Makook Pi Selim Fall 2022

How an economic partnership with Eagle Green is progressing the path to Reconciliation

Matt Holt had just one truck and a single traffic-control flagger in the field when he launched Eagle Green, a traffic control equipment services company, a little over a year ago.

Within a month, the company, which provides everything from road closures to sign installations to flagging pedestrians and vehicles at construction sites, had grown to five employees. Today, Eagle Green has 20 trucks on the road and between 50 and 60 employees.

“I definitely didn’t think it was going to go this fast,” says Holt, the company’s executive officer.

Holt was hesitant when his business partner suggested they use an Indig enous logo to brand their new company.

As a member of the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan who grew up in Cowichan Tribes, Holt is proud of his First Nations heritage. But personal experience left him uncertain about how the public might react to a First Nations business and seeing a First Nations logo.

“I never really mentioned my status or my history. I didn’t know if people would feel negative about it,” he says.

When starting Eagle Green, he decided to do things differently, starting with the company logo, designed by a First Nation’s artist. The name – Eagle Green – was also chosen carefully: “eagle” because the bird is renowned for seeing its surroundings at all times, crucial for flaggers; and “green” to underscore the company’s sustainability mission, includ ing operating an energy-renewable fleet of electric vehicles.

Response to the company was immedi ate, and overwhelmingly positive.

Among the first to partner with Eagle Green was TELUS, which was looking for a company to provide traffic control and flagging services on sites where it was de ploying TELUS PureFibre in communities across British Columbia, including Sech elt, Gabriola Island, Hope and Princeton.

Beyond the professional services of fered, Eagle Green’s Indigenous-first focus

is a natural extension of the technology company’s own commitment to Rec onciliation, and supporting Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous-led businesses. This year, TELUS formally recognized that commitment, becoming the first tech nology company in Canada to develop and launch an Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan.

A key pillar of the plan is economic Reconciliation, which aims to support sustainable economic participation and growth for Indigenous Peoples through involvement in TELUS’ business. It’s why the tech company has committed to invest 7.5 per cent of its Pollinator Fund for Good in Indigenous-owned for-profit companies like Eagle Green by 2026.

“TELUS recognizes that focusing on eco nomic Reconciliation and the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and communities in our projects and initiatives leads to bet ter outcomes,” says Shazia Zeb Sobani, Vice President of Network Implementa tion. “Our relationships with companies

like Eagle Green are an example of our intentional approach to work in partner ship with Indigenous-owned businesses towards prosperity by creating meaning ful engagements based on trust, respect, and reciprocity.”

Today, Eagle Green provides services to about 60 per cent of TELUS’ jobs in and around Greater Vancouver, Howe Sound and the Fraser Valley. Clients also include governments of the Coast Salish First Na tions and Tsawwassen First Nation.

Holt credits the tech company’s ongo ing support as he plans to expand Eagle Green’s reach to Vancouver Island and possibly the B.C. Interior.

“TELUS has been the backbone of our company. We wouldn’t be able to be where we are if it wasn’t for them,” he says. “They’ve given us the opportunities and contacts we need to get to the next level.”

Supporting sustainable economic participation and growth for Indigenous Peoples through involvement in TELUS’ business is a long term priority for the company. In addition to economic Rec onciliation, TELUS’ Indigenous Reconcilia tion Action Plan also identifies connectiv ity, enabling social outcomes and cultural responsiveness and relationships as key pillars where TELUS can support mean ingful change. Underpinning these pillars is the assurance that Indigenous ways of knowing are embedded into the fabric of the company’s commitment to Reconcili ation. Within TELUS’ economic reconcilia tion pillar, the focus is on enhancing pro curement practices to include increased sourcing of goods and services with Indigenous-controlled business remains a steadfast commitment to Reconciliation, and ensuring accountability in closing the socio-economic gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in align ment with TRC Call to Action #92, UNDRIP and the 231 Calls for Justice.

Read TELUS’ 2022 Indigenous Reconcili ation and Connectivity Report, at telus. com/reconciliation.

Logo is based on a carving created by Musqueam Coast Salish artist - Susan Point.

Mákook pi Sélim

PRESIDENT: Alvin Brouwer

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER ;

VICE-PRESIDENT, GLACIER MEDIA: Kirk LaPointe

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Hayley Woodin

EDITOR: Chastity Davis-Alphonse

DESIGN: Petra Kaksonen

PRODUCTION: Rob Benac

CONTRIBUTORS: Merle Alexander, Chief Joe Alphonse, Amber Bedard, Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir, Celeste Haldane, Trevor Jang, Catherine Lafferty, Dale McCreery, Brandi Morin, Beverley O'Neil, David Robertson, Kylee Swift, Alison Tedford, Regional Chief Terry Teegee, Kim van der Woerd, Sofia Vitalis

RESEARCHERS: Anna Liczmanska, Albert Van Santvoort

SALES MANAGER: Laura Torrance

ADVERTISING SALES: Blair Johnston, Corinne Tkachuk, Chris Wilson

ADMINISTRATOR: Katherine Butler

Mákook pi Sélim is published by BIV Magazines, a division of BIV Media Group, 303 Fifth Avenue West, Vancouver, B.C. V5Y 1J6, 604 688 2398, fax 604 688 1963, biv.com

Copyright 2022 Business in Vancouver Magazines. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or incorporated into any information retrieval system without permission of BIV Magazines. The publishers are not responsible in whole or in part for any errors or omissions in this publication.

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Cover photo: Miriam Cerezo Garcia/Getty Images

INFORMING OUR SHARED PATH FORWARD ON TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

Welcome to BIV ’s fourth issue of Mákook pi Sélim, which translates to “buying and selling” in Chinook Jargon. We are pleased to bring you another informative issue featuring 100 per cent Indigenous-written articles and columns that cover a broad spectrum of themes and current events.

As Canada continues to move forward on its journey in Truth and Reconciliation, it is increasingly important to have dedicated spaces and places for Indigenous Peoples to share their knowledge, lived experiences and perspectives to inform our shared path forward.

In Canada, we are continuing to unearth the truths of the impacts of colonization historically, and how it continues to shapeshift and be present in all of our systems and structures today.

On Oct. 27, the Canadian House of Com mons passed a unanimous motion recog nizing Canada’s Indian Residential School system as an act of genocide. After gen erations of Canadian governments and institutions denying, gaslighting and cov ering up more than a century of genocide against Indigenous children, families and communities, this is another historic moment for us to step into embracing our truth.

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying: “We cannot solve problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Part of the work of coming to terms with the truth of our colonial and genocidal history is that we not only acknowledge the legislated multi-generational harms our country has committed, but that we commit to learning from our mistakes, and respect and incorporate Indigenous worldviews and knowledge systems into our shared path forward on Truth and Reconciliation.

I don’t know of a country that can say they have arrived at a comfortable place with Truth and Reconciliation. This is meant to be a journey, not a destination. However, we must be willing to examine and shift our past and current approach to one that respects, creates space for, honours and uplifts Indigenous Peoples, families and communities.

I invite you to take some time to think about how you can do this in your person al and professional lives, and to continue your readership (and possibly consider a sponsorship) of our publication to inform your thought process.

čɛčɛhatənapɛč, Tla’amin for I thank (honour) you all.

Chastity Davis-Alphonse Tla’amin Nation and Tsilhqot’in Nation Editor, Mákook pi Sélim chastitydavis.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

RELEVANT INSIGHTS FROM TRADITIONAL STORIES

“

Iht son chako kanamokst Foks pi Kayuti...” T h at’s B.C. Chinook Jargon for, “One day Fox and Coyote ran into each other.” And here, a heck of a story begins. We wanted to share with you that sample of this famous Indigenous/Métis “trading language,” but let’s switch over now to English for our multi-ethnic audience.

Here’s the reason we thought of presenting today’s story: We feel it brings together some fascinating, even inspiring, themes worthy of consideration today. Fox and Coyote are close friends or relatives in traditional stories, sticking together no matter what. Coyote may tend to foul things up, but Fox tries to help him prosper in an economy shifting toward Settler participation.

We like the humour and the cleverness in this little 1897 story, collected from a sadly un-credited St’át’imc teller from Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation. It adapts traditional stories’ wisdom to modern circumstances. Here’s the whole thing: One day Fox and Coyote ran into each other.

And Fox said to Coyote: “Hello, is that you there? How are you doing, Coyote?”

“I’m hungry”, said Coyote. “How come you’re hungry?” said Fox – “Lots of wagons come along the road, they’re filled with good food.”

“But they don’t give any to me!” said Coyote.

“Watch me,” said Fox. And then Fox laid down in the road, like a dead body. This White guy comes along; there was lots of good food in his wagon.

He saw Fox like a corpse in the road and he said: “Wow! This critter’s really nice; let me just pick him up; I’ll skin him and sell it for a lot of money.”

And he carried Fox and he tossed him into the wagon. And Fox ate and ate in the wagon, till he got full.

And he hopped out and he went back to Coyote, and he said:

“See me, Coyote, I’m full. You ought to do like me.”

“All right”, said Coyote.

And Coyote went to lie down in the road. This White guy comes along.

He saw Coyote, and he was mad at him, he beat on him with a stick; Coyote cried and cried, and ran off to hide, and he never did get full.

Well, kata maika tumtum? (What do you think?). ç

Dale McCreery is a Michif born and raised in Hazelton, B.C. He became interested in Chinook (also spelled Chinuk) Wawa during breaks from learning his own language and has continued studying and using the language for the past number of years. David Douglas Robertson, PhD, is a linguistic consultant in Indigenous languages, including Chinook Wawa. He publishes articles about Chinook Wawa daily at chinookjargon. com and teaches free online classes in B.C. Chinook Wawa.

PHOTO CREDIT: GUILLAUME TEMIN/GETTY IMAGES

DAVID ROBERTSON AND DALE MCCREERY

REFLECTIONS ON ROME

A first-person account of the Vatican delegation and papal visit to Indigenous lands

Indigenous leaders speak with the Pope about the Catholic Church’s horrific legacy in Canada • BRANDI MORIN

BRANDI MORIN

Shock.

Surprise. Relief. And then waves of emotions of anguish, peace and anger circulating like a tumultuous whirlwind.

That’s how I describe how I felt and what I witnessed after Pope Francis uttered, “I am very sorry,” from the Sala Clementina Hall in his Apostolic Palace in Rome on April 1. He apologized for the “evils” that members of the Catholic Church inflicted against generations of Indigenous children who were forced to attend Canada’s Indian residential schools. It finally happened seven long years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commis sion’s (TRC) final report called for the Pope to repent for the Catholic Church’s sins in aiding genocide, forced assimilation and unspeakable abuse against the most innocent of humanity.

I followed survivors and First Nation, Inuit and Métis dele gates who travelled to Rome to participate in a series of meet ings at the request of the Pontiff. That week was a storm of an assignment. Each day seemed to encapsulate a lifetime. It was heavy and you could feel a thick cloud of intensity in the air as the survivors and delegates carried the weight of the

tasks before them.

Former TRC commissioner, lawyer and survivor Chief Wilton Littlechild told me he prayed for that day to come for decades. For over 20 years, he had relentlessly advocated for the Catholic Church to right the wrongs of the residential school system, starting with an apology. At 77 years old, he trekked halfway around the world to the birthplace of colonialism in a bid to see his dream come true. He had made this trip many times before, but this one would change his life and cement in history his quest for justice.

After I heard the Pope apologize via the live feed I was watch ing in the Vatican pressroom, I ran to St. Peter’s Square – a huge, circular cobblestoned gathering place outside Vatican City, where believers of the faith steadily flock from all around the world. Delegates had filed out of the building to address the media, who swarmed them with microphones and cameras.

Pope Francis visits Indigenous lands in Canada as part of his papal apology tour • BRANDI MORIN

Inside the Vatican, seven years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for the Pope to repent for the Catholic Church’s sins in aiding genocide against Indigenous Peoples • BRANDI MORIN

The sky had literally parted in the square. It had rained for nearly three days straight in Rome, but in those moments, a ray of sun broke through the clouds and over the delegates. I heard drums and singing in the distance and was instinct ively drawn away to follow the songs of my ancestors echoing through the square. When I broke away from the scrum, I walked away to find a circle of Indigenous dancers dressed in stunning regalia moving to the beat of the drum. Chief Littlechild, who uses a walker due to a spinal injury and old age, shakily stood up and walked into the circle. He danced in victorious celebration. As I took it all in, for those few minutes, there was a break in the chaos of my aching heart and all the uncertainties that lay ahead.

The Pontiff promised the delegates and survivors he’d come to Indigenous territories, where these crimes against children and their families took place, to apologize once again. The months in between were tense. There were questions of whether he’d make it due to his failing health, and questions of the next steps forward in reconciliation with the church. Others wrestled with anger and rejected the apology.

Covering the Papal apology tour across Canada in July was another whirlwind. I witnessed thousands of survivors, families and reconcilers come out in droves to hear it for themselves. The Pope “begged forgiveness,” over the “cat astrophic” abuses.

He was gifted a headdress by Chief Littlechild not far from where Littlechild attended residential school for 14 years as a child in Ermineskin Cree Nation. That headdress, Littlechild told me, belonged to his grandfather and was given to Pope

WHAT SHOOK ME THE MOST ON THIS TOUR WAS WHEN THE POPE UTTERED, “I AM SORRY,” IN INUKTITUT – ONE OF THE VERY LANGUAGES INUIT AND OTHER INDIGENOUS CHILDREN WERE GRAVELY PUNISHED FOR SPEAKING IN RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

Francis as a commitment to follow his words of repentance with remediation and transformative action.

On the last leg of the cross-country tour, Pope Francis

REFLECTIONS ON ROME

travelled to the remote city of Iqaluit in the high arctic. Survivors and their loved ones amassed to take in the historic moment.

He had met with survivors earlier that day privately and expressed how it “renewed in me the indignation and shame that I have felt for months.” What shook me the most on this tour was when the Pope uttered, “I am sorry,” in Inuktitut – one of the very languages Inuit and other Indigenous children were gravely punished for speaking in residential schools.

Before flying back to Rome late that evening, the Pontiff told reporters during a papal plane press conference that he believed what happened at the hands of the church and state was cultural genocide. That was a significant breakthrough that sent a global message of the serious ness of the dark history of these lands called Canada.

The apology has yet to be fully realized. There are reparations the church still hasn’t delivered on, such as the multimillion-dollar settlement it agreed to pay survivors over 20 years ago; the turning over of records that detail abuses of former students such as the St. Anne Indian Residential School; the return of stolen lands the

church made claim to and the return of looted artifacts and sacred items held at the Vatican; the handing over of clergy who have gotten away with sexual, emotional, physical, spiritual and verbal abuse of Indigenous chil dren; and repealing the Doctrine of Discovery that was used to justify the colonial dispossession of sovereign Indigenous Nations’ land.

Dene National Chief and survivor Gerald Antoine likened the apology as a journey to a hunt – to work to wards tracking a moose after finding fresh hoof prints in the snow. The tracks provide a path towards the goal of reconciliation, but there is still work to do to follow the moose, to harvest and then take it home to nourish your family and community.

The onus is now on the Catholic Church to continue on the journey of the hunt, side by side with the Indigenous Nations it’s sought to reconcile with. This is something that’s yet to play out. But it will determine whether the words of Pope Francis were futile or genuine. In the meantime, many broken hearts and spirits are on the mend as we uproot the ugly truths to move forward in healing. ç

The historic Indigenous delegation to Vatican City, where leaders received an apology from Pope Francis for the “evils” inflicted against generations of Indigenous Peoples • BRANDI MORIN

BUILDING A PATH FOR ECONOMIC RECONCILIATION

REGIONAL CHIEF TERRY TEEGEE

We live in a time of unparalleled opportunity for First Nations peoples and communities in Can ada. Through the tireless work of First Nations, we have seen the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) in B.C. and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDRIPA) federally.

The UN Declaration affirms the need to respect and ad vance Indigenous Peoples’ inherent rights, derived from our political, economic and social structures.

Further, the declaration and several other critical, inter nationally endorsed agreements recognize the fundamental importance of First Nations’ right to self-determination, including the right to pursue our sovereign economic development freely.

First Nations also fought for the acknowledgement of cumulative impacts from industrial activity on our terri tories through Yahey v. British Columbia. The combination of case law and legislation in British Columbia has created an environment for First Nations and First Nation-owned enterprises to thrive. These landmark policies and legal precedents build on an ongoing legacy of First Nations excellence, stewardship and activism in British Columbia. This is the beginning of the path we will walk together, with First Nations leading the way, as we have for generations.

Much work is needed to realize First Nations' economic self-determination. Opportunities to advance economic reconciliation include revenue-sharing models between First Nations and governments, industry or other partners, and creating space for First Nations through provincial and federal policy mechanisms. Productive and innovative

partnerships require equity and full First Nations owner ship of projects as we evolve past contract awards and joint-venture models that only offer limited benefits for our Nations and communities.

The BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) is advancing these economic priorities through several initiatives in partnership with the First Nations Leadership Council, composed of the BCAFN, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs and the First Nations Summit. In addition, we develop partnerships with all levels of government and the business community to advance First Nations' interests provincially, nationally and internationally.

In October of this year, the BCAFN announced the launch of the First Nations Economic Development Centre of Excellence, with support from the Ministry of Jobs, Eco nomic Recovery and Innovation. The centre will increase the capacity of First Nations in B.C. to engage in economic priorities and initiatives highlighted in the DRIPA Action Plan. Its work will also include distributing best practices and relevant policy papers to First Nations, and providing business support services.

In November, the BCAFN sent a trade delegation along side members from the First Nations Summit and the First Nations Forestry Council to Japan to develop opportunities and relationships for the First Nations forestry industry. First Nations-owned forest companies are becoming more prominent around the province and beginning to create new and innovative products for export. Japan is the largest consumer of British Columbia wood products, and we are incredibly excited to start the process of opening trade opportunities between B.C. First Nations and Japanese buyers. ç

Terry Teegee is serving his second term as the elected regional chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations. His ancestry is Dakelh, Gitxsan and Sekani descent, and he is a member of Takla Nation.

We need to move toward productive partnerships that prioritize ownership

THE COMBINATION OF CASE LAW AND LEGISLATION IN BRITISH COLUMBIA HAS CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT FOR FIRST NATIONS AND FIRST NATION-OWNED ENTERPRISES TO THRIVE

David Fierro is the lead artist of 400 Drums, which produces handcrafted, one-of-a-kind elk hide drums • TREVOR JANG

POTLATCH ON THE BLOCKCHAIN

Indigenous artists and innovators demonstrate Web3 potential for Indigenous sovereignty

TREVOR JANG

The studio walls of the 400 Drums team in Burnaby are lined with one-of-a-kind elk hide drums, handcrafted by David Fierro of the Okanagan Nation. The 24-inch heads are painted in acrylic, with phosphorescence incorporated into the pigments for stunning ef fects under black light. The designs are unique and abstract, allowing each individual to see what we need to see.

Fierro (traditional name Xa Xa Smanxwt) began building drums 20 years ago. His work is requested all over the world. However, he’s been asked by Elders not to sell them for a high cost outside of the community as he prepares them with cultural protocols such as hand-rendered bear grease. Instead, he sells his drums for modest prices based on what people can afford. He wants his community to have access to drumming whether or not they can afford to cover the time, effort and expertise it requires to craft each drum. Such tension exists for many Indigenous artists and knowledge keepers

BELOW: Tamara Goddard, creative director of 400 Drums • SUBMITTED

LEFT: 400 Drums' pieces are made with special care and Indigenous cultural protocols

• TREVOR JANG

INDIGENOUS DATA IS THE MOST VALUABLE DATA IN

ˆ

Tamara Goddard Creative director 400 Drums

CANADA

balancing cultural values with financial realities.

But Fierro has found a way to be fairly compen sated for his work and cultural knowledge while protecting the sacredness of his drums and teachings. Fierro and team have creat ed a limited series of digital assets that give buyers ac cess to special giveaways, cultural teachings, images and audio recordings of each drum.

“I actually stopped making drums for two years. I had to give some really deep thought to what I was going to do with it. So when this idea came about, I was like that’s perfect. I don’t have to sell the drums. I can gift the drums and show that culture keepers can make a very good living and support their community with the culture,” Fierro shares.

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are an increasingly popular way to buy, sell and authenticate digital artwork or digital assets representing real-world items. This is especially import ant in a city like Vancouver, Fierro points out, where Indigenous art is estimated to be a $100 million annual industry, yet very little goes back to the artists or even Indigenous Peoples.

But 400 Drums demonstrates something much more monu mental to Indigenous Nations than a new way for artists to authenticate and monetize their work. Fierro and his team

hope their success opens the eyes of Indigenous business and political leaders to the technology underpinning all NFTs that could revolutionize Indigenous data sovereignty.

INTRODUCING NATIONS TO BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

“Our research showed us if you’re not following blockchain you’re going to fall behind,” says Tamara Goddard, an Indigen ous business and nation building catalyst from the Saulteau First Nation.

NFTs are built, bought and sold securely on a blockchain, a decentralized database or ledger that records transactions. The data is distributed across a network making it nearly impossible to hack. This opens up new possibilities for nations to own, control and benefit from their data on lands and peoples to support sovereignty, and economic and social gain.

“Indigenous data is the most valuable data in Canada,” God dard says.

Goddard is partnered with Fierro in 400 Drums. She’s a colour theorist who contributed to the phosphorescence of the drum designs. The pair also work together through Four Our Future, an Indigenous company that specializes in eco nomic development models and works with nations to explore blockchain use cases.

“Data sovereignty, data democratization, data monetization are all of the protocols we need to develop now in order to en sure that in the future that data is ours, it’s encrypted and we choose how and what we share,” Goddard says.

“You can digitize your artwork, your language, your stories. You can digitize your tourism experiences. You can digitize these drums. And you can sell the digital copy and the digital copy

400 Drums' 24-inch drum heads are painted in acrylic and incorporate phosphorescence for stunning effects under black light

•

David Fierro Lead artist 400 Drums

TREVOR JANG

can fund your work. David is our example of how we do this.”

ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE IN MODERN TECH

Prominent blockchain use cases include NFTs, crypto currencies and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). DAOs are online communities owned and con trolled by their members that often utilize cryptocurrencies and NFTs as part of their overall community access and experience.

This is Web3, the next evolution of the internet: Built on blockchains, where users have autonomy and control over their own data. Fierro and Goddard compare Web3 networks to the potlatch system. I come from a potlatch culture. The Wet'suwet'en word for feast is “denii ne'aas” meaning “people coming together.”

Naturally this intrigues me.

Traditionally, hereditary chiefs displayed their wealth by giving it away to potlatch guests. The next year, another nation would host a potlatch and give away even more. Over time this created more and more wealth amongst the

network of neighbouring nations.

“Before colonization, we were already a blockchain,” Goddard discerns. “Our communities were already decen tralized, providing services and feeding back in circles just like ecosystems in nature.”

I’m taken into the studio that smells of musky bear grease, where Fierro tunes the drums to match our coastal climate and create the perfect sound for recording. The master artist is painstaking, ensuring the vibrational medicine works to help people attune to higher states of emotional well-being, connection and fluid thinking.

“With the companies we have now, it’s integrated,” Fierro says. “They’re all working together. They’re all flexible. That’s what should be happening on a large, large scale. So we’re trying to set the precedent. Once that model is set, hopefully it will be taken by all First Nations involved.”

“Like bubbles in the ocean.”ç

Trevor Jang is an award-winning writer and co-founder at ChinookX Technologies. He is Wet’suwet’en.

FROM LEFT: Writer Trevor Jang, 400 Drums' creative director Tamara Goddard and David Fierro, lead artist at 400 Drums • SUBMITTED

ECONOMIC SUCCESS STARTS BY

INVESTING

IN PEOPLE

Indigenous Knowledge should be applied to prevent effects of climate change

CHIEF JOE ALPHONSE, OBC

If you want to invest – invest in our people. A local economy cannot thrive without a healthy population to support it. Often the economy is written and spoken about as if it is its own entity, separate and apart from communities. From a more hol istic, Indigenous perspective, we know that one cannot exist without the other. We cannot speak about wildlife without also considering the economy (resource extraction), social environment, physical en vironment, the political landscape and spiritual well-being. Perhaps the first flaw in any initiative is to see it as isolated.

The Tsilhqot’in People come from a long line of warriors. Our history is not only a history of residential schools, but also a history of smallpox and threats from settlers to take our land and mistreat our people. We pride ourselves on our strength and resilience.

As the Tsilhqot’in Nation brings more opportunities to the territory, we are faced with the challenge of demonstrating our strength – not only as warriors this time, but as resili ent. To be resilient is to adapt in a way that respects who you are and where you have come from. Our people have survived a mountain of historical and intergenerational trauma that has led to devastating social issues within our families and communities.

Some of you reading this article will know the Cari boo-Chilcotin region of British Columbia from the ongoing tragedies that happen in its hub city of Williams Lake. This summer we had a public shooting at the Williams Lake Stampede that was gang related and directly related to people in our nation. The day after the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a young Tsilhqot’in man died

in police custody in Williams Lake. These incidents were just the ones reported in the media. Suicide, homicide, overdose deaths and abuse are common in our communities.

If you want to invest – invest in our people. To expect a local economy to flourish with social issues such as those faced by our communities is to expect a canoe to float in a dry riverbed. We cannot forget that an economic initiative is only as good as the people that hold it up.

The Tsilhqot’in National Government has been part of many social projects in Williams Lake to improve the well-being of our people. This includes an Indigenous court, a first-of-its-kind First Nations Wellness Centre and a Youth Foundry in Williams Lake. This Indigenous “circle of care” provides support from those not yet born, all the way to our Elders.

The Tsilhqot’in Nation has been finding creative ways to bring training for housing and infrastructure projects directly to the Tsilhqot’in People. Recently, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology partnered with the Tsilhqot’in National Government to bring carpentry training to the territory. Many graduates from this course then became employed with the Tsilhqot’in Construction Management Co. to build new homes in their communities.

Our people are exercising their resilience by taking the steps needed to heal and move forward. We have to meet our people where they are at and offer the resources they need on their journey. This may look like family or community supports, or it could look like flexible in-com munity training. Our economy depends on the strength and resilience of our communities. If anyone is going to invest in the Tsilhqot’in Nation – the first place to start is with our people. ç

Chief Joe Alphonse, OBC, from Tsilhqot’in Nation, has been Tribal Chairman of the Tŝilhqot’in National Government since 2010 and elected Chief of the Tl’etinqox-t’in Government since 2009.

IF YOU WANT TO INVEST – INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE. TO EXPECT A LOCAL ECONOMY TO FLOURISH WITH SOCIAL ISSUES SUCH AS THOSE FACED BY OUR COMMUNITIES IS TO EXPECT A CANOE TO FLOAT IN A DRY RIVERBED

SOVEREIGNTY AND INDIGENEITY

The complexities of family, identity, laws and citizenship

MERLE ALEXANDER

Igot Indigeneity on my mind these days. Maybe there is a soul song there. There probably isn’t an Indigenous person in Canada that isn’t provocatively discussing “who we are and who we ain’t” these days.

Any given week, I am asked: “Is it Indigenous, Aborig inal or First Nations? What do you like to be called?” “What do ‘the Natives’ (if they’re really out of touch) like to be called?” My answer is I prefer to be affirmed as Heiltsuk-Tsimshian. Most First Nations citizens prefer to be connected to their Nation of origin. I cer tainly don’t say, “Call me an Indian under the Indian Act because that is what my status card says.” As Audrey Lorde famously said, “The Masters’ tools do not dismantle the Masters’ house.”

In fact, my status card tells the wrong family history of a proper genealogy. I am a registered member of the Kitasoo Xai’xais, but my Mom’s biological Dad was Heiltsuk, and her Mom’s parents were Heiltsuk and Gitxaaxla. So, I could have just as easily be considered Heiltsuk. Our family was registered as Kitasoo Xai’xais because my Grandma remarried my Papa who is from Klemtu. Clear? Good.

Of course, here I am writing about registration to a First Nation as though that is our law. It ain’t. The legal truth is that First Nations have pre-existing and continuing legal orders that determine our rights of belonging to our Nations. These same legal orders determine that it is not some entitlement; citizenship is a reciprocal legal obligation that the citizen owes to

his/her/their Nation. There is a lot to unpack in those few sentences. Let me break it down for you.

There is nothing unique about the right of any hu man community to determine who is a member of the collective. Who is part of your family, what you owe to your family to maintain your standing, your rights, your seniority and your leadership are all determined by a beautiful and elegant body of what people used to call “customary law,” and now in my world call “Indigenous legal orders.” Truth is, family is not just some analogy: Familial rights are the very core, foundation and basis of Nationhood.

Using the infamous Section 6 of the Indian Act as the way we determine to which Nation I belong is a deeply

TRUTH IS, FAMILY IS NOT JUST SOME ANALOGY: FAMILIAL RIGHTS ARE THE VERY CORE, FOUNDATION AND BASIS OF NATIONHOOD

impoverished approach to my First Nation citizenship. The Indian Act membership provisions are designed to eliminate Indians under the Indian Act; to breed us out of existence.

If I relied upon that Indian Act and had married non-status, my two extraordinary sons, Eli and Liam, would have had no First Nation. My Mom married non-status, and that act under the Indian Act initially made me born without First Nation citizenship and stole hers. Bill C-31 then categorized me as a section 6(2). To this day, marriage of a 6(2) to a non-status individual results in a loss of any citizenship to a First Nation.

As the Creator would have it, I fell in love with my wife, Tamara, and she too is a 6(2) (Saulteau First Nations). Strangely, because of the impoverished view of the forefathers of the Indian Act, our sons are categorized now as 6(1). Apparently marrying status is considered to be to your detriment, and Indians needed protection and wardship of the Crown, so their “status” can now be passed to two generations. Their status is better than ours.

The water isn’t any clearer is it? Simply put, using a colonial tool will breed out the Indians from the Nation, the same way residential schools were designed to kill the Indian in the child. It hurts just typing it.

Using our law, where do I stand? Very interesting question, I ask.

I really know the Creator acts in deliberate ways. Earlier this year, I attended the Hailzaqv Big House on invitation of family and Chief Marilyn Slett. To say it was an honour is not enough. Maybe there is a Hailzaqv word that would apply. As a surprise to me, my Nationhood was uplifted there. I was called with my family forward, blanketed, met the Elders of my family with hugs and kisses and told: “This is your Nation, you belong here.” A happy tear just came across my face just thinking about it.

The Big House is our Parliament. Our laws apply there and on that day, the Hailzaqv claimed me as one of their own. I attorn to that law. I was always Hailzaqv. Klemtu has two names: Kitasoo in Tsimshian and Xai’xais in Hailzaqv. The facts had just not caught up with the uplifting of our laws.

Four years ago now, my Uncle, also in the Kitasoo Xai’xais Big House at a potlatch, bestowed upon me the inheritance of his name Lagax'niitsk. I am not yet a hereditary chief, I must follow our laws and protocols and hold my own potlatch. I will need to be adopted into the Orca family to become an Orca Chief. I will then have two family crests: Raven and Orca. That is our law, and I will follow our laws.

Think about how one path of law initially deprived me of my status, while my citizenship and our law uplifted me, gave me belonging and offers a future of great status and responsibility to our Nation. I do not believe in coincidences; we are all at a crossroads. ç

Merle Alexander is Heiltsuk-Tsimshian, and principal of the Indigenous Law Group at Miller Titerle + Co.

Merle Alexander is principal of Miller Titerle + Co.'s Indigenous Law Group • SUBMITTED

TO THIS DAY, MARRIAGE OF A 6(2) TO A NONSTATUS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS IN A LOSS OF ANY CITIZENSHIP TO A FIRST NATION

INDIGENOUS REPRESENTATION IN FILM

CATHERINE LAFFERTY

There is a new film coming out and it’s gaining a lot of hype.

Based on the novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Killings and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann, this non-fic-

tion

It was at a time when the crisis of Missing and Mur dered Indigenous Women and Girls may have truly first begun.

Women from the Osage Tribe were being murdered by their white husbands for access to the land. “It’s a heartbreaking story but one that needs to be told,” says Jillian Dion, who plays Minnie, the sister of the lead character, played by Lily Gladstone. Both star alongside big celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Brendan Fraser. Dion says the film, produced and directed by Martin Scorsese, was a very positive experience.

“It was just amazing working with and learning from such seasoned veterans,” she says, adding that there was a huge emphasis put on accurate representation.

Dion gave an exclusive interview to Mákook pi Sélim over the phone recently on the topic of Indigen ous representation in film, and how especially im portant it is in a film that focuses on so many issues that impacted Indigenous Peoples then and now.

Dion, who is from Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta and is now based in Vancouver, says she never thought acting would be the path she would

work takes us on a dark journey at a time when land grabs were at their peak in the U.S., with no law enforcement.

The opportunity for identity ownership on and off the screen

take. But while in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the Gathering of Nations with her family, her dad encouraged her to go to an open casting call – and it changed her life.

“I hadn’t done anything like that before and I was a little bit nervous,” she says.

It turned out to be what she describes as “serendipitous.” And now, she’s about to star alongside some of the biggest names in Holly wood. As for what’s next, Dion is excited about the film coming out and how it could open the doors even wider for her acting career. “I guess it’s a mystery right now but I’m hoping for the most and I’m trying my hardest to obtain the best,” she says.

Kelvin Redvers knows all about the import ance of Indigenous representation in film – from the business side of the industry. He is the founder of IndigiFilm, a Dene-owned and operated production company.

“The more Indigenous media that’s out there, the more Indigenous content, I think the better. And it’s just really starting to grow, to gain steam,” he says.

Redvers got into the business to be able to

oversee the business and creative side of film making from an Indigenous perspective.

He made headlines around the world for wearing his moccasins to the Cannes Film Festival last year, and for not being allowed inside due to the festival’s stringent formal dress code. “I had the tuxedo with the bowtie and the moccasins and was really surprised that the main security guy was so aggressive with kicking me out,” he says.

He was also surprised by the public response to it: “I really didn’t think the story would explode the way it did.” The story was covered by publications including The Hollywood Re porter and Vogue, and in countries as far away as Bosnia and Vietnam. After the incident, Redvers met with Cannes organizers. Coming out of the meeting, he says he hopes they will make changes to their policies and “make sure that they include some kind of awareness for cultural wear.”

In hindsight, Redvers references the late actress Sacheen Littlefeather. “To her through the Oscars in the 1970s, formal for her was wearing moccasins, so this isn’t anything new,”

ABOVE:

• SUBMITTED

TOP: Based on David Grann’s bestselling book, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation •

Actress Jillian Dion plays a role in an upcoming film based on the murders of members of Osage Nation

he says. Not much has changed, he says, but “hopefully we’re turning a corner.”

Now based in Vancouver, Redvers says it’s a good place to be in terms of the film community. Yet his roots are in the North west Territories, where he recently took a fall moose-hunting trip. “I still keep my roots to the Northwest Territories pretty strong,” he says, adding that he goes home two to three times a year to spend time with family and on the land.

“I feel quite comfortable in both worlds, living [in] down town Vancouver or being in my family’s cabin in the woods or paddling down a quiet river,” he says. Back in the big city, Redvers will be doing pitch meetings with broadcasters in the coming months and finishing up a feature film with his growing business.

“We have the complete capacity to tell our own stories and to both be able to handle the creative and the business end.” ç

Kelvin Redvers Founder IndigiFilm

Catherine Lafferty is a northern Indigenous freelance writer and author. She is a member of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.

Kelvin Redvers is the founder of IndigiFilm • SUBMITTED

WE HAVE THE COMPLETE CAPACITY TO TELL OUR OWN STORIES AND TO BOTH BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE CREATIVE AND THE BUSINESS END ˆ

WE MUST CONTINUE TO ADVANCE THE TREATY NEGOTIATIONS PROCESS

This process is a powerful tool for reconciliation and empowering

CELESTE HALDANE

Since the signing of the BC Treaty Commission agreement 30 years ago, negotiations con tinue to set the tone for renewed relationships between Indigen ous Nations, Canada and British Columbia. These negotiations are founded on the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ inherent right to self-government and title to their lands. This is evident with the BC Modern Treaty Nations who forged their pathways, breaking the shackles of the Indian Act to become self-governing.

While there have been significant changes to the negoti ations process over the past 30 years, everyone agrees that the process has been too slow. One of the biggest challenges to concluding agreements is the slowness to respond to negotiation proposals and implement change. This is not due to First Nations, as they have been committed to the negotiations process and have been pushing hard at their respective negotiation tables. Rather, from the Treaty Commission’s perspective, this is mostly due to govern ment departments not being able to get to “yes.”

Even when we have strong political alignment between both the federal and provincial governments – as we do right now – new approaches to the treaty negotiations process often get stuck in prolonged policy reviews. This is analogous to a veto on reconciliation through inertia. While mandates and policies need to be adapted to reflect new innovations in negotiations, this review process must not be used to paralyze reconciliation.

This is not the time for government departments to dig their heels in and try to constitutionally entrench operational positions that limit Indigenous rights. This is a time for the parties in the negotiations process to embrace new ways of engaging and problem solving. This new way is strongly supported by the current political alignment we see between the federal and provincial government.

One of the biggest transformations is the ever-changing

legal landscape. The new legal landscape includes both federal and provincial United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) legislation that commits to aligning federal and provincial laws with the declaration. The implementation of UNDRIP is a positive shift away from the antiquated notion that Indigenous Peoples, and their rights and title to their lands, was ex tinguished. Instead, we are in an era of Indigenous rights recognition.

All of this means Indigenous Nations must have greater control over their lands and resources. There must also be mandates for mechanisms that incorporate Indigenous Nations and Indigenous consent in co-management and co-decision making on their lands.

This year marked a crucial change in the longstanding taxation policy whereby Indigenous Nations were required to give up their tax exemption in a modern treaty. Canada’s changes to s.87 taxation requirements, and expected forthcoming changes in British Columbia’s policies, are a positive indicator that governments want to collaboratively work with Indigenous Nations to create more equitable futures. The BC Treaty Commission commends all those Indigenous leaders who have long advocated for this policy shift, and to both governments for implementation of these changes.

There are several treaty tables that are advancing their negotiations to completion, and will bring many of these changes to reality. These, together with new policy frame works and an ever-changing legal landscape, are making the treaty negotiations process an incredible opportunity to advance reconciliation.

We must make the most of these opportunities, and the shifting legal and policy landscape, to support Indigen ous Nations to become self-governing through treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that, together, we build better, brighter futures for the next generations. Treaty making is one way to ensure this happens.

Hay č xw qə. Thank you. ç

NEW APPROACHES TO THE TREATY NEGOTIATIONS PROCESS OFTEN GET STUCK IN PROLONGED POLICY REVIEWS. THIS IS ANALOGOUS TO A VETO ON RECONCILIATION THROUGH INERTIA

Celeste Haldane, QC, from Musqueam Nation and Metlakatla Nation, Is chief commissioner of the British Columbia Treaty Commission.

Indigenous Nations

Places of change

Creating the space for Reconcilia[c]tion

This couple, wearing vests and bucket hats that cover gray hair, have a camera in hand. They look like tourists – confused, spin ning around, squinting in Vancouver’s gastown, and i’m certain they’re looking for the statue of the fellow accredited with founding the neighbourhood.

i n stead, amongst red cobblestones, there’s an asphalt circle where his statue once stood. about 10 metres away, an orange corrugated sign reads, “Maple Tree Square,” along with a recognition that the city sits on the territory of the xwm əθ kw ə y ə m (Musqueam), S kwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlílwəta?l (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. The sign says the statue came down in a community protest in February 2022. no n ame is mentioned.

i want to tell these tourists the truth about the statue’s removal; that it reminded i nd igenous p eoples that an a n cestor, a 12-year-old S kwx wú7mesh woman called kw a7xiliya, was taken as the wife of this 40-year-old man after his first wife died (her aunt). i want to tell them that he paid people to disclose her location every time this girl ran away. h e b ought her. But i didn’t tell them. Visitor information excludes much of Canada’s dark history, and the truth of Canada’s tragic relationship with First nations.

This country hides its dark history. For decades Canada was marketed as “pristine” and “untouched by man.” Set tlers were lured to Canada with promises of free land in an uninhabited place. The truth is, this place was managed to be this way – wide open and resource abundant – since the beginning of time by our a ncestors. every place had a name given by the First nation caretaker, granted by the Creator. Replacing the First nation place name with

a settler name erases the First nation. Today the borders that separate Canada from the u.S. also dissect the ha ida in the north and the Coast Salish, Silyx and kt unaxa to the south from their a ncestors and lands. These are not First nations boundaries.

Truth is part of reconciliation.

it’s essential to recognize these places as being First nation lands. place names and land acknowledgments are early-stage reconciliation actions. These actions express gratitude to First nations and demonstrate respect now, respect for the past and future and an interest in being an ally. a cknowledgments also say, “ i see you.” This is an important message when these lands were colonized based on the doctrine of discovery. The national a ssem bly of First nations wrote in 2018: “how is it possible that any pope, k i ng or Queen, or explorers from eu rope could ‘discover’ lands in the new World if i ndigenous peoples were already occupying such lands, according to our own laws and legal orders?”

a rchaeological evidence supports First nations’ asser tions that we have always been here.

d r ive from Vancouver to Calgary and you’ll pass through at least five countries. e a ch is a First n a tion that has its own language, culture, laws, justice, science, health and ceremony, like the characteristics that dis tinguish the five countries that cover a similar distance

Kławum’ PaŧKi (Beverley O’Neil)

between Amsterdam to Florence. In the early 1990s, the Cranbrook Daily Townsman reported that a regional district meeting discussed adding Ktunaxa place names to highway signs. “Why would we do that? Then they’d [Ktunaxa Nation] think they owned it,” someone said. On Oct. 3, 2022, the City of Fernie revealed the welcome sign design with the Ktunaxa place name at the bottom corner.

This place has come a long way since the 1990s. In preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Sea-toSky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler erected 27 Squamish-language signs. Since, Tsilhqot’in names were adopted for mountains, lakes and a river. The shíshálh traditional names of ts'u k w'um and s kelhp are returned to their lands in the Sunshine Coast area.

Art is another way of recognition. Indigenous art murals throughout the Lower Mainland give this monotone canvas colour. Overpasses and buildings are adorned with First

Nations art, like the brightly coloured pow-wow dancers by Cree artist Jerry Whitehead. Until 2008, visitors to the city’s Stanley Park Brockton Point saw totem poles. Unbe knownst to them, none of these belonged to the local First Nations. Visitors to the park now see three gateway carv ings created by an artist from the Musqueam, Squamish or Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, such as Musqueam’s Susan Point.

A plan maps the way to reconciliation.

Leading up to the 2015 National Truth and Reconcilia tion recommendations, the City of Vancouver proclaimed 2013-14 the Year of Reconciliation, supported by over 30 initiatives overseen by an ongoing relationship with local First Nations, the urban Indigenous community and Indigenous advisory and interdepartmental committees.

Like many municipalities, corporations and educational institutes, there is a commitment to creating opportunities

The Vancouver Art Gallery plaza area is one of two prominent public plazas in the city to have been renamed • Chung Chow

PLACES OF CHANGE

for i n digenous p e oples. a n example is the creation of i n digenous rela tionship adviser positions, which often require i ndigenous studies and/ or having i nd igenous ancestry as prerequisites. But i nd igenous studies alone don’t offer the experiences or insight necessary for creating needed change, or connections to the i ndigenous community. The City of Vancou ver has gi nger g osnell-Myers, a ni sga'a-kwakwaka'wakw urban planner, researcher and policy expert, who is also the first i n digenous relations manager for the city.

Reconciliation begins with the truth, and the inclusion of i ndigenous pe oples in initiatives from idea to decision, and in ownership. it m eans hiring people who can share their i ndigenous experience, not just declare an ethnicity. it means more than rolling out the welcome mat. it means creating a place of reconcilia[c]tion. ç

Kławum’ Paŧki (Beverley O’Neil), is a citizen of the Ktunaxa Nation, writer, journalist, facilitator and Kumtuks (consultant). She’s a leader in Indigenous community economic development, an innovator in Indigenous cultural tourism and agriculture, and a founder of Indigenous Tourism BC.

Reconciliation is an oppoRtunity foR all canadians to Renew Relationships, based on a shaRed undeRstanding of ou R histoRies and ou R cultu Res and walk a path togetheR foR a shaRed tomoRRow. to ‘ Reconcile’ is to weave a stRongeR and moRe vibR ant social fabRic, suppoRted by the unique and diveRse stRengths of canadians and thei R communities ˆ

Reconciliation Canada

A street sign near the community centre and administration facilities of the Musqueam Indian Band • MusqueaM

How the traditional circle of care was broken, and how to uphold the rights of Indigenous children now

CHILDREN AND THE FUTURE OF RECONCILIATION

PHOTO: MIRIAM CEREZO GARCIA/GETTY IMAGES

It was understood that children have their own wisdom and knowledge, and that they are future leaders and Elders. Chil dren were celebrated and encouraged to cultivate their unique qualities and strengths, and extended family members played an integral role in supporting this. Raising a child was the responsibility of the entire community.

Indigenous children’s development was marked by ceremony and celebration that ensured children were strong in their identity. Connection to family, community and culture not only helped children understand who they were, but gave children

“a sense of dignity, a sense of belonging, right from birth.”

According to a report from the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health: “In too many communities, that know ledge of how to raise whole children has been interrupted by the fallout from residential schools and the lingering effects of colonization. Yet the underlying wisdom still exists, preserved in the memory banks and teachings of our Elders.”

Colonizers in Canada understood that children were the heart and future of Indigenous communities, and as a result, targeted children for assimilation. Indigenous children have been under

Indigenous communities and families thrived for 14,000 years before the arrival of colonizers. Children were deeply valued members of society, recognized as individuals who make their own decisions, and were en couraged to self-determine their own path forward.

Traditionally, children benefitted from a circle of support, where aunties, uncles, cousins and extended family worked together to support young future leaders • PETER GARRARD BECK/GETTY IMAGES

KYLEE SWIFT, SOFIA VITALIS, AMBER BEDARD, KIM VAN DER WOERD (RECIPROCAL CONSULTING)

CHILDREN AND THE FUTURE

direct attack from the Canadian government and churches since the implementation of residential schools, where Canada’s stated goal was to take the Indian out of the child.

This threat to Indigenous children has continued through the 60s Scoop – the mass removal of In digenous children from their families and their placement into the child welfare system – and the subsequent Millennial Scoop.

“Every child has a right to love, a right to feel safe and comforted. For so long that right has been dis rupted with Indigenous communities, [which] has caused intergenerational harm in ways we cannot measure,” says Robyn Ward, board member of the Indigenous technology company Animikii.

Genocide and racism continue to lead to the sys tematic removal of Indigenous children from their families and communities. Today, there are count less reports of social workers mislabelling multi generational care as neglect, conflating poverty with an unfit home and defining shared caretaking as bad parenting.

Advocates say that Canada’s child welfare sys tem has become the new residential school system where there are more Indigenous children and youth in care today than there were in residential schools. Indigenous children and youth, despite account ing for only 7 per cent of the youth population of

EVERY CHILD HAS A RIGHT TO LOVE, A RIGHT TO FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTED. FOR SO LONG THAT RIGHT HAS BEEN DISRUPTED WITH INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, [WHICH] HAS CAUSED INTERGENERATIONAL HARM IN WAYS WE CANNOT MEASURE ˆ

Robyn Ward Board member Animikii

Canada, account for 52 per cent of the population in foster care. In 2019, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and the Federal Court validated that the colonial system discriminates against Indigenous children, leading to trauma and harm. Needlessly removing Indigenous children from their families harms not only the family and community, but our future generations as a whole.

“What was done broke down that traditional

ABOVE: Robyn Ward is a board member of the Indigenous technology company Animikii • SUBMITTED

LEFT: Laranna Scott is the early learning and child care manager with Métis Nation BC • SUBMITTED

circle of support, where aunties, uncles, cousins and extended family all worked together to support the child. All of that was stripped.… All children deserve a circle of support,” says Laranna Scott, early learning and child care manager with Métis Nation BC.

“Children are a gift from creator, born to be nurtured, loved and cared for. That’s how they've been traditionally viewed and how I view them today.”

When the Province of BC passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s Act into law in November 2019, as per the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) 94 Calls to Action, this created a framework for a path forward that respects the human rights of Indigenous Peoples, and introduces better transparency and predictability in the work we do together.

The declaration act has a particular focus on ensuring the rights of Indigenous children are upheld. The TRC’s first five Calls to Action call on the provincial and federal governments to commit to reducing children in care, and to developing national standards on apprehension and custody. It is important that we continue to hold our governments and ourselves account able to these Calls to Action because the overrepresentation of Indigenous children and youth in care has implications not only for social and cultural reconciliation, but institutional and economic reconciliation. Our children are our future – true reconciliation must begin with them. ç

Kylee Swift, Sofia Vitalis, Amber Bedard and Kim van der Woerd are from Reciprocal Consulting Inc.

•Indigenous children as a population are growing twice as fast as non-Indigenous children. Invest in Indigenous children and families – every statistic shows that by investing in Indigenous children and families, you will get a return on your investment (Laranna Scott, Métis Nation BC)

•Invest and partner with the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund for ethical, Indigenous-led philanthropy

•Hire Indigenous talent, and hire and train students to ensure that Indigenous Peoples have equitable access to jobs, training and education opportunities (Animikii, TRC Call to Action No. 92)

•Provide education for your management and staff on the history of Indigenous Peoples, including the history and legacy of colonialism. Include skills-based training on human rights and anti-racism (Animikii)

•Learn about what nations are doing to rebuild systems of care for their children

•Commit to meaningful, respectful consultation with Indigenous communities to create economic development opportunities (Animikii, TRC Call to Action No. 92)

•Read the Indigenous Ally Toolkit, then find local organizations that work with Indigenous children and youth and ask them what resources and contributions they need

THE REMOVAL OF INDIGENOUS CHILDREN IS NOT AN INDIGENOUS ISSUE, BUT A CANADIAN ONE. HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO START MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

APOLOGIES WERE A FIRST STEP – IT’S TIME TO REBUILD

Survivors and intergenerational survivors want healing, which will require investment in

KÚKPI7 ROSANNE CASIMIR, OBC

Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc refers to the confirmation of 215 over a year ago as “Le Estcwicwéý” or “the Missing.” What proceeded was the start of a local, provin cial, national and international reckoning of the harsh truths of the colonial practice of residen tial schools. People have a new awareness of the atrocities of residential schools and their impacts on our people.

The results of the ground-penetrating radar caused the retriggering of past trauma for so many, which was exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, opioid crisis and unprecedented climate change impacts, including wildfires and atmospheric rivers. This past year and a half have truly been challenging, emotional and painful for Indigenous Peoples across Canada.

MY REFLECTION ON THE JOURNEY TO THE VATICAN

I genuinely appreciate and thank the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) for allowing me to represent B.C. and 204 First Nations on the journey to the Vatican. For me, to take this journey to the highest level of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, was impactful and truly historical.

I went there representing our people with the hope of building meaningful steps towards reconciliation, while seeking justice. We wanted to bring honour and dignity to our children, who were literally cast aside at residential schools.

Our delegation brought forth four key areas for our presentation with the Pope. We spoke about residential schools and unmarked graves, the Truth and Reconcilia tion Commission, the Papal apology and visit to Canada, and the importance of healing and reconciliation.

The Roman Catholic Church also needed to be held ac countable for their role by fully disclosing their historic documents and mandating the local dioceses throughout

the country to work with Indigenous communities to de termine what is needed to heal. This work needs to start immediately, as we are losing our survivors and need healing for our survivors’ children and future generations to stop the intergenerational trauma.

At the Vatican, the Canadian delegation was able to ex perience the Pope apologizing firsthand. It was a sincere apology and was significant to the survivors that were in attendance.

The next apology from the Pope was on Canadian soil and it too was a good step forward. Many survivors had the opportunity to hear directly from the Pope as he apologized for the tragedies of residential schools. The Pope’s apologies were critical to our future relationship, but they can only be the first step in our ongoing work with the Roman Catholic Church.

What the survivors and intergenerational survivors want is healing and peace, and healing requires signifi cant investment in support. The Government of Canada and the Roman Catholic Church spent billions of dollars destroying our languages and cultures. They need to commit to rebuilding. The Doctrine of Discovery needs to be repudiated as a racist document and the system of colonization needs to be addressed.

It is time for the real work to begin with the Roman Cath olic Church and the federal government so that we can all shape a future that is truly healthy and prosperous, and grounded in pride for our culture and traditions.

Forgiveness is a personal choice, and it comes for indi viduals in their own way and time. Reconciliation is the action of living your best life and giving that opportunity to future generations.

I want us all to remember “Le Estcwicwéý.” We honour them and will continue to nurture and bring peace through truth, seeking answers and justice.

We will continue to move forward, as we still have quite a journey together towards reconciliation. Never forget: “Every Child Matters.” ç

Kúkpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir, OBC, is serving her second term as elected Kúkpi7/Chief of Tk’emlups te Secwépemc.

support

THE POPE’S APOLOGIES WERE CRITICAL TO OUR FUTURE RELATIONSHIP, BUT THEY CAN ONLY BE THE FIRST STEP IN OUR ONGOING WORK WITH THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

DEYEN: AN INVITATION TO TRANSFORM

A powerful online learning platform that centres the wisdom, traditional knowledge, worldviews, and lived experiences of the original Matriarchs of the lands often referred to as Canada.