Cathi Charles Wherry

Special Advisor, First Peoples' Cultural Council
Anishinaabekwe

Cathi Charles Wherry is Anishinaabekwe and a member of the Chippewas of Rama (Mnjikaning) First Nation (Ontario), where her Father was born. Her Mother’s ancestors crossed the ocean from England five generations ago. Since 1979 Cathi has lived on beautiful Coast Salish territory, and now lives in WSANEC with her husband Andy, with their adult children nearby.

A graduate of the Visual Arts Program at Camosun College (1991), Cathi also holds a BFA with Honours in Studio Arts from the University of Victoria (1994). As a visual artist she has participated in numerous group shows and has had three solo exhibitions. Cathi is also a curator and writer, and served on the Kakaekwewin Aboriginal Advisory for Canada Council for the Arts from 2010-2013. 

For 25 years Cathi has devoted herself to advocacy, and generating and delivering funding, resources and strategic initiatives to support the vitality of Indigenous arts in British Columbia and beyond. From 1996 – 2018 she served as Art Programs Manager at the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, an Indigenous-led organization that supports Indigenous languages, arts and cultures in B.C. She established the Arts Department at FPCC and has made key contributions to engagement with the Indigenous arts community, funding partners, government agencies, and other cultural and service organizations. Cathi is currently serving as a Special Advisor for the FPCC.