How We Live
“Our people lived as a part of everything. We were so much a part of nature, we were just like the birds, the animals, the fish. We were like the mountains. Our people lived that way. We knew there was an intelligence, a strength, a power, far beyond ourselves. We knew that everything here didn’t just happen by accident. We believed there was a reason for it being here. There was a force, a strength, a power somewhere that was responsible for it. That is the way our people lived. They lived according to that belief, according to that knowledge. The universe lies before you…”
DAVID ELLIOTT SR. (SALTWATER PEOPLE, SCHOOL DISTRICT 63 (SAANICH, 1990)
Our Mission
To offer Indigenous harm reduction, housing supports and wellness services to Indigenous peoples who are unhoused, precariously housed and who may be using substances.
Our Vision
QomQem Coastal Connections envisions a strong urban Indigenous community that includes people who are unhoused, precariously housed and who may be using substances. We work to support our relatives and friends to reconnect to their teachings and culture. By offering Indigenous harm reduction and culturally safe health care, and by building relationships with one another, we hope to contribute to the community that we walk alongside.