Doctor of Letters, honoris causa
Elder Martina Pierre (Saw̓t), a highly respected member of the Lil’wat Nation, is a trailblazer in the fields of Indigenous education, language revitalization and community advocacy.
As a residential school survivor, Elder Martina has transformed her lived experiences into a lifelong dedication to reconciliation, empowerment and cultural preservation.
Holding a Master of Education from the University of British Columbia, Elder Martina has devoted her career to ensure the survival and resurgence of her people’s language and traditions.
She played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Lil’wat community school in the 1970s and later became the Language and Culture Advisor for Skel7aqsten Skel7antsut, an inherent rights organization in the Lil’wat Nation.
Elder Martina’s work has been instrumental in fostering intergenerational teaching practices, bridging Indigenous and Western knowledge systems and championing education as a pathway for community growth.
Her efforts have extended into the academic sphere, where she has collaborated with Capilano University to develop and lead the Lil’wat Languages program. This program has strengthened the ties between CapU and the Lil’wat Nation, and served as a model for Indigenous language preservation within post-secondary education.
Alongside her work in education, Elder Martina authored the Women’s Warrior Song, which she composed after receiving a message from a woman warrior during a sacred sweat lodge ceremony.
The song has become a powerful anthem of resilience and healing that has become a central feature of marches and gatherings for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2+) movement across Canada.