In memoriam: Shane Pointe, Indigenous Elder & Community Leader

The community housing sector is deeply saddened by the passing of Shane Pointe (Te’ta in) on April 8, 2026. For nearly two decades, Shane was far more than the voice that opened the Housing Central Conference: he was a guide, a living reminder of our shared responsibility, and a presence that transformed a professional gathering into a true community space.

Each year, Shane welcomed delegates to the shared territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. He did so with deep respect, generous humour, and a calm conviction that the work of advancing housing for all is, above all, an act of human relationship. Shane understood the power of those opening moments, so he often began with an enthusiastic “Holy Smokes!” followed by a gentle laugh, disarmed tensions and reminded us that before we are colleagues, we are people brought together by a common purpose.

That message did not remain only words. Shane invited people to hold hands, to truly see one another, to recognize each other in times of increasing division. His teaching, nuts’a’maat, “we are one,” was not symbolic; it was a living practice that shaped his community, educational, and ceremonial work.
A member of the Musqueam Indian Band and the Coast Salish people, Shane came from the Point family and was known by his ancestral name Te’ta in, “Sound of Thunder.” He was a Knowledge Keeper, ceremonial speaker, and cultural educator who carried out his responsibilities with humility, wisdom, and a deep commitment to collective well-being. Throughout his life, he worked with institutions such as the Vancouver School Board, the Native Education College, Corrections Canada, UBC, and the First Nations Health Authority, always building bridges between systems and people.

We will remember him spending time in Grandmother’s Kitchen at the Housing Central Conference, listening with intention, offering guidance, and accompanying those who sought his counsel. He invested his time in others, and that quiet generosity has left lasting impacts. His influence within the community housing sector extended far beyond the main stage.
“Shane is an irreplaceable force. Our sector is stronger because of him. More people are better supported because of him. We see the world more clearly because he shared his knowledge with us.”

-Jill Atkey, CEO of BC Non-Profit Housing Association

In July 2025, Shane received an Honorary Doctorate of Original Laws from the Native Education College, recognizing his tireless commitment to preserving Indigenous knowledge and intergenerational healing. His work focused on the resilience of inherited collective intelligence, the power of memory, and the necessity of caring for communities at their roots.
Behind every teaching was humour, storytelling, and an extraordinary ability to support healing processes, including his work with survivors of trauma. Shane did not seek recognition; he sought coherence, presence, and continuity.

Today, we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the Musqueam Nation, and we offer our heartfelt thanks for sharing Shane with the housing sector and with all the communities he touched. His voice will continue to resonate each time we gather, at each Housing Central Conference, each time we remember that the work of affordable housing is, at its core, work for human dignity.

Nuts’a’maat. We are one.