Marika Echachis Swan

Marika Echachis Swan is an artist, mother and community arts organizer of mixed Tla-o-qui-aht, Scottish and Irish descent currently based out of her home territory of Tla-o-qui-aht (surrounding Tofino, BC). Her main creative practice explores feminist Nuu-chah-nulth values and teachings through woodblock printmaking, often laying in a variety of other mixed media techniques.

Marika’s background in community engaged arts and media have led her to becoming a key part of the Carving on the Edge Festival for the past four years. This unique celebration of contemporary and traditional coastal carving culture is open to all communities but led by Nuu-chah-nulth master carvers, creating space for dialogue and skill building between diverse artists and appreciators of arts and culture.

Nested under this project has been the development of The Nuu-chah-nulth Living Archive, a community led research project that is locating and documenting the vast bodies of Northwest Coast ancestral objects and materials held in various institutions all over the world. Through this project, Marika is actively engaging with local culture keepers to stimulate community discussion and create resources for the purposes of cultural revitalization, repatriation, and education.