M’akola’s Board of Directors consists of Indigenous representatives who hold the holistic vision that improves living conditions for Indigenous people while encouraging and reinforcing traditional practices and cultural beliefs.
Bruce Parisian
President
Joined the board in 1997
Bruce has been member of the Board of Directors since the early 1990s. He has played an influential role in the society and throughout his time on the Board he has accepted many roles including President, Vice President and Treasurer.
“When I joined the Board, M’akola was a much smaller operation. We were still in the building stage, but now we’ve seen huge growth,” Bruce said. “We’ve moved beyond the boundary of the Island, it’s impressive. We started in Victoria and slowly moved up the Island. Now we have homes in Terrace and Prince Rupert.”
Bruce is passionate about serving urban Indigenous people and cites more than 60 per cent of Indigenous people live off-reserve. The majority of family members M’akola serves are people living off-reserve.
“Here at M’akola we meet the needs of Indigenous people. We’ve been gaining the resources to support our communities and now even with 1,600 homes we still have wait lists.”
Through the growth M’akola continues to build and provide quality affordable housing including its latest housing project and Administration and Development offices at 550 Goldstream Avenue.
“We need to be really proud of this space and this office we’ve created,” Bruce said emphasizing the executive leadership from the CEO and a strong Board of Directors plays a crucial role in the success of the society.
Bruce is Cree from Saskatchewan.
David Seymour
Vice President
Joined the board in 1984
David has been on the M’akola Board of Directors since its original incorporation in 1984. David serves as the Vice President and spends his days working with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.
Roger Kishi
Treasurer
Joined the board in 2010
Roger Kishi has been on the board of directors since 2010 and his presence on the Board is a perfect pairing with his passion for affordable housing that was sparked in 1998 when he was appointed to a housing taskforce for the City of North Vancouver. He also spent two terms on a social planning advisory committee in North Vancouver.
“It’s really important to provide First Nations access to affordable and appropriate housing,” Roger said. “It’s a very important issue that needs to be delivered. There is an increasing need.”
Roger is the Coordinator- Homeless and Housing Programs at the Wachiay Friendship Center in Courtenay and was a municipal councillor of the Village of Cumberland from 2011 to 2018. Roger is also a member of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association’s (AHMA) Nə́c̓aʔmat Leləm̓ Committee. (Good Governance Committee).
Richard George
Secretary
Joined the board in 2023
Richard is a member of the Ahousaht Tribe. Since February 2023, he currently serves as Director, Health Benefits External Relations, Health Benefits & Services for First Nations Health Authority (FNHA).
Between 2019 and February 2023 he was Manager Geomatics, Allocation, Audit & Policy, Community Infrastructure Directorate for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) BC Region. He was as a Senior Capital Advisor, Community Infrastructure Directorate for ISC BC Region between February 2017 and September 2019. Prior to 2017 and since 2002, he has served as a Funding Services Officer.
Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the Simon Fraser University and a Financial Management diploma from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
Prior to joining ISC in 2002, Richard spent 19 years working in the financial industry and economic development with Native organizations that include, Western Indian Agricultural Corporation, Western Indian Agricultural Producers Association and First Nations Agricultural Lending Association (formerly Western Indian Lending Association) and as Manager, Aboriginal Banking with BMO Financial Group and TD Bank Group. He has acquired experience in advising various First Nation client groups on developing and maintaining a wide variety of financial services, products that maximize their banking relationships and improved access to capital markets.
Richard is currently Treasurer/Secretary and board member of the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society and board member for Makola Housing Society and Makola Developments Society. He previously served as President and board member of the Vancouver Native Housing Society and Kitsotkwa Le’ Lum’ Housing Society for 20 years.
He previously served as an executive member of the Committee for the Advancement of Native Employment (CANE) in ISC – BC Region. CANE examined, explored and recommended ways to increase the number of Indigenous staff employed within ISC, and sought ways to retain these employees and improve the quality of their employment. To this end, CANE worked co-operatively with senior management, the National CANE and other levels of the Department to recommend and facilitate changes to the Indigenous employment policies and programs within the Department and to address concerns raised by Indigenous employees. CANE promoted the four cornerstones of employment for its members: recruitment, training, retention and advancement.
Nella Nelson
Director
Joined the board in 1986
Nella Nelson (Tlapalasugw’lakw) is originally from the N’amgis Nation of Alert Bay and lived her childhood and teen years there, working in the commercial fishing industry with her father. She has ancestral roots from the T’sakis, K’omoks and the Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw Nations. She is a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Alex and Nella have been married for 48 years and have shared their hearts and home with 34 of their nieces and nephews from their home communities.
Nella worked for the Greater Victoria School District for 40 years and recently retired in 2018. She was a high school history teacher and counselor for 10 years and then the District Administrator for the Aboriginal Nations Education Division for 29 years, a position she held until her retirement.
Nella is a very active member in the overall community, she continues to serve as Chair of the Camosun College Indigenous Advisory Council and UVIC Faculty of Education Indigenous Education Council. She is also a board member of the M’akola Housing Societies and the M’akola Development Corporation. Nella has completed terms with the BC Children’s Commission, BC Human Rights Advisory, Greater Victoria Police Diversity Committee, Surrounded by Cedar Child and Family Services and Hulitan Family and Community Services Society, Provincial Representative for Youth Special Needs Advisory Council, and Success by Six Provincial Board.
Nella is currently a facilitator with the Arrive and Roundtable Consulting team involved in a range of cross cultural learning initiatives.
Nella has been acknowledged with the Queen’s 125 Commemorative Medal for Community Service, YM/YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Education, Training and Development, the Camosun College and the University of Victoria Distinguished Alumni Awards, and the Diversity Award from the Representative For Children and Youth.
Nella’s passion has also been to work to ensure that there are housing options for our Indigenous people in both urban and rural settings, we work through M’akola Housing to create a sense of place and belonging for our people in a variety of settings. Nella has been with the M’akola Board of Directors since 1986.
Cyndi Stevens
Director
Joined the board in 1996
Cyndi is of Nuu-chah-nulth ancestry from the Ahousaht First Nation and has lived, worked, and played on the c̓išaaʔatḥ Tseshaht and Hupač̓asatḥ territory most of her life. She has been a committed member of the M’akola Group of Societies Board of Directors for almost 30 years. She was appointed in 1994 through her position as Executive Director at the Port Alberni Friendship Center where she has worked and volunteered since 1978.
Over the last 30 years, she has had many opportunities to serve on Provincial and National Boards, some of which have included the Native Court workers Association of BC; Community Native Law Association of BC; BCAAFC Provincial Board, National Association Friendship Centres; Pro-Bono Law of BC, as well as several local and regional committees and boards.
Cyndi shares she is guided by the knowledge she has gained from the teachings of elders, leaders and community which has taught her the value of living with integrity, speaking with honesty, and mutual “?iisaak” – Respect…
Our Elders Teach us, “Hišukʔis c̓awaak” – ‘Everything is one and all is connected’. What I have come to recognize is, “we are all individually responsible for the future of our children and grand children and so on… It is the efforts we make today to create a path where we can journey together that will provide the gift of life to the future of our people. So, even though there are many whose eyes are still closed, we can make the difference by sharing the message of hope & truth, and one day their eyes will be open.”
Debbie Williams
Director
Joined the board in 1996
Debbie was first introduced to M’akola in the 1990s when Duncan, BC was selected as the first outreach community for M’akola’s growth. Shortly after the introduction M’akola built its first housing project in Duncan on Trunk Street.
“What drew me in was M’akola was building homes and not just houses,” said Debbie explaining common rooms and playgrounds at M’akola sites helped build communities.
The growth of M’akola brings pride to Debbie who has seen M’akola provide more than 100 homes to people in Duncan and 1,600 homes across the Province of BC. “We are here for the 5,000 family members who live in our housing,” Debbie said.
The growth of M’akola and the focus on both development and human resources are important aspects of M’akola’s strong future.
The vast strides M’akola has made, leaves Debbie in awe as she remembers watching M’akola Board members jump up and down in celebration of landing funding for its first project, Caledonia Avenue, in the early 1980s.
Debbie’s traditional name is Latethia. She is a member of Cowichan Tribes, born and raised in Somena Village.
Kolette Cristante
Director
Joined the board in 1997
Since its inception M’akola has always been a part of Kolette Cristante’s life. The long-time board member once spent her summers working in Victoria as a M’akola maintenance worker starting in 1986. She moved up to work in other front-line positions including office assistant and then a Tenant Relations Manager in Duncan. Her mother Judy Bourne was the first executive director of M’akola. Kolette is Cree, Métis and Anishinaabe from her mom’s side, and English/Canadian from her dad.
After graduating from University of Victoria Kolette left M’akola to pursue her passion of teaching. Kolette has taught in a variety positions in School District 61 including Aboriginal Education for 20 years. She has been teaching for 30 years. Some of her roles within the district include member of the Indigenous Education Committee, member of the Indigenous Mentorship Program and member of the Indigenous Ad Hoc Committee. Not long after becoming a teacher she joined the M’akola Group of Societies Board and has been a member for over 20 years. She has also been on the Hulitan Child and Family Services Board for over 15 years.
“As a child I have been blessed to grow up on the beautiful lands of the Lekwungen speaking people of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. I have fantastic memories of playing on the beaches and visiting the inner harbour, climbing mountains and hiking through fields, only to later realize that as a settler to these lands that I have been calling home, these are the original camps, harvesting grounds, hunting and fishing grounds of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. I raise my hands and give thanks to them for their generosity, their stewardship, their connection to all relations, and their resilience. While working at Esquimalt High School I was further blessed by working with families of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. Again, I raise my hands to them for teaching me and welcoming me into their community. My journey as an Indigenous person has been enriched by the children and families of these Nations, who have shared with me and taught me many lessons. Hay’sxw’qa si’em! For the last thirty years, I have lived and raised my family on the bountiful lands of the W̱SÁNEĆ People. I raise my hands to them and say thanks to them for sharing their traditional territory. Their wisdom and understanding of being connected to the land and water and all of creation does not goes unnoticed. HÍSW̱ḴE SIÁM.”
– Kolette Cristante
Grace Elliott-Nielsen
Director
Joined the board in 2004
Grace initially joined the M’akola Board of Directors shortly after its incorporation in 1984. She welcomed the idea of providing housing for Indigenous families. In the late 1970s she recalls seeing apartment buildings with signs stating, “Indians Not Welcome”. She fought hard to have the sign removed and for First Nations rights.
“I think M’akola has been a tremendous success. Our housing has helped out students who are finishing their education, single parents and young families,” Grace said. “We are giving families a proper place to live and over the years we’ve expanded in a positive way.”
Grace is proud of M’akola’s ability to meet the needs of Indigenous Families and its ability to be a professional housing provider while remaining culturally sensitive. “We must always remember that low-cost housing for our people continue to be important”.
“M’akola is a part of cultural events, National Indigenous People’s Day and community events like the Back to School Picnics,” said Grace. “We recognize the importance of being in our communities while always remembering the importance of why it was created in the first place.”
Grace is a member of the Stz’uminus First Nation.
Bruce Underwood
Director
Joined the board in 2006
Bruce has been a member of the Board of Directors for a number of years, he joined the board in 2007. “We are definitely growing for the better and the communities we serve value the opportunity of affordable housing.”
Bruce has seen overcrowded homes on reserve and says it is a major reason why family members often move to urban centres. “Overcrowding forces our members to move off reserve and it can be a lack of education or income that limits them. M’akola is seen as a provider of opportunity to these families,” he said. “It’s nice to see our children have a safe place to live.”
Bruce’s proudest moment at M’akola is when it opened it’s first assisted living building in Langford and equally proud when it opened its second assisted living project on the reserve of Cowichan Tribes.
“M’akola is working with First Nations and this is important, it shows that we are working with the same vision and towards the common goal,” Bruce said.
The cultural element M’akola bring to the table is a success Bruce appreciates. “It’s part of our governance, we respect all the cultures of Vancouver Island and BC. We have an elder at the table to ground our discussions and our thoughts.”
Bruce is a member of Tsawout First Nation.
Carl Mashon
Director
Joined the board in 2006
Carl has witnessed many housing projects start as ideas and come to fruition. Some of M’akola’s successes that Carl boasts about include the first assisted living site in Duncan on Cowichan First Nation’s Traditional Territory Ts’I’ts’uwatul Lelum and now the latest project 550 Goldstream Avenue with head offices of the society and 36-affordable family units.
“M’akola is creating partnerships to make new housing available. We are planning what the future of affordable housing looks like,” he explained.
Carl is proud to see the innovation come out of M’akola while preparing for the expiration of federal operating agreements and for M’akola
Carl currently serves as the Treasurer for the M’akola Group of Societies. He has been involved in Indigenous organizations for more than 20 years. Carl has a deep understanding of the scale and diversity of needs of Indigenous families, especially those that are more specific to urban communities.
He is of Cree ancestry from the Saddle Lake First Nation in Alberta and brings a wide range of professional and life experience to the Board. Carl is always grateful for his guest status, living, working and playing on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen Peoples.
George Cook
M’akola Housing Society would like to Honour:
George Cook (Sunrise: July 17, 1927 – Sunset: October 27, 2022) was the first and only Elder Advisor to be appointed to the M’akola Board of Directors. George shared his words of wisdom, his knowledge and experience with M’akola for over 30 years and we will forever be grateful. This world has lost a great warrior, and leader and so many are humbled as George has paved such a courageous path to follow. Read more about Tłatłatlawis (George Cook)
Judy Bourne
M’akola Housing Society would like to Honour:
Judy Jerome Bourne was born on Valentine’s Day, 1940, in Saskatchewan of Cree ancestry. She was a devoted wife and mother of six children. Judy was well-known for her athletic and coaching abilities, particularly as a volleyball coach of national and international recognition. She was an outstanding educator and taught for many years in a variety of subjects and grade levels. From 1984 – 1989 she was the Executive Director of M’akola Housing Society and under her guidance the Society became a model for many housing projects across Canada. Judy died on December 30, 1989 in Victoria.
