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Billy Assu (Kwakwaka'wakw) became Chief of the Cape Mudge (now We Wai Kai) First Nation in 1891 when he was 24 years old. He built the first modern house in the village in 1894 and during the 1920s organized the replacement of all the traditional longhouses with modern housing. He was a fisher for most of his life, and bought the first gas fish boat at Cape Mudge. During the Depression, he helped to create the Pacific Coast Native Fishermen's Association, which later merged with the Native Brotherhood of BC. His son, Harry Assu, succeeded him as the first elected Chief of the Cape Mudge band (1954-70).

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is the result of a call by Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke in January 1989 for Asian-Pacific economies to consult on how they could effectively cooperate and increase trade and investment flows in the Asia-Pacific. Australia’s motive was to create an Asia-Pacific economic identity, of which it would be an integral part. Japan endorsed the Australian proposal and became the second driving force in the creation of APEC. The first APEC meeting of trade and foreign ministers took place in Canberra in November of 1989 (with twelve attendees: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and the U.S.).
A summit or Leaders’ Meeting has become an annual event since President Clinton invited leaders to Blake Island in 1993. The first APEC Leaders’ Meeting was held in Seattle in November 1993. This first Leaders’ Meeting of economies represented half the world’s population and 56% of its GNP. A year later all APEC leaders met at Bogor, Indonesia, and at that meeting the Leaders resolved to move to free trade and investment by 2010 for industrialized member economies, and by 2020 for developing member economies. The 1995 meetings were in Osaka, Japan where the Osaka Action Agenda was agreed to, setting out a template for future APEC work towards common goals. The Philippines convened the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in 1996 at Subic Bay. The Leaders’ Meeting was held in Vancouver, Canada in 1997 at the Museum of Anthropology on the University of British Columbia campus.
The following 21 countries are members of APEC as of 2022: Australia, Brunei, Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam.
APEC has three standing committees, one steering committee, and a few other forums that report to the Senior Officials Meeting. The three committees are the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI), the Economic Committee (EC), the Budget and Management Committee (BMC). The Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) Steering Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (SCE) has 14 working groups: Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG), Anti-Corruption and Transparency Experts’ Working Group (ACWG)
Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG), Energy Working Group (EWG), Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT), Health Working Group (HWG), Human Resource Development Working Group (HRDWG), Oceans and Fisheries Working Group (OFWG), Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI), Policy Partnership for Women and the Economy (PPWE), Small and Medium Enterprises Working Group (SMEWG), Telecommunications and Information Working Group (TELWG), Tourism Working Group (TWG), and Transportation Working Group (TPTWG). The CTI deals with trade and investment liberalization and business facilitation concerns. The role of the EC continues to evolve. It is primarily responsible for providing the Senior Officials Meeting with information and analysis on broad, crosscutting issues which are not easily handled by one of the working groups.

Chief Bill Cranmer (T̓łaḵwagila) is the son of Dan Cranmer, who hosted the 1921 potlatch now often referred to as the "Cranmer Potlatch" and the brother of Kwakwaka'wakw carver, artist, and 'Namgis Chief, Doug Cranmer (1927-2006), and activist, curator, and writer Gloria Cranmer Webster (1931-).

Chief Bill Cranmer has been a strong and vital voice for the sustainment of the ‘Namgis First Nation language and culture. He led the repatriation of cultural objects including masks, bentwood boxes, and regalia that were confiscated under duress in 1921 after a Kwakwaka’wakw potlatch held in the village of ‘Mimkwamlis on Village Island, BC. The confiscation was sanctioned through Canada’s “Anti Potlatch Law” which existed between 1884-1951. Twenty community members were sent to be imprisoned at the other end of the province because of practicing their traditions. A fluent speaker of Kwak’wala, Bill worked tirelessly to retrieve the appropriated pieces and raise awareness about the need to preserve and maintain language, history, and culture. The repatriation of some of the 750 confiscated items has had a significant positive impact on the community. He has travelled to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere to share the story, and present on behalf of the Assembly of First Nations and the First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation.

As Chief Councillor of the ‘Namgis First Nation, Bill negotiated economic treaties to develop businesses for his nation to prosper. Bill has spent numerous terms on the Executive Board of the Native Brotherhood of BC and has been an Elder/Cornerpost with the First Nations Health Authority, giving historical and cultural input into meetings. His efforts in the preservation of First Nations’ traditions have gone a very long way towards Reconciliation. In a speech at the 1980 opening of the U’mista Cultural Centre, which houses much of the reclaimed potlatch items, he said, “It’s important to know your past if you are going to fight for your future.” From: https://ltgov.bc.ca/t%CC%93la%E1%B8%B5wagila-chief-bill-cranmer/

On Monday, June 19, 2017, Bill Cranmer was presented with honours in Recognition of Outstanding Indigenous Leadership by David Johnston, Governor General of Canada. In June 2022, Chief Bill Cranmer was given a British Columbia Reconciliation Award.

Bill Holm was an American art historian, Kwak'wala language speaker, and author, focused on Indigenous Northwest Coast art. He created artworks, and taught Northwest Coast style, including form line design. Bill and his wife, Marty, had a close friendship with Mungo Martin and were well respected by the Kwakwaka'wakw, the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples and his family members were given Kwakwaka'wakw names. He was Professor Emeritus of Art History, and Curator Emeritus of Northwest Coast Indian Art at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, and occasionally lectured at the University of Washington in Seattle. Holm is recognized internationally as one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field of Northwest Coast Native art history.

Holm's 1965 book "Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form" has for decades been the standard introductory text in the field. The 18th printing, the 50th-anniversary edition, was published in 2014 with new commentary.

Dempsey Bob was born at Telegraph Creek on the Stikine River, in 1948. His mother was Flossie Carlick (Wolf); his father was Johnnie Bob (Raven). He began carving in 1970, and although he prefers wood, he also works in metals. Dempsey studied first with Freda Diesing and then at 'Ksan. Dempsey has focused on creating contemporary works that are classic Tlingit in style. His finely detailed carved wood masks translate into powerful bronze works. He went to Cara, Italy and studied with artisans working in bronze in the classic Italian tradition; this knowledge helped refine his style for bronze casting in which he is now an acknowledged master.

Doug Cranmer was born in Alert Bay, son of Chief Dan Cranmer and Agnes Hunt Cranmer. He set the standard of innovation for Kwakwaka'wakw art. His first formal instruction was in Victoria under Mungo Martin, in 1959. He worked with Bill Reid on UBC's Haida Village project c. 1959-62, and on the restoration of totem poles in Vancouver's Stanley Park. After completing the UBC project in 1962, Cranmer (with A.J. Scow and Dick Bird) founded a retail gallery, The Talking Stick. This was one of the few initiatives at the time through which First Nations art was marketed by First Nations people. Cranmer had totem pole commissions from around the world, and is considered an innovative master of flat design. His exhibitions include, Arts of the Raven, 1967, and the B.C. Pavillion at Expo '70, in Osaka Japan. His influence as a teacher was also significant, he taught at 'Ksan, the Vancouver Museum, and at Alert Bay, since 1977. He worked as an artist in residence at MOA in 1995. Doug was a hereditary chief of the 'Namgis band, and had also worked as a fisherman and a hand logger. He was an inspiration to his home community, contributing extensively to the construction of the U'mista Cultural Centre and the Bighouse at Alert Bay.

Doreen Jensen, also known as Hahl Yee, was born on May 13 1933 in Kispiox, just north of Hazelton, British Columbia. The name Hahl Yee belongs to the Killerwhale family crest from the House of Geel of the Fireweed Clan. Jensen attended the Gitanmaax School of Northwest Indian Design where she learned to carve under the guidance of Tony and Henry Hunt. Doreen Jensen was also known for her work promoting aboriginal artwork, teaching Gitxsan language classes, and helping to revitalize traditional practices. She was a respected cultural leader and historian. In 1983, she curated an exhibit at MOA entitled “Robes of Power” which emphasized the strength of traditional design and craftsmanship. The exhibited highlighted the importance of regalia to First Nation ceremonies and the key role that women played in producing robes. Jensen went on to teach Gitxsan language classes at UBC and traditional art practices such as drum making, cedar baskets and bead work at Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver. In 1993, Doreen Jensen was acknowledged by the Vancouver YMCA and was rewarded with the “Woman of Distinction” award. She also received the Golden Eagle Feather from the Professional Native Women’s Association and has been honoured with a name given to her by James Sewid and family at one of their potlatches. In 2008, she was also nominated for the BC Governor General Award in recognition of her passion for culture and tradition. Jensen passed away in 2009 leaving behind a lifetime of contribution to a revitalizing First Nation culture, language and artwork.

Chief Dan George, was a Tsleil-Waututh actor, poet, writer, activist, and public speaker who was chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation from 1951 to 1963. Born Geswanouth Slahoot, Dan George was raised on the Burrard reserve in North Vancouver. He received his English name, Dan George, at St. Paul’s residential school, where he was sent when he was five years old. Before he started acting at the age of 60, George had worked as longshoreman, construction worker, school-bus driver, logger and itinerant musician. By his film roles and personal appearances, Dan George helped improve the popular image of Indigenous people, often represented in stereotypical ways. George earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor for his role in Little Big Man (1970) and won other awards for this role, including from the National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle. He was married to his wife, Amy George, for 51 years and was father to six: Amy Marie, Ann, Irene, Rose, Leonard, and Robert.

Ozistalis (Chief Henry Speck) worked as a fisherman, dancer, and song writer. He became chief of the Tlawitsis Nation when he succeeded his father. In the early 1960s, he became artistic director of the Kwakiutl House Project in Alert Bay, where he also pursued his artistic skills; he taught carving and dancing in Alert Bay. "His unique approach to Kwakwaka'wakw design opened a new range of possibilities for a generation of artists" (Ayotte, Gallery of Tribal Art, 1995). He was commissioned by Gyula Mayer, a Vancouver art and antiques dealer, who was interested in collecting Northwest Coast pieces for his gallery; it was Mayer who encouraged Speck to paint with watercolours. Many of these paintings by Speck and other artists at the time were sold to private collectors, museums, or were collected by Mayer. "...Speck's paintings speak to the viewer with a clarity and a sense of immediacy. A striking aspect of Speck's work is its ability to invoke a three-dimensional "space" within the confines of a limited design field" (Ayotte, 1995).

Chief Joe Capilano (S7ápelek) (born on the traditional Squamish Nation territory in British Columbia and died 10 March 1910 in Yekw’ts, BC) was a Squamish Nation member who became one of the most influential Indigenous leaders in British Columbia, beginning in the late 19th century. His rise to this position was due in part to the encouragement of the Catholic Bishop who recognized S7ápelek’s devotion to his faith and his impressive abilities as an orator and leader. As the chosen successor to Chief Láwa Capilano, Joe S7ápelek became better known as Chief Joe Capilano and spent the rest of his life advocating for Canada’s recognition of Indigenous rights and title.

Alver Tait is a Nisga’a (Gitlaxdamix) carver and hereditary Chief of the Eagle-Beaver clan. Tait carved many poles raised in the Nass Valley and assisted with the carving of two red cedar canoes in 1980, with his brother Norman Tait who taught him to carve. He also worked with Norman on the Beaver Pole that was raised at the Field Museum in Chicago. In recognition of his craftsmanship, Tait was selected by the City of Vancouver to carve a Nisga’a Eagle bowl, which was later presented to Queen Elizabeth II. He was also asked by the British Museum to restore a pole carved in the 1860s, which was originally a monument to his great-great grandfather, Luuya’as, carrying the Eagle-Beaver crest image. In 2006, he received the Order of British Columbia.

Art Thompson was born in 1948 in the village of Whyac and lived in Nitinaht on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Hi father was Ditidaht and his mother was Quwutsun'. His father and grandfather were carvers and canoe builders, and his grandmother was an accomplished basketmaker. Art worked as a logger, a boat builder, and attended commercial art school before travelling across North America. He has been instrumental in defining the innovative direction of contemporary West Coast design, along with Joe David, Ron Hamilton, and others. As well as silk-screen prints, he produced wood carvings and engraved jewelry.

The 14th Dalai Lama, is a Tibetan Buddhist monk who is considered to be the first Dalai Lama to become a global figure, largely for his advocacy of Buddhism and of the rights of the people of Tibet. Despite his fame, he dispensed with much of the pomp surrounding his office, describing himself as a “simple Buddhist monk.” He was born Lhamo Dhondup in a small village called Taktser in northeastern Tibet. Born to a peasant family, His Holiness was recognized at the age of two. In accordance with Tibetan tradition, as the reincarnation of his predecessor the 13th Dalai Lama, His Holiness is an incarnation of Avalokiteshvar, the Buddha of Compassion.

Derek emigrated to Canada in 1961 with his first wife Doreen. He held a post-doctoral fellowship in the UBC Chemistry Department, then a position as Clinical Chemist at the Health Centre for Children, Vancouver General Hospital. In 1969, he founded the Biochemical Diseases (later Biochemical Genetics) Laboratory at Children's Hospital. In this emerging discipline, he collaborated with scientific and clinical colleagues across Canada and around the world to diagnose and investigate children with rare metabolic diseases, teaching and publishing extensively and receiving many awards. He was a professor emeritus of UBC's Faculty of Medicine with appointments in Pediatrics, Medical Genetics and Pathology serving on Boards and Committees including parent support societies. He was a past President of the Garrod Association of Canada and past President of the Canadian College of Medical Genetics and involved in developing training programs for Biochemical Genetic Fellows. Derek retired from UCB in 2003.

Son of Willie Seaweed, Joe Seaweed married in 1928 to Nellie Walkus in Fort Rupert. Joe Seaweed learned to carve while working with his father, and during this time he carved many masks and other carvings very similar to his father's style. In many cases, Joe Seaweed may have done a number of works that have been previously identified as Willie Seaweed's due to their similar styles.

A Kwagu'l (Tsaxis) carver, married to Mary Hunt. Godfrey's parents were Kenneth Hunt and Minnie Wallas. On his father's side his grandparents were David Hunt and Sarah Lalaxsa; great-grandparents George Hunt and Lucy Homiskanis. (Information from Dean Bradley, grandson of Godfrey Hunt.)

Jessie Binning (nee Wyllie) was an important figure in the protection of the "Binning House" in West Vancouver and the emerging culture of West Coast Modernism. Her father was a businessman and one of the early entrepreneurs to trade with Japan and took Jessie on a trip to Japan when she was 19 years old, where she developed a lifelong appreciation for Japanese culture and art. Jessie Binning was also Bertram Charles (B.C.) Binning's wife, who founded the Department of Fine Arts at UBC in 1949 and was a renowned artist and teacher in BC. Jessie and Bert build their modern house in West Vancouver in 1941 and she lived there until her death at the age of 101.