Kwantlen, q̓ic̓əy̓, kʷikʷəƛ̓əm, sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ, and Semiahmoo. She is a graduate student in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta and a freelance journalist.
Amei-lee is the Communications Coordinator with Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee. In her role, Amei-lee coordinates interviews between journalists, the SUILC Co-Chairs, the Skookum Surrey team, and some of our community members. She also prepares internal communications for the team and external communications for the public. Amei-lee joined SUILC because of her love for the urban Indigenous people in the City of Surrey and because she believes in the work that SUILC and Skookum Surrey are doing.