Celebrate the beauty of west coast wildlife, rivers, oceans, and forests by visiting Joanna Recalma’s photography exhibit that aims to carry you down the generous and stunning Big Qualicum River. Wak’anala gan tsadaka runs from September 18th, 2026 to October 4th, 2026 at the Qualicum Beach Library. Born in Pentl’atch territory and raised on the Qualicum First Nation where she now resides, she returns to the river that runs over her within her art. Since she was a child, Joanna has been carried away by the Big Qualicum. She is Pentl’atch, ’Namgis (Kwakwaka’wakw), Icelandic, Haida and Chilean. Recalma’s art explores themes within the stories from her childhood. These legends offer different ways to think about animals across space and time. During the Tła’sala, or Peace Dances, a dancer’s movements shake eagle down out from the headdresses and the feathers float to the Bighouse floor, symbolizing peace after conflict; Recalma’s art represents her daily peace after her work day as a policy lawyer for the British Columbia First Nations Justice Council.
