Kla-how’-ya is an Indigenous-led project designed to educate and raise awareness about the benefits and opportunities of electric vehicle (EV) adoption among Indigenous communities on Vancouver Island. Our initiative will focus on both urban Indigenous populations, First Nation reserve communities and Indigenous student associations, aiming to promote sustainable transportation solutions, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance environmental stewardship.

Kla-how’-ya is a Chinook word that translates to English as a salutation, or an acknowledgement of another’s arrival or departure. It can mean hello, how are you and/or goodbye. We believe this is a reflection of the project, an exchange of ideas and information, a meeting or conversation between community members, with the intent of raising awareness of electric vehicles to the Indigenous community.

We chose the Chinook language because it was developed as a trading language between non Indigenous and the various Indigenous language groups throughout western Canada and the Pacific northwest.