Volume 15 . Issue 4
April 2019
NATIONS PREP FOR SUMMER CANOE JOURNEYS
PAGES 22 - 25
SQUAMISH CANOE CARVING BEGINS AT CAP U
PAGES 11 - 13
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NAUT’SA MAWT TRIBAL COUNCIL NATIONS
Naut’sa mawt - Working together as one EDITORIAL TEAM Cara McKenna – Editor editor@salishseasentinel.ca Todd Peacey – Photographer Celestine Aleck (Sahiltiniye) - Columnist Edith Moore - Columnist DESIGN & LAYOUT Kelly Landry & Marissa Nahanee ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION Todd Peacey ads@salishseasentinel.ca PUBLISHER Gary Reith, CAO Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council 330-6165 Highway 17A Delta, B.C., V4K 5B8 604-943-6712 or 1-888-382-7711 PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #42922026 Undeliverable mail may be returned to: 330-6165 Highway 17A Delta, B.C., V4K 5B8 circulation@salishseasentinel.ca The Salish Sea Sentinel is published monthly, ten times a year, by the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, representing 6,500 people in 11 member nations. © Salish Sea Sentinel is all rights reserved. Contents and photographs may not be reprinted without written permission. The statements, opinions and points of view expressed in articles published in this magazine are those of the authors. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, transparencies or other materials. COVER: Sofia Blaney of Tla’amin Nation practices a dance during the Northern Salish Coastal Jam at the Tla’amin gymnasium on Feb. 23. Photo by Todd Peacey.
The Salish Sea map was created in 2009 by Stefan Freelan at Western Washington University
1. HALALT (250) 246-4736 chief@halalt.org www.halalt.org
7. SNAW-NAW-AS (Nanoose) (250) 390-3661 chris.bob@nanoose.org www.nanoose.org
2. HOMALCO (250) 923-4979
8. STZ’UMINUS (Ladysmith) (250) 245-7155 Ray.Gauthier@coastsalishdevcorp.com www.stzuminus.com
3. KLAHOOSE Qathen Xwegus Management Corp (250) 935-6536 www.klahoose.com 4. K'ÒMOKS (250) 339-4545 http://www.komoks.ca 5. MALAHAT (250) 743-3231 info@malahatnation.ca www.malahatnation.com 6. TLA’AMIN (604) 483-9646 clint.williams@tn-bc.ca www.tlaaminnation.com
9. TSAWWASSEN (604) 943-2112 info@tsawwassenfirstnation.com www.tsawwassenfirstnation.com 10. TSLEIL-WAUTUTH (604) 929-3454 cao@twnation.ca www.twnation.ca 11. T’SOU-KE (Sooke) (250) 642-3957 administrator@tsoukenation.com www.tsoukenation.com
Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council 8017 Chemainus Road Chemainus, B.C., V0R 1K5 (250) 324-1800 • www.nautsamawt.org
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 3
workiNg witH First NatioNs commuNities Hazelwood is coNtiNually lookiNg For opportuNities to work For, or witH, First NatioNs iN caNada. tHis approacH Has allowed us to work For a variety oF NatioNs iN bc, aNd Has Helped us create a variety oF workiNg agreemeNts witH NatioNs tHat sHare our eNtrepreNeurial spirit.
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ELDER PROFILE: HOMALCO’S VERA PEACEY Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council is run with guidance from an Elders Council with representatives from its 11 member nations. The Salish Sea Sentinel is profiling a new elder from the council each month. By Edith Moore, NmTC communications liaison When I sat down with Homalco Elder Vera Peacey, she spoke about the importance of tolerance and self-development. “I was taught early in life from my family to be respectful, and considerate of others,” she said. “We must work on ourselves and move forward in life. … If you put your mind to something there is nothing you can’t do.” Vera lives at Homalco First Nation, but she was born in Vancouver. She grew up in Redonda Bay, a small fishing village near Church House and Klahoose First Nation. Her father was originally from Russia, and her grandmother was from the Pielle family, but married into the Joseph family of Tla’amin Nation. Learning how to weave baskets was a skill passed down through the generations, and Vera learned to weave as a child from her mother Irene and Great Aunt Annie. Irene and Annie’s baskets can be seen to this day at the Campbell River Museum. Vera and her husband Dave of more than 50 years have three boys -- Ron, Kevin and Todd -- as well as seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Vera worked for the Province of B.C. in safety and First Nations health for more than 20 years. She was also the housing coordinator for Homalco and Klahoose. She spoke of how she would never have been able to get these jobs if she had not returned to school when she was 39 years old, when she entered a women’s program that taught her administration and computer skills. At the same time, she received her driver’s license. Currently Vera is still working for her nation temporarily as coordinator for an upcoming language gathering being held at Homalco with surrounding communities. She is still striving to preserve and learn the history and culture of our people, and serves on the NmTC Elders Council in order to be a voice for her community We value all you do for us Vera, and thank you for sharing your knowledge, making us stronger.
Photo: B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Change George Heyman speaks at Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s Indigenous Green Economy Conference in Vancouver on March 13.
HOMALCO MOVES FORWARD WITH CLEAN ENERGY PLAN Nation receives $140,000 from B.C. First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund Homalco First Nation has received $140,000 in provincial funding to implement a community energy plan. The plan promotes efficient energy consumption and savings, and is being supported as part of a larger chunk of funding to support clean-energy projects in B.C. First Nations. B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Change George Heyman spoke of the initiative at Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s Indigenous Green Economy Conference on March 13. Funding for Homalco’s project is being supported by the B.C. First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund, which funded nearly $2.5 million for Indigenous-driven projects in 2018. “Today, the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation is announcing (14) Indigenous-driven projects,” he said. “These projects will help us use less fossil fuels while generating new economic activity, new jobs and building our clean economy.” 6 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Chief Darren Blaney
The projects bring funded include a solar farm at Tsilhqot’in, the construction of a biomass conversion site at West Moberly and the construction of a hydropower plant to reduce diesel use at Hesquiaht. At Homalco, the funding is allowing the nation to implement a community energy plan that was completed in 2018. Chief Darren Blaney said the initiative will include energy audits for community buildings and homes, implementing energy efficiencies in community spaces, and making recommendations to members
about reducing their energy consumption. This will include initiatives like applying weather stripping and insulation in buildings and installing low-energy light bulbs and appliances. “Homalco has been interested in becoming a more energy-efficient community and reducing energy costs for our community members,” Blaney said in a statement. The nation will work with Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council to create efficiency standards throughout the community and to investigate energy consumption. Homalco will also identify community “champions” to lead the way as the plan is implemented. The First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund also invested $100,000 towards Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s Indigenous Green Economy Conference in Vancouver on March 13 and 14. According to the province, applications for the next First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund intake will be accepted until the end of May.
MUSQUEAM FLAG RAISED AT UBC
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 7
From left: Musqueam Elder Larry Grant, Chief Wayne Sparrow and UBC President Santa J. Ono with a Musqueam drummer. Photos: UBC.
Flag featuring Musqueam logo will fly alongside UBC, B.C. flags on main campus Musqueam Indian Band’s flag has been permanently raised at the University of British Columbia. The flag, being flown beside the UBC and B.C. flags, was raised by two Musqueam students during a ceremony on Feb. 25. The university’s main campus is located on unceded Musqueam territory and the flag raising is part of a wider commitment to Indigenize. A Musqueam welcome pole by Brent Sparrow Jr. was dedicated in 2016, and street signs were unveiled last year that 8 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
feature Hul’qumi’num names along with English ones. The university also offers six accredited Hul’qumi’num language classes. Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow said the flag, featuring the Musqueam logo, is an important milestone for the nation. “The flag is a powerful visual reminder for students and visitors, and especially for our people, who I hope are reminded that this is their traditional homeland,” he said in a statement. UBC president Santa Ono added that the
flag reflects a permanent commitment by the university to Musqueam, which has occupied the territory for millennia. The two parties originally signed a memorandum of affiliation committing to a longterm relationship in 2006. “We are acknowledging this past history but we are also recognizing our present relationship with Musqueam and our responsibilities for future actions with Musqueam and other Indigenous communities in Canada and worldwide,” he said.
Musqueam students who raised the flag are interviewed.
MALAHAT ARTWORK ADDED TO MILL BAY FERRY TERMINAL Designs by Jeremy and Jordan Harry represent Malahat Nation Artwork created by two Malahat First Nation members is now on display at the BC Ferries terminal in Mill Bay. Jeremy and Jordan Harry painted two panels on the terminal’s wooden enclosure. One features two killer whales breaching under the moon as they hunt for salmon, and the other is Malahat Nation’s symbol representing water people. Together, the panels display earth, sky and life, according to a statement from BC Ferries. Jordan Harry said he and Jeremy are proud to showcase their artwork at the terminal on Malahat territory. “Our design is a representation of our community,” he said. “We are pleased to share it with BC Ferries and the many travelers that pass through the terminal.” BC Ferries worked with Malahat Nation to revitalize its Mill Bay terminal after a small fire damaged its infrastructure last Spring. Mark Wilson, the vice president of strategy and community engagement for BC Ferries, said the work captures beautiful elements of the area. “The artwork of Malahat Nation is a wonderful addition to our Mill Bay terminal,” he said
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SQUAMISH CARVERS BUILD CANOE AT CAP U Students, public are being invited to observe carving process being led by Ses Siyam
Ann Whonnack
Top left: Squamish Nation Drummers and Singers. Top right: Noelle Natraoro. Bottom right: Squamish carver Ses Siyam.
Photos and story by Cara McKenna A classical Salish-style canoe is being carved at Capilano University after a blessing ceremony that prepared the log for its transformation. The nine-metre canoe is being carved by Ses Siyam (Ray Natraoro) of Squamish Nation and apprentice carver X̱ats’alanexw Siyam (Victor Harry). It is being shaped on CapU’s North Vancouver campus to commemorate the school’s 50th anniversary. The cedar log being utilized is estimated to be 400 to 600 years old, and was prepared on Feb. 25 with an awakening ceremony. It was brushed with cedar by four women -- Ann Whonnack, Charlene George, Dianne Natrall and Noelle Natraoro. Swowo Gabriel of Squamish Nation explained that the former tree saw many generations of people come and go, and had to be prepared for the next step in its life. “(The carvers) are going to be bringing this canoe into life as a new being,” Gabriel said. “The ceremony today is to help get it ready.” It will be the 34th canoe carved by Ses Siyam, who comes from seven generations of canoe carvers. “That was our family profession before [European] contact,” he said in a statement. “I thought this legacy project was a good opportunity to help document this canoe-carving culture.” Both Ses Siyam and X̱ats’alanexw Siyam are hereditary chiefs and have now carved eight canoes together. Ses Siyam said he hopes the process will be fairly interactive, as students and the public are being invited to stop by and observe the process as the traditional canoe takes shape. Students in the university’s Indigenous Independent Filmmaking Program are also filming a documentary about the carving process. “People can come by, take a look at it, help out,” he said. “It’s one of my favourite (types of) canoes to carve because it’s the most unique and intricate.” CapU Elder-in-Residence Ernie George of Tsleil-Waututh Nation has also been involved in conceptualizing the project, as he is a former canoe racer. “There are many canoe builders in our family tree too,” George said. “I know our ancestors are here and I know they’ll be watching over them.” CapU president Paul Dangerfield said he’s excited to see the canoe take shape on campus. “Ses Siyam is keen to share cultural teachings with the community as he carves,” he said in a statement. “His contributions to Indigenizing our university will be invaluable.” The canoe will be housed at CapU and taken out on the water during the summer. The carving has already begun in an open lot next to the Bosa Building. It is expected to be completed later this Spring. More information and updates can be found at capilanou.ca/50.
TWN HOUSE POSTS UNVEILED AT MAPLEWOOD FLATS Tsleil-Waututh carver Zachary George (Skokaylem)
Posts are part of wider push to decolonize the 320-acre conservation space adjacent to Tsleil-Waututh’s village A pair of house posts has been unveiled at a wild bird sanctuary next to Tsleil-Waututh’s village as part of a wider push to decolonize the space. The posts carved by Zachary George (Skokaylem) were revealed at the entrance of the Nature House at Maplewood Flats during a Coast Salish Family Day event on Feb. 18. The 320-acre conservation area is a marshland that was traditionally stewarded by Tsleil-Waututh, but is now managed by the Wild Bird Trust of B.C. George said he was honoured to work on the cedar posts because they will remind Tsleil-Waututh ancestors -- and future generations -- that the site is theirs. “It’s important to our ancestors, because they see it,” he said. “It calms them, it gives them a reason to walk gently in this area.” George, who is the son of the late Leonard George, said he recalls playing in Maplewood Flats as a child, climbing trees and running around. He said it is a great honour to now have his work on display at the site. He carved the posts with teachings that he received from his father in mind. One of the posts is carved more ornately while the other is done in a simple style, depicting Tsleil-Waututh ancestors with water spreading out below. “That (post) is the one that’s going to look after this area,” he explained. “The one with more carving on it is the one that’s going to attract the eyes of the people.” Wild Bird Trust of B.C. board chairman Irwin Oostindie said directors made a decision about two and a half years ago to formally recognize Tsleil-Waututh as the unceded owners -- and original caretakers -- of the land. “As an organization we’re doing a critical self-reflection to look at what are we good at and what are we not very good at,” he said. “One of the things that we’ve not been very good at in the last 25 years is recognizing the historical moment that we’re in.” Along with the new posts, there is also artwork on display by Tsleil-Waututh members Ocean Hyland and Jordan Gallie, as well as a piece by James Harry of the Squamish Nation. Oostindie said the Wild Bird Trust of B.C. has committed to shifting its programs by the middle of this year so that at least half are delivered for, and by, Coast Salish people. Over the next 18 months, the board is aiming to reintroduce Coast Salish plants and move towards traditional harvesting of those plants. Staff are also working on plant guides that include the Hul’qumi’num and Squamish languages, as well as working on installing interpretive panels on site that talk about the history of the region. Oostindie said it’s just the beginning for the work -- he also hopes that Tsleil-Waututh members will start to utilize the area as their own. He hopes to see the Nature House be used as a culture and nature house by the nation and that future generations will recognize it as theirs. “Tsleil-Waututh members … can use the space for free,” he said. “They can use at their will and use it as an extension of their village site.” More information about the Wild Bird Trust of B.C. and Maplewood Flats can be found at www.wildbirdtrust.org.
Oaklynn Thomas, left, and Brooklyn George.
SALISH EYE PRODUCTIONS OPENS STUDIO AT HALALT Space open for photography, videography, design and community gatherings with focus on Coast Salish culture Salish Eye owner Tricia Thomas, right, with her mother Halalt Coun. Pat Thomas.
A Coast Salish digital design company has opened the doors of a new studio space at Halalt First Nation. Salish Eye Productions is owned by Halalt member Tricia Thomas (Laxelewetstnaat) and offers photography, videography, website design and more. The company’s new studio officially opened in the community near Chemainus, B.C., with a celebration on March 10. It’s the culmination of about five years of planning for Salish Eye, which previously had no fixed studio space. “This (studio) is a place to document history, culture, language and showcase artwork,” Thomas said. The building includes a recording studio to document songs and stories, a photography and videography studio and a community gathering space. Thomas said the new studio will also be open for meetings, workshops and events, starting with an Indigenous entrepreneur workshop through the University of Victoria that she’s facilitating later this Spring. Later, she hopes to host language revitalization events, traditional medicine work20 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
shops and more. “People can get together (here) to support each other and enrich each other’s lives,” she said. “I have that open-door policy just like my grandparents had, where we welcome everybody.” It’s a particularly impactful moment for Thomas, whose dreams were almost thwarted by two serious car accidents in 2014, one of which happened just before her first big job with Salish Eye. Though the accident was life-altering, Thomas said she found a silver lining while she was in recovery. “I think it allowed me the opportunity to plan better,” she said. “I was forced to kind of sit back and plan and reflect, so it provided me with the opportunity to really come up with a strategy to move forward to get to this stage.” Her partner Isaac Jack did a lot of the heavy lifting behind the scenes, building almost the entire studio through his company Salish Coast Contracting. During the opening celebration for the studio, Snuneymuxw dance group Foot-
prints of the Wolf sang the Women’s Song to honour Thomas. There was also a fashion show from Snuneymuxw’s Ay Lelum Good House of Design featuring designs that Thomas has worn or photographed. The display included Ay Lelum’s “Salish Eye” dress, which Thomas wore when she accepted a Young Entrepreneur of the Year award at the B.C. Achievement Foundation’s Aboriginal Business Awards in 2017. Pat Thomas, Halalt councillor and Tricia’s mother, said the studio’s opening was a proud day for herself and the nation as a whole. “Having a vision five years ago and having it come to fruition is absolutely amazing,” she said. “Having one of our own members come to this place where we can have a … place of business that’s open to all communities and cultures.” More information about Salish Eye Productions can be found at www.salisheye. com.
Snuneymuxw dance group Footprints of the Wolf performed, led by Deb Good.
NORTHERN COAST SALISH JAM BRINGS NATIONS TOGETHER Members from Tla’amin, Homalco, Klahoose, Qualicum and Sechelt practiced traditional songs in preparation for summer canoe journeys
Sofia Blaney, centre, practices a traditional dance with Gail Blaney, right.
Photos by Todd Peacey Members of at least five Northern Coast Salish communities came together for a group jam session in preparation for the summer canoe journeys. Traditional songs were practiced during a biweekly Northern Salish Coastal Jam event at the Tla’amin gym on Feb. 23. Members from the Tla’amin, Homalco, Klahoose, Qualicum and Sechelt nations attended the event which included drumming, ceremony and dancing. During the event, Homalco carver Sherman Pallen unveiled a raven mask that he spent about four years working on. The mask was danced for the first time by Kyle Francis of Tla’amin. “I wanted it to be perfect,” Pallen said. “My great grandfather has about a dozen masks that are in a museum in Victoria and I kind of wanted to follow his tradition.” Homalco Elder Rita Pimlott was also honoured during the day for donating a collection of about 16 baskets back to Tla’amin. The baskets date back many decades and were woven by Annie (Pielle) Chapman and Jeannie Dominic. Dominic was laid to rest in Tla’amin, which is why Pimlott wanted the baskets to go back to that territory. The baskets are now on display at the Powell River Museum and will eventually go on display at Tla’amin. Tla’amin culture manager and event organizer Drew Blaney said he was thrilled to see many communities coming together to practice their culture and to lift each other up. “I’ve been looking forward to this day for a really long time,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that our people need to come together more … to celebrate our culture.”
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From left: Homalco Coun. Kelsie Robinson, Tla’amin cultural manager Drew Blaney
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26 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
From left: Sherman Pallen, Cyndi Pallen and Phil Russell
HƐHƐWŠƖN DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES IN POWELL RIVER
Hɛhɛwšɩn - The Way Forward follows the Tla’amin-led process of carving a reconciliation canoe on a Powell River beach By Cara McKenna and Todd Peacey A documentary following Tla’amin’s Hɛhɛwšɩn canoe project made its debut during the Powell River Film Festival in mid-February. Hɛhɛwšɩn - The Way Forward follows the process of carving an eight-metre dugout canoe on a Powell River beach during several months in late 2017. The film was directed by Tla’amin member Cyndi Pallen (čɩnɛ) and edited by Theo Angell. It was co-produced by Tla’amin Elder John Louie (yaχwum) and non-Indigenous friend Phil Russell (kʷʊnanəm). Pallen, Louie and Russell were the ones who came up with the idea for a reconciliation canoe, an idea that builds on years of work that was already being done within Tla’amin to heal from residential schools. With support from Tla’amin leadership, the initiative was named Hɛhɛwšɩn, meaning “the way forward,” to represent a bet-
ter future for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people living alongside each other. While the canoe was being carved on Willingdon Beach in a process being led by skilled Tla-o-qui-aht canoe builder Joe Martin, members of the public were invited to stop and participate in the process. Hundreds of schoolchildren visited to watch, participate and hear stories. Hɛhɛwšɩn - The Way Forward was debuted at the Patricia Theatre in Powell River on Feb. 16 and 17. After the Feb. 17 screening, a short panel discussion took place involving several people who were involved in the Hɛhɛwšɩn project and film. Sherman Pallen, an artist who lives at Tla’amin and took part in carving the canoe, said that process was not only valuable to educate non-Indigenous people, but it brought knowledge to the community as well. “It was quite an honour for Joe Martin to
come over to show us his knowledge,” he said. “Most of us are kind of self-taught and we really appreciate when a master comes along and shows us how it’s done.” The Hɛhɛwšɩn initiative has since grown to include the carving of a second, smaller, canoe and a committee continues to plan events in the community. The Hɛhɛwšɩn canoe will be utilized during the Tribal Canoe Journey to Lummi this summer and an Awaken the Canoes event at Klahoose in May. Tla’amin is also set to host Tribal Journeys in 2021, something that will undoubtedly draw in the wider community in Powell River as dozens of canoes from around the Salish Sea are expected to land in the area. Russell said that the Hɛhɛwšɩn - The Way Forward documentary will be screened again for the Tla’amin community, with details to come soon. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 27
Squamish Nation dance group Spakwus Slolem were one of many groups to perform during the Coastal Dance Festival this year. Submitted photo.
COASTAL DANCE FESTIVAL SHOWCASES TALENT FROM B.C. AND BEYOND Annual event displays Indigenous dance, stories, songs with focus on ‘strong female leadership’
Diverse Indigenous dance groups from as far as Australia performed during this year’s Coastal Dance Festival in the Lower Mainland. The 12th annual festival -- formerly called the Coastal First Nations Dance Festival -- showcases Indigenous dance, stories and songs from Canada and beyond. This year’s event featured dancers from B.C., Quebec, the Yukon, Australia and Washington State. It ran from Feb. 20 to 24 at New Westminster’s Anvil Centre in Qayqayt territory. Margaret Grenier is the producer and artistic director of festival through her Northwest Coast dance company Dancers of Damelahamid. Grenier said the festival always showcases diverse talent, but this year there was a special focus on empowering women. “There are a number of (dance) compa-
nies that have a very strong female leadership,” she said. “And I think even just within my own experience and my own culture and practice growing up. There have been really strong female influences.” Grenier said that includes her mother, Elder Margaret Harris, who co-founded Dancers of Damelahamid and was recently inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame. The event also included performances from Indigenous women from Australia’s Blue Mountains and Central New Wales west country, a place where a lot of Indigenous dance is typically focused around boys and men. The festival also included a performance from Montreal-based Indigenous singers Émilie Monnet and Nahka Bertrand, and the Dancers of Damelahamid debuted an excerpt of their newest work, Mînowin.
Grenier said the festival began as a way to showcase Northwest Coast dancers but has grown over the past decade to include performers from around the world. She said, because the festival takes place Coast Salish territory, organizers are sure to feature Coast Salish dancers and get advice from local elders while the events are being planned. This year, Squamish Nation dance group Spakwus Slolem performed songs and dances representative of their canoe culture. Squamish Nation’s Mathias Entertainers also performed. “It’s really important to us because our home territory is not in the Vancouver area,” she said. “We’re always under that guidance.” More information about the festival can be found at http://damelahamid.ca.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 29
Photo: Wanosts’a7 (Dr. Lorna Williams) speaks at VIU in 2018. File photo.
INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE CONFERENCE COMES TO VICTORIA A major international conference on Indigenous language revitalization will be held in Victoria this summer. The three-day event is being held to commemorate the fact that the United Nations has declared 2019 to be the international year of Indigenous languages. The HELISET TŦE SḰÁL – ‹Let the Languages Live’ conference will bring together language experts, speakers, learners and advocates from around the world. It will take place from June 24 to 26 at the Victoria Conference Centre. The event is being hosted by the First Peoples’ Cultural Council and the First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation in partnership with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. A news release from the First Peoples’ Cultural Council said the goal of the gathering is to provide people with practical skills to support language revitalization work. Workshops will focus on training in Indigenous language immersion and documentation, policy and legislation and more. Wanosts’a7 (Dr. Lorna Williams), a Lil’watul language expert from the University of Victoria, said people in B.C. and worldwide are remembering, reclaiming and revitalizing language. “We look forward to welcoming Indigenous peoples to join us (at the conference) to join in teaching the world about the beauty, wisdom and power in our languages,” she said in a statement. More information about the conference can be found at www.fpcflanguageconference.com.
30 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
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