Tsawout Welcomes New Staff in Fisheries

Hello everyone! My name is Monique Jones.

I am excited to be joining the Tsawout Fisheries department, as a Fisheries Technician. I am a Tsawout band member. My mother is Kelly Sampson (Tsawout), and my father is late Alan Jones Sr. (Pacheedaht). I grew up on the Tsartlip (Charles Sampson family) reserve for most of my life, so I am excited that I will be working in my home community.

I have been fortunate to grow up harvesting seafoods with my aunts, uncles, and cousins on the beach, so most of my knowledge of Indigenous rights to harvest was taught to me by them at a very young age. I also went to Camosun College school of Business and have minors in Politics and Law, so I also understand a bit of Indigenous rights, and law by the book. My objective is to soak up as much knowledge as I can while learning more about our waters and territory. While working for our beautiful community of Tsawout, I hope to be a part of the strengthening and repair of trust that may have been broken in the past. I am excited to be working alongside this amazing team who have also grew up on the W̱SÁNEĆ waters.

HÍSW̱ḴE, Tsawout for this reintroduction to community, and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone here!

My name is Laís Chaves, and I would like to introduce myself as the new Marine Use Planner for the Tsawout First Nation Fisheries Department. I was born and raised in Brazil and descend mostly (like many other Brazilians) from indigenous peoples and Portuguese colonizers. There, I concluded my formal education as a marine biologist. I migrated to Canada in 2014 following my significant other. I lived and worked for 7 years in Haida Gwaii, the ancestral territory of the Haida people. Living there, I had my two sons, made true friends and, gained a deep understanding of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and Aboriginal Rights while working for the Council of the Haida Nation. This experience has been a conduit for continued personal and professional growth. I just recently moved with my family to Brentwood Bay and I am looking forward to get to know members of the Tsawout community.