Tiffin Talk: We Carry Her Name

Presented as part of Indian Summer Festival’s Tiffin Talks series

In the quiet echoes of our hearts and the rhythm of our steps, we carry her—our grandmothers, aunties, mothers, and unnamed matriarchs whose wisdom lives within our breath. 

This gathering is a reflection and offering: a space woven by and for Indigenous, Black, South Asian, and gender-expansive people to honor the ancestral lineages that birthed us, carried us, and continue to walk with us. 

Facilitated by moderator Suvi Bains, Associate Curator at Surrey Art Gallery and an advocate for cultural inclusivity and representation, the conversation will weave together intergenerational memory, creative expression, and community healing. 

Joining her are two incredible artists:

Justine Redila is a multidisciplinary artist and facilitator whose work—deeply inspired by her Filipina grandmothers, one of the first 10 nurses from the Philippines to work in Vancouver—centers creative expression, environmental stewardship, and community connection through inclusive, cross-cultural spaces rooted in art, storytelling, and intergenerational connection.

Linsay Willier Kendall, Nehiyo (Cree) and Hungarian from Sucker Creek First Nation, is a trained actor, athlete, and proud mother who transformed her national platform as a finalist on Canada’s Next Top Model into a decade-long career empowering Indigenous youth through self-esteem workshops, community visits, and culturally grounded mentorship.

Together, they invite us to reflect on what has been passed down—through stories, songs, rituals, resilience—and what it means to care for those who came before us by nurturing ourselves and one another. 

In this moment of global unrest, disconnection, and resurgence, we gather to understand how to keep generational knowledge alive—how to hold oral histories close and ensure they live on through us. We ask: What empowers us now? How do we rise, rooted? How can we hold space for grief and joy, survival and celebration, memory and imagination?

In a world that too often forgets or fractures us—we choose remembrance and restoration.

After the talk, we will share a warm, nourishing meal served in Indian-style tiffins. Gathered inside the outdoor, covered, Ocean Artworks Pavilion, we reflect, connect, and carry forward the wisdom we’ve inherited.

 

🎟 Ticket Pricing

General Admission – $49 - includes a full tiffin lunch (excluding fees & taxes)

Please note: Prices displayed on the ticketing page include Showpass fees. Applicable taxes will be added at checkout.

 

Festival Supporting Partner: Granville Island

 

Access Information:

Ocean Artworks is an outdoor, covered pavilion at street level, with no ramps or steps to enter. There are no bathrooms onsite.

 

For more comprehensive accessibility information see: Ocean Artworks Accessibility Page