Author

Tessa Vikander

Tessa is a queer settler of Swedish (town of Smedjebacken), British and French ancestry, born and raised on the unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. As an editor at IndigiNews, she is honoured to support Indigenous storytellers as they claim their rightful place within the media landscape.

Tessa's Latest Articles

Community members gather in the middle of the Okanagan Indian Band’s Cultural Arbor during its grand reopening event on May 28. Photo by Aaron Hemens

Indigenous Peoples Day Events within syilx homelands

By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter & Tessa Vikander ● Okanagan ● June 17, 2022 July 7, 2022

The syilx Nation is hosting a number of celebrations in honour of sqilx’w day

Sámi dancers are rebuilding their Indigenous dance culture

By Tessa Vikander ● Vancouver ● May 13, 2022 July 11, 2022

Dancer and choreographer Liv Aira is articulating Sámi culture through movement

Simpcw makeup artist Joey Roo lounges in a park on a satin blanket with velvet pillows.

Simpcw makeup artist to travel world sharing expertise in foundation for Indigenous models

By Tessa Vikander ● Vancouver Island ● April 19, 2022 July 9, 2022

Roo, 28, from Simpcw First Nation’s Band, started working full-time as a makeup artist at the beginning of March, and they are soon jetting off to Indigenous fashion shows in Australia and Paris.

Five people stand in front of concrete steps outdoors, posing for a photo before Krista Fox begins her walk, four of them are wearing ribbon skirts and all five are wearing shirts and hoodies in honour of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Grandmother from Treaty 6 territory to spend a year walking across Canada in honour of missing and murdered Indigenous women

By Tessa Vikander ● Vancouver Island ● February 18, 2022 August 3, 2022

A 53-year-old Saskatchewan Grandmother has begun a year-long journey by foot across Canada in honour of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW). Photo by Tara Skobel.

Royal BC Museum to double Indigenous collections and repatriation team as racism investigation uncovers ‘bad’ results

By Tessa Vikander ● Vancouver Island ● February 3, 2021 July 12, 2022

The museum plans to hire eight new people to join the current team of six.

Status of birth alerts in Canada: A mother holds her newborn moments before social workers removed the child. The child was taken 90 minutes after being born. Photo courtesy of APTN.

Several Canadian provinces still issue birth alerts, deemed ‘unconstitutional and illegal’ in B.C.

By Bayleigh Marelj, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter & Tessa Vikander ● Vancouver Island ● January 15, 2021 July 29, 2022

Atlantic provinces and Quebec are amongst the jurisdictions that use the practice.