ABOUT TSARTLIP FIRST NATION

The Tsartlip Band’s Leadership consists of elected members of the community that make up the Chief and Council.

Elections are currently held every four years, with the most recent election having been held in December 2021. The Current leadership are:

Chief: Don Tom

Council:

• Lawrence Bartleman
• Jeanine Cooper
• Gord Elliott
• Verna Ellsworth
• Howard Morris
• Curtis Olsen
• Joe Seward
• Simon Smith Jr.
• Phillip Tom

The W̱SÁNEĆ People are Salt Water People. The Sea was very important to our way of life. Traditionally the W̱SÁNEĆ People had homes throughout the San Juan Islands and on the east and north coasts of the Saanich Peninsula.

Our land went east through the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands and northeast across Georgia Strait to Boundary Bay. Our territory included the Saanich Inlet and deep into the forest lands on its west side. On the Saanich Peninsula itself, our land went south as far as PKOLS (Mount Douglas), and from there across to W̱QENNELEȽ (Mt. Finlayson) and SELE₭TEȽ (Goldstream).

W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich Peninsula) was the headquarters because this is where the W̱SÁNEĆ People built their permanent winter homes.