Dootilh
”BUILDING A POWERFUL, PROSPEROUS AND PROUD COMMUNITY, HEALTHY IN
May 2017
, a l s Hai esent repr
MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT.”
d e n r u t r o l l i c n u Chief Co Ellis Ross p e r a n e / page 3 Ske
Be alert for bears and wolves. Page 7 1
Haisla election on June 5 Page 2
Candidates •Keith Nyce •Crystal Dawn Smith
(5 to be elected) •Cross, Taylor D. •Duncan, Brenda •Duncan, Jake
HAISLA ELECTION DAY JUNE 5, 2017 9 am to 8 pm, at Haisla Recreation Centre
•Grant, Blair •Grant, Godfrey Peter •Grant, Harvey •Grant, Lindsay •Grant, Margaret •Gray, Pietro •Harms, Lucille •Ross, Jo-Anne •Stewart, Harold •Wilson, Esther (Missy) •Wilson, Steven Sr. - N-L
Persons in Kitamaat Village and Kitimat who believe they will not be available on voting day can contact Trish Grant to receive a ballot package. Call her at 250639-9361, extension 104.
For Chief Councillor and 5 councillors
Electoral Officer is Bruce Mack, (250) 392-6867, brucemack68@gmail.com 2
Ross builds on what he learned as Chief Councillor Ellis Ross, who served as the Haisla Nation’s high-profile Chief Councillor for many years, is stepping into a far larger role, as the provincial representative for the Skeena riding. Running as a candidate for the BC Liberal party, Ross pushed largely the same agenda he had leading the Council: build jobs and opportunities. “A lot of people, especially Kitimat, realized how bad job opportunities are,” he said, noting opportunities are not are plentiful as once had been.
Ellis Ross in this photo from his time as Chief Councandidate for months, since being selected cillor. Now the provincial representative for Skeena. He’s been pushing that message as a
to run for Skeena by the Liberal party. He said he’s looking forward to the learning curve of this new position. He said he’ll now have to learn the technical aspects of being the MLA (Member of the
The scale of his new job now is quite large, with a riding that includes Kitimat, Terrace, and Nisga’a. Beyond that even, he is potentially facing being a representative in a minority government, which he says doesn’t change
Legislative Assembly) and putting together his priorities but means working even more closely with the constituency offices. Step one will be the easy one. Step two,
other parties. As for looking at his choice to run for the BC Liberals, he
he says, is getting started on his priorities
points to everything the Haisla have achieved over the past
which includes getting the wheels turning
several years and says the Liberal party played a big part in
on LNG projects for the area, plus a num- setting the stage for that success. He said he doesn’t forget ber of other priorities for the entire region. when anyone comes to bat for the Haisla. 3
Deputy Chief makes the case for Haisla at LNG conference in Japan Haisla Deputy Chief Councillor Taylor Cross hopped the pond in early April to represent the Haisla Nation at a conference in Japan.
countries.” The First Nations LNG Alliance is a collective of First Nations who are participating in, and
The event, Gastech, was a major energy confer-
supportive of, sustainable LNG development in BC.
ence which hosted thousands of attendees. Cross travelled as part of a First Nations LNG Alliance delegation, with funding from both the federal and provincial governments. It was an impressive gathering of people from across the globe to talk about LNG, and Cross said his own goal was to show the buyers of liquefied natural gas that there is First Nations government support of exporting the product in British Columbia. “We met with different Japanese representatives
First Nations LNG Alliance photo above: From left to right: Chief Ray Morris from Nee along the pipelines, going from Northeast BC to Tahi Buhn Band, Chief Jackie Thomas from Saik’uz Nation, Rod Maier, Vice President, Kitimat.” Policy, Government & Public Affairs for ChevAs for what he feels about the prospect of liqueron Canada, Karen Ogen-Toews, CEO of FNfied natural gas after attending the conference, Cross LNGA and Deputy Chief Taylor Cross from said he’s come away feeling positive about the indus- Haisla Nation. to ensure the support is there from First Nations
try and its future. “I felt better as I saw first hand that Japan and other Asian countries need LNG, as there was LNG proponents from all over the globe that are in or trying to get in to the Asian market.” Cross adds, “Canada has a stable government and is closer to the markets compared to other 4
Hide n’ Heels
Another successful Hide n’ Heels event was put
You can learn more about the Moose Hide Cam-
on at the Haisla Recreation Centre on May 19.
paign online at www.moosehidecampaign.ca.
The event was organized again by the Violence Against Women in Relationships Committee, which is a collaborative committee of agencies from Kitimat and Haisla Nation Council.
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Teresa Windsor takes on Haisla culture Yauc', Teresa kilasu' nu'gwa, hid'e Peggy Ross abuxn'c, hid'e Russell Ross opn'c, langu'k C'im'o'ca'xa. (Hello, I am called Teresa, my mother is Peggy, my father is Russell, I live in Kitamaat.) My new position and job title is the Community Cultural Coordinator. The purpose of my position is to actively work with community members both young and old to retain and revitilize our culture and language. To ensure that our traditional ways will be learned and preserved for future generations. Prior to this position, back in 2013 I had created a Haisla Language Facebook page to share what infor-
more energy than the previous clan. The Spirit of the
mation and lessons currently existed with our
Kitlope dance group has graciously helped me fine
members. I had worked with a few community
tune the song and bring it to life.
members to coordinate a meeting that gathered all
It truly is an honor and a dream come true to be a
individuals also have a passion or longing to learn our
part in creating a plan for our community that will
language and cultural ways. I started writing down my
uplift our culture and traditions of our Nation.
goals for Language and Culture and shared them with
My vision for this position is to bridge existing gaps
community members, council members, just to see
between generations in our nation, as well as within
where the interest levels were at collectively. I also
our entire community, Kitimat included.
wrote a new Haisla Clan song, it's a song meant to challenge one clan to another to sing and dance with
My dream goal for our language and culture is to see a longhouse built for all of our cultural wealth to be
SPOTLIGHT ON HAISLA WORDS Sas w’ela (Sess-whale-uh)
How are you? W’e’la’s (Whey-lahs)
What’s wrong with you?
kun’we’la (Gee-YOUn-whale-ah)
Nothing is wrong with me. 6
Who to call if you see dangerous wildlife around Kitamaat Village (250-639-0199).
If you happen to see wildlife in Kitamaat Village, and there have been recent sightings of grizzly bears
- Once the animal is put down it will be dispoed
and wolves, follow these steps to report it:
of immediately by the Public Works crew unless the
- Call the Conservation Officer at 1-877-952-7277, CO chooses to remove the carcass himself. or the RCMP at 250-632-7111 (Kitimat RCMP of-
- There should be no harvesting of parts allowed
fice) and report the details of the sighting. Details
by anyone, epecially if the animal is an endangered
include a street address where the bear or animal
species.
was seen.
- All sightings of wildlife off-reserve should be reported to the CO at 1-877-952-7277, or 250-638-
- Any bear or wildlife that poses an immediate
safety risk to residents will be put down either by the 6530. (Northern Region). Conservation Officer, or by designated shooters
For more information on BearAware visit
within the community: Andy Bolton (250-639-3741), www.env.gov.bc.ca/cos/info/bearaware/index.html Trevor Amos (250-639-6360), or Daryle Bolton
Teresa Windsor, continued ways, however I'm passionate about learning and
housed. A place where we can build on unifying our
community by learning and teaching our ways, giving a sharing what I learn with our people. sense of pride to our guk'a'lut, a strong cultural identity and belonging.
I've always been inspired seeing how other neighboring communities still practice their traditional ways when it comes to dancing, feasting, and speaking
My immediate goal is to collect a database of information pertaining to our history to create a
their native tongue. It has always been a dream of
timeline of events that impacted our nation. In the
mine to be able to speak Haisla fluently.
very near future, I hope to work with some of our
I believe that we all can contribute to the preserving
talented Haisla artists to coordinate some lessons
of our ways, I am very open to listening and learning
around cedar harvesting, weaving, First Nations
from anyone who is willing to share. If you have any
fundamental art lessons. (To name a few ideas).
ideas or input you would like to share with me, please don't hesitate to message me on Facebook, or email
As this is a brand new position that has never existed before, I'm excited to be a part of a ground
me at twindsor@haisla.ca, or, text or call
breaking position. I'm not an expert in our traditional
250-639-7044. 7
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Education and Employment department welcomes Robyn Smith as intern HNC is pleased to announce
of her Aboriginal Youth Care
that Robyn Smith will be joining
certificate in 2016 at the Native
the Education & Employment
Education College in Vancouver.
team for the summer (May to
While completing her AYC
August), as part of the BC Public
certificate, she had the
Service Intern program.
opportunity to volunteer with a
Robyn is a member of the
local school to be a mentor in the
Haisla Nation on her father's side, Dogwood 25 Mentorship as well as the Tsimshian and Nisga'a Nations on her mother's
program. While living in the city, she has
side. She lived in the Haisla
had the opportunity to meet many
territory for most of her
people from around the world;
childhood but moved to
this has given her the interest in
Vancouver with her family during wanting to travel and learn about high school. Robyn completed her high
the different types of cultures and traditions from other countries.
the opportunity to work at a
school education in Vancouver in
Currently, she has only focused on daycamp at the Vancouver
2006. She has completed her
learning her own traditional
Aboriginal Friendship Centre. At
Criminology diploma at Douglas
teachings from her grandparents
the daycamp she realized that she
College in 2013 in New
as well as many other elders in the really enjoys working with youth
Westminster. She has furthered
urban first nations community.
her education with the completion
and she is working towards having
During high school Robyn had a career in working with youth.
Job postings for Haisla Nation Council are always updated at Haisla.ca, and a number of positions with other companies are listed at capacitydevelopment.haisla.ca. HNC Summer Students| Work Placement Coordinator | Other positions 9
Men’s wellness gathering at end of month Haisla men, there is a Men's Wellness gathering
Centre, or call them at 250-632-3600.
being held from May 29 to June 2. Facilitated by Lee This program is to help you "heal from the losses Mason. Sign up or find out more at the Health
of loved ones and more."
MAMMOGRAMS Community Health at the Haisla Health Centre is bringing the Mobile Mammogram Van to the Village on June 26, but they need 20 people to sign up for appointments.
Do you need a mammogram? Call the Health Centre at 250-632-3600 to get your name on the list!
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A Q&A with the RCMP - Reporting crimes Question: When I call to report an emergency or non-emergency, why do I have to provide my information? Like my name, date of birth, address and phone number? Answer: Emergency dispatchers and police officers will ask for this information for a number of reasons, mainly so they know who made the complaint and how to reach them at a later time. Providing your date of birth helps the police to differentiate between people with the same name and assist in combating identity theft. Question: Will an emergency dispatcher or police officer ask for my banking information, Social Insurance Number (SIN #) or credit card number? Answer: No, there would be no reason for the police to collect this information. If police required this information for specific files such as a fraud or identity theft, you would only provide it in person and in private. If someone contacts you and says they're a police officer asking for your banking information,
SIN # or credit card number; request their name, badge number and detachment they work at. After receiving their information, hang up and contact the RCMP detachment they stated. Make sure to look up the detachment phone number from a phone book (example: yellowpages) and not a number they provided. If the caller is fraudulent, they will likely hang up when you ask for their information. Please report all cases of suspected fraud/scams to the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre (CAFC) by calling 1-888-495-8501. If you observe a crime or suspicious activity in your community, please let us know through the following sources: * Emergencies - Dial: 911 * Non-Emergencies - Dial: 250-632-7111 * Report Anonymously - Dial: 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit bccrimestoppers.com The RCMP does not accept reports of crime via e-mail.
Report crimes anonymously by calling 1-800-222-TIPS
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You do not want knotweeds: some things to know about this invasive species This month will be on Knotweeds; we have the Japanese Knotweed in our area. The main Knotweed in our territory is spread by fragmenting or rhizome transport. The plant can regrow from a piece as little as 1 inch. The rhizome system is similar to the Stinging Nettle system. A piece less than 1 inch can restart the Knotweed again. In the initial stages Japanese Knotweed can be difficult to spot (unless in an open area). This is a picture of a new shoot:
other side) and growing through foundations (this
These plants can grow over ten feet in one season. (See above right.)
can lead to basement flooding and foundation deterioration).
While these may look good for a garden, the
Currently the only way to kill these plants effec-
plants are really quite destructive in many ways. 1)
tively is using chemicals. There are a few people
The plants take away areas that native plants
that can come in and spray the plants during the
use and that native wildlife use for feeding. 2)
summer. Connect with Chris Wilson for informa-
The roots fracture (when close to water’s
edge) and then regrow further downstream. This
tion on that at 250-639-9361 Ext 212. The roots can
can cause severe stream erosion, and the quick
remain dormant for more than 7 years, and start to
spread of the Knotweed.
regrow when the conditions are right.
3)
From the desk of Chris Wilson
The roots travel quite far in the soil and can
Environmental Monitor/GIS
start going under roads (to start new colonies on 15
Refresher: Important notes about the registry When you come in for your status card you must make payment at the front desk. If you bring in your own picture please remember it needs to fit within the space allotted for the card. I require 2 pieces of VALID ID; I cannot accept photocopied ID or papers saying you have applied for your ID. If your child is over 12+ and has had a status card already I do require 2 valid pieces of ID from them as they are now able to sign forms and status card by themselves. You do not need ID to apply for your Birth Certificate. Original Long Form Birth Certificates are sent to INAC when registering your child.
When you get married and your spouse wishes to transfer its up to your spouse to get transfer papers. It’s not mandatory to transfer upon marriage. I can only give information directly to the person requesting. I cannot give you info if your child is over 18yrs. I cannot give you info on your grandchild/sibling even if they are under 18; the parent needs to request this. This includes spouses. When you have registered or transferred you will get a notice from INAC stating that you have been added to the Haisla Nation registry before I get notice. Please give me at least a couple of weeks for me to get this info from INAC. I cannot do anything until I get my copy from INAC. Your name can not be changed on the registry without proper documents. For example you have married and wish to use your married name I would need your Marriage Certificate brought in to me to report to INAC. Same goes for legal name changes. Transfers have to go through an IRA as council needs to accept and prepare a BCR you can’t just go to INAC. Sometimes the IRA has to ask for a releasing BCR from the band you want to transfer from. Transfers do take a long time to process. Please include full legal name on all papers. Marriage Certificates are required when transferring. I cannot transfer someone without transfer papers! You don’t need to come home to do your status card. Other bands offer to do non-nation status cards as well. Same rules apply (2 valid pieces of ID). Status cards need to be signed in person by both IRA and applicant. Elaine Maitland, Indian Registry Administrator, ira@haisla.ca (250) 639-9361 ext 101. 16
A multitalented artist Submitted by Lyle Wilson Paul Windsor --- a multi-talented artist with many interests: painting, drawing, writing, music (lyricist/singer) and Art Therapy --- belongs to the HAISLA HULL-AY-CHU-NOACH l-r: Bryce Windsor, Paul, Jody Wilson-Raybould (Canadian Federal (Killer Whale Clan). Justice Minister), Miriam Windsor and Brett Robinson. Some of Paul's paintings are in the Vancouver General Hospital's (VGH) collection, (basketball), HAISLA traditional culture and the and now displayed permanently at the Sassafras Cafeteria. The Federal Liberal Party Justice Minister HAISLAKALA language; his favorite traditional foods: smoked JUH-QWIN (eulachon), CLA-GUS MP, Jody Wilson-Raybould (Kwakwaka'wakw), (seaweed) mixed with salmon eggs. KAH-WEESAS attended Paul's opening art reception and happily (Chief Mathews Bay) is his favorite place in Haisla posed for a photo with Paul and his family: QWANOO-AUCH (child) Bryce, ABOO-ACH (mother) traditional territory. The next time any GAH-U-CA-LOOT (Haisla Miriam and MA-NES-OOT (brother) Brett. Paul grew up in Kitamaat Village but moved to people) happen to be at the VGH please take the time to visit his paintings as well as contemplate Vancouver; living with his wife, Kristy, and two Paul's belief: "not to dwell, or live in, the negative sons, Cory and Bryce. While family time is very past". important, Paul also likes MA-MA-AWCH-JWAH
Nature walk Dustin Gaucher leads students from Haisla Community School and from schools in Kitimat on a nature walk through Kitamaat Village. He educated the students on plant life and many of their traditional uses on May 12. 17
Having Sun Run to love: these Haisla persevered at the Vancouver Sun Run
Sue Smith On April 23, 2017 I was one of 40,000-plus participants at the Vancouver Sun Run. The run is 10
James Harry Sr. We did not receive a comment from James
km, but according to my app it was 11 km. My time was
Harry Sr. about the run but we are happy to
1 hour 28 minutes and 14 seconds.
share the photo from his efforts!
Thank you to all who sent me their encouraging
Want to receive weekly e-mails which includes Haisla news or events? Send an e-mail to support, not only financially but mentally as well. Very Corr@haisla.ca to ask to be put onto the Monmuch appreciated. It's hopeful I can be an inspiration to day e-mails. have more Haislas join in the future. What an amazing experience. Thank you once again. - Sue
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A digital edition of the Dootilh is posted to Haisla.ca.
Haisla Nation Council reserves the right to accept or decline to publish submissions.