Tawx’sin Yexwulla Aaron Nelson-Moody

Artist, educator, and traditional storyteller Aaron Nelson-Moody/Tawx’sin Yexwulla is a member of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh First Nation who lives and works in Capilano Village on the North Shore of Vancouver.  His practice engages Coast Salish cultural revival through knowledge sharing and traditions of intercultural connection. Nelson-Moody has spent several decades working in regional schools and with local community groups on projects that engage Indigenous representation and visual sovereignty. He currently works as an Instructor in the Department of Fine Arts at Langara College where he teaches Indigenous woodcarving and principles of public art.

Nelson-Moody’s Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nation name, Tawx’sin Yexwulla, means “Splashing Eagle.” According to stories, he was given the name after a canoe trip down the BC coast from Bella Bella, where his unique paddling style frequently soaked the paddlers sitting just behind him. The nickname stuck, and to this day most people call him “Splash.”