Episode 01: Kaisha Brown-Past, Present & Future
In its second season, Narrative Shift, hosted by Natasha Tony, chronicles the creation of Elevate House, a retreat space Natasha is building on Salt Spring Island.
Kicking off with a conversation between Natasha and her daughter, Kaisha Brown, this season explores the unexpected journey of acquiring the property, its layered history as a former YWCA camp and communal living space, and the often-overlooked Black history of Salt Spring Island dating back to the 1850s.
SHOW NOTES
Here are some of the resources Natasha mentions in this episode:
Historical Context & People
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British Columbia’s Black Pioneers: A resource detailing the history of Black settlers in BC.
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Every Goodbye Ain’t Gone: A Photo Narrative of Black Heritage on Salt Spring Island by Evelyn C. White: A book exploring the island's Black roots.
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CBC On The Coast Interview with Evelyn C. White: Audio discussing her book and Salt Spring Island's Black history.
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BC Black History Awareness Society: An organization dedicated to Black history in British Columbia.
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Black Life: Untold Stories, S1 Episode 4 Migrations (CBC Gem): A documentary series episode that includes history relevant to Salt Spring Island.
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The Stark Family: Learn about Sylvia Stark, born into slavery and freed by her father, who became a founding member of Salt Spring Island’s farming community. Her descendants still own the Stark family home.
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FarmFolk CityFolk - Sylvia Stark: Resource highlighting Sylvia Stark's story.
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William E. Bulman (1876-1948): A pioneer who founded a lumber business and owned extensive land on the island, where the Y-Camp property is located.
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Gulf Islands Driftwood - Bulman Farm: Information about the historical Bulman Farm.
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Other Community Connections
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Tsawout First Nation: Mentioned in the context of building relationships with First Nations communities.
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Rural Islands Economic Partnership: Another potential community connection.
More Resources / Let’s Connect
Natasha on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook
Professional Development for Film & TV
Narrative Shift is produced by Natasha Tony, Max Collins and Renita Bangert.
Special thanks to Kelly & Kelly Studios.