Paul C’IYOKTEN Wagner is a member of Saanich First Nations and has been speaking out on social environmental issues for much of his life. He is a strong advocate for ancient ways and the teachings of the Circle of Life, as well as strengthening the voices of the Elder Women to guide our societies into the future.

In 2013, C’IYOKTEN supported and spoke at the Idle No More rallies in Seattle, bringing awareness for needed change. In December 2015, he was honored to speak alongside Jill Stein and Deborah Parker at the Cop21 Climate Talks in Paris with the Salmon is Life Coalition. After participating in the Seattle to Standing Rock Canoe Journey in Late August 2016, he started the campaign Winter Shelter For Standing Rock where he and volunteers built “Tarpees” (teepee-like winter shelters) for Indigenous Water Protector families (with elders). To date, 56 of these 12 person arctic shelters with custom wood stove heaters have been gifted to various points of resistance in Canada and the US; and are still being gifted today.

After returning to Seattle, C’IYOKTEN formed Protectors of the Salish Sea, an Indigenous led organization dedicated to direct divestment actions and ending fossil fuel use in the Salish Sea. The Protector’s latest campaign was to gift a Coast Salish canoe to every nation in the Salish Sea, creating a Water Protector Tribal Youth Canoe Alliance where tribal youth will help build their own family canoes.

C’IYOKTEN has organized numerous walks and rallies and co-authored the Tokitae/Salish Sea Whale Sanctuary Proclamation, which has begun the process of recognizing the Salish Sea as Salish Sea Whale Sanctuary to save wild salmon and orcas from extinction. A main focus is working to return the L-Pod orca Tokitae, AKA Lolita, to the Salish Sea, releasing her from 48 years of slavery at Miami SeaAquarium.