PAUL CHIYOKTEN WAGNER

He/Him

Saanich First Nations wisdom keeper and advocate

Founder of Protectors of the Salish Sea

Nationally recognized Native American Flutist

Paul Chiyoken Wagner is a member of WSANIC’ (Saanich) First Nations and has been speaking out on social and environmental issues since he was a boy at City hall meetings working to keep toxic fluoride out of drinking water. A Coast Salish Storyteller and award-winning Native American flutist he is a strong advocate of ancient ways and teachings of the circle of life as well as the return of our elder women to guide our societies into life.

In 2013 Chiyokten assisted with Idle No More rallies and actions here in Seattle as well as speaking at them. In 2015 he was honored to speak alongside Jill Stein 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 88 of these 8-12 person arctic shelters with custom wood stove heaters have been built for occupations and gifted to various points of resistance in the US and abroad and are still being gifted today.

After returning to Seattle Chiyokten formed Protectors of the Salish Sea, an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to ending the era of fossil fuel in our Salish Sea and beyond through direct divestment actions. Protectors of the Salish Sea has worked with numerous climate justice organizations, they helped occupy 2nd Avenue (in downtown Seattle) with 4 Tarpees to shut down Chase Bank. Protectors have occupied the Capitol 3 times. 3 years ago POSS occupied Olympia State Capitol with 4 Tarpees for 4 days and in September 2019 walked 46 miles and occupied the Olympia state capitol demanding that Gov. Jay Inslee Declare Climate Emergency honor the treaties by halting all fossil fuel expansion projects and occupied again on March 10th, 2020.

Chiyokten has organized numerous Salish Sea Prayer walks and rallies, and co-authored the Tokitae/ Salish Sea Whale Sanctuary Proclamation which has begun the process of recognizing our Salish Sea as Salish Sea Whale Sanctuary to save our Wild Salmon and Orcas from extinction.