Csetkwe Fortier

Csetkwe (she/her) is a multi-gifted artist with her roots in the Syilx (Okanagan) and Secwepmec (Shuswap) Nations. Holding the respect of being a sqwuy (mother to sons) stamiya (Two Spirit) and a Traditional Knowledge Keeper, she mainly works in ceremony, mental health, performance art, song/ poetry writing, painting and illustration. She is a graduate of the En’owkin Centre of Indigenous Art, receiving a National Aboriginal Professional Artists’ Training certificate and Nsyilxcn Language Program certificate. She honed her love for performance art during her time in the Full Circle Ensemble Program in Vancouver, BC. Csetkwe’s performances include those of a Singer/ Song Carrier, Spoken Word Poet as part of the k̓ʷem k̓ʷem słénsłénəy – Indigenous Drum Collective and as the former front woman in multimedia performance collective Skookum Sound System. As a visual artist, Csetkwe is grateful to contribute to the Kama Collective and Ullus Collective.  Csetkwe has work that is part of the permanent collections of UBCO’s Faculty of Management, First Peoples Cultural Council, as well as Peachland Visitors Centre.  Some of Csetkwe’s notable performances, exhibits and presentations include: 2018 Juno Performance with Arcade Fire, EvenTide Night of The Matriarch-Victoria BC, DetermiNation-Castlegar ArtCatalyst Series: Indigenous Women In the Arts- Toronto, Ont., Centennial College- Toronto Ont., Big Medicine Studio- Nipissing, Ont., Sakewewak Storytellers Festival– Regina Sask., Movable Feast at the Mackenzie Art Gallery – Regina Sask., Grunt Gallery during S.W.A.R.M Art Crawl –Vancouver B.C, Adaka Festival- Whitehorse Yukon, Push Festival at Performance Works- Vancouver B.C, Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art – Kelowna B.C, Royal BC Museum -Victoria BC, VIMAF (Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival) among others.

Praveen is a member of the Vancouver Chapter of EO since 1996, Toniic, TiE Vancouver (Founding Director) & Silicon Valley Blockchain Society – Vancouver Chapter (Founding Director).  He’s also on a number of non-profit boards such as the Varshney Family Foundation, Dalai Lama Center for Peace + Education & a Founding Member of Instruments Beyond Borders.  He’s also an SVP Vancouver Partner, a Director of Foundations for Change, and on the Advisory Boards of Room to Read Vancouver and The Thomas Edison Innovation Foundation in New Jersey.  He also Co-Founded with his daughter, Jaiya, Down to the Last Straw, a global movement to reduce plastic waste with a major focus on single-use plastic straws.

Praveen is also a past recipient of Business in Vancouver’s 40 Under 40 Awards and the 2020 Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Wendy McDonald Diversity Awards Outstanding Mentor recipient.