Adam Gauthier
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Adam Gauthier
Youth – First Nation (2024)
Tla’amin Nation, BC
“As a First Nations person and professional, it is important to supply the carving tools to promote Indigenous children, youth, and family’s self-determination to create what works for them. We lock arms for our relations to show we stand by to safeguard and support them.”
Indigenous wellness has always been at the heart of Adam Gauthier’s life – and now he’s making it his life’s work. Raised in the Tla’amin Nation community, he knew that being a part of child, youth, and family work was his passion.
As a Two-Spirit youth, Adam is rooted in intergenerational knowledge and immersed in teachings about traditional language, humility, listening, respect, and cultural competencies. He completed Camosun College’s Indigenous Family Support and Community, Family & Child Studies programs while simultaneously working with Indigenous families at organizations such as the M’akola Group of Societies, the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, and Surrounded by Cedar Child & Family Services. Following this, Adam went on to complete his Bachelor of Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria.
Among Adam’s numerous accolades are the First Citizens Award, the Irving K. Barber Award, the Chief Joe Mathias Aboriginal Scholarship Award, and was a Provincial Premier’s Awards Finalist in 2019. He was also part of the under-14 soccer team which won gold at the North American Indigenous Games in Cowichan 2008.
One of Adam’s major endeavours is the Wellness Project, an initiative that creates Wellness Kits for on-reserve and urban Indigenous children and youth across Vancouver Island. He began this project to share the gift of self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic; each kit contained customary necessities such as water bottles and medicines as well as art supplies, games, language cards, and cooking recipes. They were created by youth with support from Adam at the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), where he served as the Child & Youth Care Coordinator on the Mental Health & Wellness Team. The project was covered by media such as APTN, the Toronto Star, Yahoo! News, and others.
Adam now works at the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation as a trainer. In all his work, he always strives to advocate for voice and choice, access to equal and adequate resources, and culturally safe services.
