Crystal AJ Smith is Haisla, Ts’ymsen and was adopted into the Heiltsuk nation. She is the proud mother of 4 beautiful children who are her world. She is a writer, poet, playwright and activist. She and her partner Raymond Shaw live in Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ territory. She has her Master’s in Educational Administration and Leadership with a focus on Indigenous Leadership from UBC. She has stepped away from teaching in the colonial classroom to give her undivided attention to her children. She is actively learning and growing in culture and language, her family had their first feast in decades in 2022 for the hiłagwila of their son λugʷaləs K’ala’ask Shaw. She is now embarking on a journey to learn and understand her Haisla roots and has been learning Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ culture since 2020.