Hello VMS members,

Our next meeting will be held exclusively online, with no in-person option at VanDusen this time, and will feature a special talk by Jared “Qwustenuxun” Williams.

Join Qwustenuxun, from the Quw’utsun Nation on southern Vancouver Island, for an evening of learning about the deep relationships Indigenous peoples have with mushrooms and the cultural protocols that guide how we harvest them. Together we’ll explore how mushrooms have been part of our food, medicine, and teachings, and how these practices remind us to approach the land with respect, reciprocity, and care. This talk invites us to reflect on our own foraging, and how we can walk in better relationship with the fungi and the living world around us.

Jared “Qwustenuxun” Williams is a Hul’q’umi’num language speaker, Indigenous chef, Salish culture educator, and consultant from Quw’utsun. Raised in Salish culture by his father and late grandmother, he carries forward teachings of traditional harvesting, Indigenous foods, and community history. After a decade in western kitchens, Qwustenuxun returned home to cook for Cowichan Elders and deepen his knowledge of Indigenous foodways.

Today, he shares those teachings widely from Cooking in Two Worlds with FeedBC to a TEDx talk, national food sovereignty projects, and his role as Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Council to BC’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Whether presenting at the UN World Food Forum or paddling the Salish Sea with his sons, Qwustenuxun’s work is grounded in humility, self-determination, and the relationships that keep culture alive.

Topic: December Virtual Meeting
Time: Dec 10, 2025 07:30 PM Vancouver
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85272250725?pwd=sQGpG2jjVsDjf6vaiYpM5ajS9YM11K.1

Meeting ID: 852 7225 0725
Passcode: 364446

Love the talk? Your VMS membership allows you to access an archive of several past talks on our website for your marathoning pleasure.