Tʼuyʼtʼtanat-Cease Wyss facts for kids

Tʼuyʼtʼtanat-Cease Wyss is a talented artist, scientist, and teacher. She is from the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She also has family roots from the Stó:lō people, Kānaka Maoli (Hawaiian) people, Irish, Métis, and Swiss backgrounds.

Cease Wyss is known for many things. She combines visual art, fiber arts, and the study of plants. She also shares stories and teaches her community. She has worked with new media and performance art for over 30 years. As a Coast Salish weaver, she uses wool and cedar. She also uses plants to dye her materials. Cease Wyss is also a beekeeper and gardener. She uses these skills to help clean up polluted land.

She is part of the Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast. She also owns Raven and Hummingbird Tea Co. with her daughter, Senaqwila Wyss. Cease Wyss helped design the Indigenous Plant Garden at the Museum of Vancouver.

What Her Name Means

Tʼuyʼtʼtanat is Cease Wyss's special ancestral name. It means "woman who travels by canoe to gather medicines for all people." This name shows her deep connection to nature and healing.

Her Early Life and Learning

Cease Wyss grew up in British Columbia. Her grandmother was a skilled weaver. She made cedar root baskets from a young age until she passed away. Cease Wyss's mother, Kultsia-t Barbara Wyss, was also an important influence. She was from the Skwxwú7mesh and Hawaiian nations.

Cease Wyss learned how to weave baskets from master weavers. These teachers included Alice Guss (Tsawayia Spukwus) and Ed Eugene Carriere.

Amazing Art Projects

Cease Wyss has shown her art in many places. These include big public art events, museums, and galleries. She also leads educational programs at these events.

Transits and Returns (2019–2020)

This art show was at the Vancouver Art Gallery. It featured 21 Indigenous artists. Their art showed their cultures and their journeys. Cease Wyss's piece was called Shḵwen̓ Wéw̓ shḵem Nexw7iy̓ay̓ulh. This means To Explore, To Travel by Canoe.

Her artwork included a special ceremonial cape and photographs. She used materials like Lauhala, coconut fiber, and red cedar bark. She also used wool, abalone shell, and mother of pearl buttons. These materials are important to both the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and Hawaiian peoples.

New Growth (2019–2020)

This project was called x̱aw̓s shew̓áy̓ New Growth «新生林». Cease Wyss worked on it for 14 months in Vancouver. She turned an empty lot into a beautiful rainforest garden. This garden showed the many plants found in the local area. It included plants from the traditional lands of the Skwxwú7mesh, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

She planted different berries and shrubs. These included ocean spray and oso berry. She also planted flowers like yarrow and wild rose. This project was based on permaculture. Permaculture is about how all living things in an ecosystem are connected. It showed the deep understanding of nature found in Indigenous knowledge. You could even watch the garden live online!

A Constellation of Remediation (2017–2019)

This was a two-year public art project. Cease Wyss worked with artist Anne Riley. They planted special Indigenous gardens in empty lots across Vancouver. These gardens helped clean up the land. This process is called bioremediation.

They worked with city staff and the public. Their goal was to raise awareness about caring for the land. They also wanted to promote reconciliation.

Talking Poles (2009)

Talking Poles is a public art installation. It celebrates a community project led by Cease Wyss. Two tall poles, 4.2 meters high, were placed along a path in Surrey.

The poles were made by many people working together. They show words written in different languages spoken by the community. They are like the talking stick used in Indigenous traditions for sharing stories.

Books and Films

Cease Wyss has written and illustrated books. She has also been featured in films.

Writing

Her writing includes Journey to Kahoʻolawe. This book tells about healing sacred land on the Hawaiian island of Kahoʻolawe. It also explores the journeys of families to the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Illustration

She illustrated Squamish People of the Sunset Coast. This book shares the history and traditions of the Squamish people. It uses stories like "The Two Sisters" and "Mink and His Brother."

Films and Media

Cease Wyss has been part of several films and media projects:

Awards and Recognition

Cease Wyss has received many awards for her work:

• In 2010, she won the City of Vancouver Mayor's Arts Award for film and new media.
• In 2020, she was recognized as an artist by The National Gallery of Canada.
• In 2022, she received an honorary doctorate from Emily Carr University.
• In 2024, she received The Jack and Doris Shadbolt Foundation VIVA Award.

She was also the Indigenous Storyteller in Residence at the Vancouver Public Library in 2018. In 2017, she was an artist-in-residence at Griffin Art Projects in North Vancouver.