Terry is from TLA-O-QUI-AHT FIRST NATIONS from the House of Hi-you-eah which is represented by the SEITCHER family. In 2003, when he got married to Bev Dorward (Cree/Lakota) he was given the Nuu-chah-Nulth name “Seit-Cha” (One who swims around in the water).

Terry grew up in Port Alberni and was raised by his great-grandmother, Susan Marshall from Xwisten (Bridge river) of the St`at’imc nation. At an early age of 12, Terry participated in the 1984 marches and blockades that declared Wah-Nah-Jus/Hilth-Hoo-is (Meares Island) a Tribal Park. It was this profound experience that had politicized Terry to have an awareness of the struggles to uphold and protect Indigenous title and rights. Terry was an active member of various Indigenous direct action groups in the 1990s and 2000s that supported the removal of open net fish farms in Kwakwaka’wakw territories, as well defending west coast and east coast fishing rights in Esgenoopetitj and Cheam First Nations.

In 2005, Terry graduated from Malaspina University with a Bachelors of Arts with a focus on colonization/decolonization under Professor Umeek Atleo, First Nations Arts 1 program. From 2010-2016, 2018-2022, Terry was an elected councillor for Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations and represented his nation at the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. Today, Terry continues to participate in Tla-o-qui-aht Hereditary chiefs meetings to support his brother Ray Seitcher who is the Tyee Hawilth (Head chief) of Tla-o-qui-aht. From Nov 2007 to Jan 2023, Terry was the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Project coordinator that helped deliver cultural, educational, stewardship, and economic projects in the rainforest. Terry was one of the co-founders of the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Guardian program that continues to monitor and enforce Tla-o-qui-aht traditional laws within the region. Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks continues to be upheld nationally and internationally as a successful, ongoing developing IPCA.