Elder: A Path of Balance - Dani Pigeau
Welcome to episode 2 with my friend and indigenous culture keeper, Dani. I didn't really begin thinking out loud about eldership until Dani approached me 3 years ago to be on her podcast, which was part of a research project.There are very few cultures to which we have access in the global north that still have a robust role for elders. Dani belongs to one of them and her perspective is steeped in culture which is a gift to all of us.Danielle (Dani) Pigeau is a Stólō woman whose traditional name is Seesamya (Bumblebee). She was later gifted the feast name Humhotsi, meaning Beehive, by her adopted Kitlope Kemano family through Momma Bear Wilson, with the support of Johnny Wilson. Her names reflect a lifelong commitment to community, relationship, and service.Dani's journey began in the arts as a professional makeup artist with the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company. During her years in theatre, she found more than a career—she found an artistic family who nurtured her spirit through storytelling, paint, music, and creativity. Those early experiences shaped her understanding that art has the power to heal, teach, and connect people.She later returned to the ancient rainforest of the Kitlope, close to where she had grown up in Terrace b.c. There she was embraced by the Wilson family, who became her cultural teachers and family. Through their guidance, Dani immersed herself in Indigenous ways of knowing, learning traditional songs, dances, plant knowledge, ceremony, and cultural responsibilities. These teachings became the foundation of her life's work.As her knowledge deepened, Dani was honoured to share these teachings with others. She taught through Haisla Rediscovery camps and worked alongside Indigenous youth and adults, helping people reconnect with their own cultural identities, histories, and traditions. Her work has always been guided by the belief that cultural knowledge is a pathway to wellness, belonging, and responsibility.Inspired to continue serving young people, Dani entered the Professional Development Program in Elementary Education at Simon Fraser University. After graduating in 2005, she began teaching with Coast Mountains School District 82 on a series of contracts before receiving a permanent teaching position in 2010. Throughout her career as an educator, she brought Indigenous perspectives, relationship-based learning, creativity, and cultural understanding into the classroom, believing that every child deserves to be seen, valued, and supported.In 2020, after years of experiencing discrimination in her workplace, Dani filed a human rights complaint with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. Her case has now been ongoing for more than six years. While the process has been long and challenging, she has remained committed to advocating not only for herself but also for broader understanding of Indigenous cultural rights, accessibility, and fairness within public institutions. She continues to self-represent in pursuit of both accountability and meaningful change.Today, Dani is on leave from teaching while supporting her son Estin and her mother through cancer treatment in the beautiful Cowichan Valley, the traditional territory of the Cowichan Peoples. During this time, she continues to contribute to projects that promote wellness, cultural understanding, reconciliation, and shared responsibility.Whether through art, education, ceremony, or advocacy, Dani's life's work has always centred on helping people reconnect—with themselves, with one another, and with the responsibilities we all carry toward community and the land. She considers it a privilege to be part of initiatives that foster healing, understanding, and a more compassionate future.
