ɬíɬəl ʔa kʷs ƛ̓kʷəxnəq Skʷukʷəlstəŋəƛ̓ | SIÁMĆEȽ | UVic 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards
March 25, 2026
The UVic Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of University of Victoria graduates in three distinct categories:
- Indigenous Community Alumni Awards: Recognizing contributions that improve outcomes for Indigenous people and support Truth and Reconciliation.
- Presidents’ Alumni Awards: Honouring significant lifetime achievements that have gained national or international recognition.
- Emerging Alumni Awards: Celebrating professional excellence and community service among recent graduates who have finished their studies within the last 10 years.
Our Children Our Way congratulates Yataltenat (Kelley McReynolds) and Sqwulutsultun (William) Yoachim on receiving the University of Victoria’s 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award in the category of Indigenous Community Alumni Awards.
Yataltenat (Kelley McReynolds)
Executive Director of Ayás Méńmen Child & Family Services, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Territory and Our Children Our Way Board member. Yataltenat Kelley McReynolds believes leadership is about responsibility: to family, to community, to Ancestors and to future generations. Read more here
Sqwulutsultun (William) Yoachim
Executive Director of Kw’umut Lelum Child and Family Services, Snuneymuxw Territory aka Nanaimo (and former Our Children Our Way Board member). Sqwulutsultun (William) Yoachim has spent his career quietly reshaping what child and family wellness can look like when it is rooted in culture, compassion and community accountability. Read more here
Our Children Our Way also extends its congratulations to Patricia Barkaskas, one of the distinguished recipients of the 2026 Indigenous Community Alumni Awards from the University of Victoria.
As a Métis scholar and leader, Patricia’s work focuses on vital themes such as:
- Reimagining justice through community and Indigenous law.
- Moving from learning to action by transforming legal education and practice.
- Disrupting colonial legal frameworks through Indigenous pedagogies.
Read more here.