Volume 10 . Issue 1
January-February 2014
G C A TIN NmT WY A O R EB S OF LAH L CE AR F K YE S O 30 AR YE 10
Coast Salish Development Corporation is developing Stz’uminus land Oyster Bay Development
YSTERBAY DEVELOPMENT
a master-planned community - a place to live work and play
Holland Creek
a new residential development
RCR Mining
developing a mine through a win-win partnership
www.coastsalishdevcorp.com
urbansystems.ca
WELCOME
WELCOME TO THE SALISH SEA SENTINEL The Salish Sea Sentinel will continue to celebrate all things Coast Salish, highlighting the enormous achievements
Publisher: Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council Gary Reith, Chief Administrative Officer (604) 943-6712 1-888-382-7711 Salish Sea Publishing Editorial Inquiries: editor@salishseasentinel.ca (250) 246-3438 Advertising inquires: ads@salishseasentinel.ca (250) 510-9853 The Salish Sea Sentinel is published monthly, eleven times a year by the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council. NmTC was incorporated as a non-profit society in 1983 and is governed by a board of directors from each of our eleven member First Nations. Our nations are located around the Salish Sea (see map on inside back cover). There are about 6,500 people who hold membership in our nations. The word Naut’sa mawt means working together as one. The NmTC mission is to support and strengthen the capabilities of our Coast Salish member communities by developing skilled leadership, strong governance, resiliency and self-sufficiency. NmTC is charged with providing advisory services in five delivery areas: • Economic Development • Financial Management • Community Planning • Technical Services and • Governance. On the cover: Children from many First Nations explored Botanical Beach at Port Renfrew and had a feast at Pacheedaht First Nation from the bounty collected. It was all part of the Traditional Foods of Vancouver Island First Nations project that started in 2008 and continues today.
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elcome to the first issue of the Salish Sea Sentinel. We sincerely hope that this monthly magazine, filled with the positive, forward-looking articles from our eleven First Nations, will carry on the ten-year legacy of Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council newsletters. The decision to publish the magazine came from our board of directors late last year. They heard a strong message from their communities that people missed the printed version of Klahowya, the name of our previous newsletter that ‘went digital’ in March 2012. While many said they missed the feel of a printed publication in their hands, others said that an online only publication was not as convenient. So, we have gone ‘back to the future’, but we will continue our online presence with an upgraded web site. The name change to the Salish Sea Sentinel reflects a new direction for the tribal council as an organization. At the recent annual general meeting, our directors unanimously supported a refocusing of NmTC’s mandate to better serve our nations in the core areas. The year ahead looks very exciting for everyone at NmTC. The Salish Sea Sentinel
YOUR
COMMUNITY
www.salishseasentinel.ca
will continue to celebrate all things Coast Salish, highlighting the enormous achievements in terms of economic development, community planning, financial management and other areas in our nations. In the coming year, we plan to make the Salish Sea Sentinel required reading in our communities and amongst decision makers in business and government around coastal BC. Our mandate remains the same. Naut’sa mawt means Working together as one and, with your help, we will continue to do just that.
In the March issue...
We’ll take a close look at economic success stories at our Nations.
Watch… and write for us The Salish Sea Sentinel is looking for reporters from our 11 nations. We would like to include your words and photos in this new ti monthly magazine. m What kind of stories? Well, you will get a good idea by reading this th issue. But what we would really like to see are stories about people, events and achievements from your nation that you think p should be shared with our readers around the Salish Sea. sh We will work with you on your ideas, and your writing, if needed. e There is nothing like the help of a good editor to help get your message across in a clear and concise manner. m Our reporters will be paid for their submissions; not a lot, but it could lead to regular work in doing what we do best… storytellc ing in about the wonderful things happening in Coast Salish country. For more information, please email us at SalishSeaSentinel@shaw.ca SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 1
NEWS
Below: Two of Mark Gauti’s designs from his web site markgauti.smugmug.com
THE HERON IS A SENTINEL Chief Gordon Planes talked about the Great Blue heron being a watchman and a guardian around the shores of the Salish Sea. The flying heron logo that you see on our cover was created by Mark Gauti, a Coast Salish artist from T’Sou-ke First Nation. Chief Gordon Planes suggested using the heron during discussions, by Naut’samawt Tribal Council directors, about the Salish Sea Sentinel and its mandate. He talked about the Great Blue heron being a watchman and a guardian around the shores of the Salish Sea. It turns out that Mark Gauti has ‘a thing’ for herons. On his website at markgauti.smugmug.com there are several heron designs. One is from 2009, a logo for the T’Sou-ke Smart Energy Group. Mark worked as an environmental scientist for several years for T’Souke where he was involved mapping of endangered species and gathering traditional ecological knowledge on traditional uses of native plants for food and medicine. 2 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Mark is an environmentalist who sees the way we are treating the earth as wrong and uses art as a form of environmental and cultural education.
Mark Gauti
For the past ten years, Mark has been involved in Coast Salish culture by participating in drumming, language programs and the Tribal Canoe Journeys, as well as researching traditional
art and storytelling. He is also the creative director of SunDrm.org, a project whose goal is to create the next generation of aboriginal business leaders. Mark considers his art to be ‘trickster’ art leading to changes. This is because he is an environmentalist who sees the way we are treating the earth as wrong and uses art as a form of environmental and cultural education. Mark uses a wide range of mediums in his art, including: paint and canvas, glass acid etching, drum making, wood carving, photography and digital art.
NEWS
XYNTAX ‘OWNERS’ GETTING THE MESSAGE “Our member nations will be the direct beneficiaries of the growth and profitability of Xyntax Systems. ”
Key staff at Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council nations got special insights into Xyntax financial management software in January. Dwayne Lewis, creator and CEO of Xyntax Systems, and his son Bryson (business development and customer support) visited several NmTC nations to give a hands-on demonstration of the software to administration staff in housing, finance, social services and other departments. The Xyntax ‘road show’ introduced the capabilities of the software that is close to the heart of all NmTC nations. The tribal council purchased 80 per cent of Xyntax Systems in 2012. At the time, NmTC directors saw an opportunity in owning a company that makes financial management software exclusively for First Nations. Xyntax software is used by more than 80 organizations across Canada, including four NmTC members. Gary Reith, acting CEO of NmTC, said: “Our member nations will be the direct beneficiaries of the growth and profitability of Xyntax Systems. It only makes sense that
Dwayne Lewis, creator and CEO of Xyntax Systems, works with Xyntax users.
cide to make Xyntax their financial management software of choice.” Dwayne Lewis said that Xyntax’s “only business is with First Nations and band owned organizations. I have seen many positive changes and growth in First Nations’ financial management requirements since the company was created 29 years ago. Sometimes those require-
The spirit of Xyntax since the start has been listening to users in administration departments of First Nations and designing components based on suggestions from users. staff learns about the many benefits that come from using the software. “Xyntax offers compelling advantages over generic software. It can enhance the effectiveness of an organization. That’s why we are suggesting that all NmTC members de-
ments were thrust upon the nation by external funding agencies. Other times, change was due to a First Nation becoming more proactive in controlling and managing their finances.” That was certainly the message
received from the 150 delegates from across Canada who attended the Xyntax Summit last September in Victoria. Software users from Nova Scotia to Vancouver Island attended the event to learn about new modules for human resources and accounts receivable. And they heard the message: “Help us design this for your use.” That has been the spirit of Xyntax since the start – listening to users in administration departments of First Nations and designing components based on suggestions from users. Xyntax System users are a mixed lot, from financial controllers and band administrators to social assistance managers and economic development workers. But what they have in common is a passion for their work and a belief in the continuous improvement of themselves and the tools like Xyntax that they use. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 3
NEWS
What is wasabi? • Wasabia japonica is an herbaceous perennial native to the wet banks of Japan’s cool mountain streams. It has been cultivated for more than 1,000 years. • Health benefits of wasabi include: anti-allergies, antioxidant, anti-cancer, antibiotic (ulcers), anti-inflammatory, immune boost and anti-coagulant. • The wasabi that is often served with sushi is an imitation product based on horseradish, Chinese mustard and artificial food colouring.
T’SOUKE GOES GREEN WITH WASABI “There is an appetite for change and I really believe that the next generation is the one that is going to make positive changes.”
T’Sou-ke First Nation is going green… really green… green like wasabi. The nation has become widely known over the past five years for generating electricity from 440 rooftop photovoltaic solar panels along with solar hot water panels on many of its homes; not to mention the sun-powered electric car charging station outside the administration offices. Or the $750 million wind power partnership it signed on to last October. But early in January, work began on a project that will put a green tinge on economic development at T’Sou-ke. On wasteland near the nation’s Ladybug garden and nursery, three 35-by-150foot greenhouses are being built to grow wasabi, a plant best known as a spicy condiment for sushi. 4 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Chief Gordon Planes
Thanks to a franchise agreement with Pacific Coast Wasabi, T’Sou-ke will soon be supplying not only sushi lovers with wasabi, but also the herbal dietary supplement and biomedical mar-
kets. Once the greenhouses are built, wasabi rhizomes will be planted and, in about one year, the first harvest will be shipped to buyers. The T’Sou-ke greenhouses will be one of six Pacific Coast Wasabi operations in BC, Washington and Oregon. There are already three greenhouses operating near Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island where some of the photographs accompanying this article were taken. “We will be providing training and jobs both in the construction of the greenhouses and in the growing and harvesting of the wasabi and other foods,” Chief Gordon Planes said when he announced last year that the Nuuchah-nulth Economic Development Corp. had awarded his nation $175,000 for the project. Continued on the next page
NEWS From previous page
T’Sou-ke began its journey to become a sustainable community in 2008 with a comprehensive community planning (CCP) process that involved everyone, including children. The guiding principle for the planning was based on the Seventh Generation, planning 100 years ahead. T’Sou-ke realized that in order to achieve true sustainability, it needed to embrace traditional values including deep respect for Mother Earth. Four priorities emerged from those CCP sessions: energy security, food security, cultural renaissance and economic self-sufficiency were identified. “We are setting the table for future generations,” Chief Planes said. “There is an appetite for change and I really believe that the next generation is the one that is going to make positive changes. The Creator provided the resources for us to take care of ourselves. We are doing that a lot… I see huge opportunity for all of us and I encourage others to get in the canoe with us to build a stronger, sustainable economy. All of us can prosper together.”
HALALT VOTERS SAY “YES” IN LANDS VOTE Nearly 90 per cent of voters supported the designation of three parcels on Halalt’s main reserve
Halalt administrator Caroline Gladstone, councillor Patricia Thomas and Chief James Thomas discuss the future as votes are counted.
Economic development at Halalt First Nation took a big step forward on Jan. 16 with an overwhelming vote in favour of designating some of its lands to be leased commercial, agriculture or light industrial uses. Nearly 90 per cent of voters supported the designation of three parcels on Halalt’s main reserve in the ballot run by Aboriginal Affairs and
Northern Development Canada. Chief James Thomas said the positive result opened the door to faster action by Halalt. “As economic opportunities can often arise quickly, any lease that complies with the terms of the designation can now be approved, or rejected, by chief and council instead of awaiting approval from Ottawa.”
Wasabi rhizomes.
NATIONS SUPPORT NEW CLIMATE PROGRAM Climate change is on the minds of many these days. That is why more than half the nations that make up Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council have supported NmTC’s application to coordinate a new program: the Climate Change Adaptation Program (CCAP). It was designed by Aboriginal Af-
fairs and Northern Development Canada to assist First Nations to assess risks and challenges posed by climate change impacts. Band council resolutions (BCR) had been passed by six NmTC councils as the Sentinel went to press. The BCR said the nation “recognizes the importance of climate change adapta-
tion in order to address the nation’s current and potential vulnerabilities to climate change”. Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council is eligible to receive funding from the CCAP. The BCRs supported a funding application to the CCAP for 2014-2015 fiscal year that will be coordinated by NmTC. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 5
NEWS
‘SHE’ TELLS THE HISTORY OF KLAHOOSE The tree is not a normal CMT, but something known as an arbor glyph, a quite unusual find in the forests of B.C.
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he main reason for the trip to Squirrel Cove on Cortes Island during the week before Christmas was to see the Klahoose First Nation sawmill in operation and to talk about the nation’s large-scale forestry work on Cortes and in the traditional territory of the Toba Valley. But, as so often happens when Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council communities, things got turned on their head. ‘She’ was there. Just about everyone refers to “Her” or “She” when talking about the newest addition to the community. ‘She’ is a chunk of Balsam fir, about 15 feet long, that was helicoptered, trucked and barged from Toba to T’oq (the Klahoose language name for Squirrel Cove) a few weeks earlier. Forestry work was going on apace in Toba with winter shutdown looming, when ‘She’ was noticed by workers Rob Reynolds and Keith McCrea. They work in the woods for Fireball Contracting owned by Klahoose members Bill Brown and John Reedel. They spotted a face carved into a tree and immediately knew it was
something special. Klahoose forestry manager Kim Olney informed the nation and on Nov. 15, councillor Kathy Francis and a team of professional and cultural leaders made way to Yekwamen (Toba Inlet). The group made the journey to perform a traditional ceremony for the relocation of the culturally modified tree (CMT) to T’oq. Except that the tree is not a normal CMT, but something known as an arbor glyph (Google that), a quite unusual find in the forests of B.C. The Klahoose web site said: “Cultural leader Norman Harry Sr. and a Tla’amin cultural leader Erik Blaney witnessed and performed a ceremony to ensure cultural protocol was observed. The heartfelt moments before the tree was harvested was both moving and surreal on that snowy winter Friday. Needless to say, the emotional event was a historical moment for those who witnessed.” The sidelong-looking face is carved into a balsam in a stand of trees that had begun growing around perhaps more than 200 years ago. The carving was done in the late 1800s.
Archaeologist Dr. Quentin Mackie –qmackie.com – of the University of Victoria calls such trees “extraordinarily rare” and said: “Now that the Klahoose have created a (web) page for it, we can all see this remarkable find. It’s really moving to see the face being swallowed by the living centuries of healing lobes.” The location of the tree was about 57 kms from the Toba River estuary. It was removed by helicopter for 30 kms and from there a crane truck carried it to the estuary. From there, it was barged to Squirrel Cove. It now rests in a specially built shed where it will dry and cure for several months. “The tree is a significant find for the Klahoose and continues to prove our occupation of the land and use of the area.” said Kathy Francis. “We are looking forward to housing the find in our administration building to share with our membership.” Chief James Delorme credited a number of Klahoose members as well as forestry and helicopter crews who work for the nation in Toba for bringing ‘Her’ to her new home.
PHOTOS Above left: Erik Blaney and Norman Harry Sr. Above right: Kathy Francis and Tracy Dimitrov with the tree.
6 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
NEWS
STZ’UMINUS LAND VOTE “YES” Stz’uminus members voted overdevelopment company owned by whelmingly to reassume jurisdiction Stz’uminus, Coast Salish Developof their lands on Dec. 5. ment Corp, held a series of highA total of 96 per cent of registered profile events that attracted business voters said a resounding ‘Yes’ to a and political leaders from First Naframework agreement on First Nations around BC and neighbouring tion Land Management (FNLM). The communities. vote in favour of land One of those With Stz’uminus land governance means that who attended was the nation is now ready management jurisdicChief Robert Louto regain control over ie of Westbank 1,200 acres of lands on tion, they will succeed First Nation. After four reserves and their in every respect at the getting news of resources. the vote, he said: The nation, with highest level. “I am extremely about 1,300 members, pleased for the has been talking about Stz’uminus comFNLM and its implications for more munity who overwhelmingly voted in than a year. Crucial to the success favour of their land code. I offer chief vote was the work of a communicaand council and the Stz’uminus comtions committee that held meetings munity my heartiest congratulations! for the entire community as well as I am confident that with Stz’uminus with families to inform them about land management jurisdiction, they what FNLM means. will succeed in every respect at the At the same time, the economic highest level. Well done Stz’uminus!”
THREE NATIONS ELECT LEADERS Three Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council nations held council elections recently with leadership at two being re-elected. At Malahat, on Jan. 13, Chief Councillor David Michael Harry as well as councillors Russell Harry and Dean Harry was voted in again. A fourth councillor, Tom Harry, was also elected because of the rise in population at the nation since the last election. “The last four years we have not had time to talk about what we have done, we have only had time to deliver progress,” Chief Harry said. “It has been amazing progress for us all moving together.” On Jan. 14, Snaw-naw-as (Nanoose) voters returned Chief David Bob along with councillors Brent Edwards, Lawrence Mitchell, Gordon Edwards and Natasha Bob. In December, voters at Snuney-
Chief John Wesley
muxw (Nanaimo) elected former Chief John Wesley in a close vote in which he defeated Douglas White III. Councillors elected included James Seward, Erralyn Thomas, Michael Wyse, Paul Wyse-Seward and William Yoachim.
Devin Pielle resonates on radio
Late December was special in many ways for Devin Pielle of Sliammon First Nation. She celebrated a birthday and enjoyed her first Christmas with her baby daughter. This is what she told her friends on Facebook: “Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes! I feel so loved. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m 22, because I get to celebrate with Amaya for the first time or because the final edit of the documentary is done! But I have cried many happy tears today, lol. Thank you again.” The documentary she referred to was “We Are Still Here”, part of a Canada-wide project called Resonating Reconciliation. The radio program was made for Powell River’s community radio station CJMP. She was assisted by Shelby George, Courtney Harrop, Emma Bell and Zoë Ludski. The program reflected the stories of six Tla’Amin survivors of the residential school experience and two others fighting for language revitalization. The Sliammon community turned out for a special preview of the radio documentary on Dec. 21 at the Salish Center gym. Resonating Reconciliation is a project that engages community radio stations to help reconcile all Canadians with the history of residential schools and to provide a lasting record of survivors’ experiences. It also is designed to help build grassroots skills among community-based broadcasters in respectful reporting on the ongoing legacy of residential schools. Music heard in the documentary was by the Cheech Lem Chi Chia Canoe Family. Listen to a podcast of the program at http:// podcast.cjmp.ca. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 7
NEWS
NETWORKING WORKS ON HOUSING “What we’re doing here today could very well effect new national housing policies in next few years” Some of the best examples of Naut’sa mawt (working together as one) have come at the workshops and other networking events that have been held over the years. Whether it is governance, housing, comprehensive community planning or other topics, people find that getting together to share ideas and experiences in valuable in a number of ways. The most recent example of this exchange took place in December at a gathering of the housing networking team. Housing, capital works and other staff from several Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council members, as well as guests from Cowichan and Penelakut nations, gathered for the daylong session in Vancouver. At the top of the agenda was a presentation made by Rick Sabiston, senior capital advisor from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC). He spoke about the new approach to housing in the BC Region that is on tap in the coming year. “What we’re doing here today could very well effect new national housing policies in next few years,” Sabiston said. The new approach was developed from a series of nation-to-nation dialogue sessions with AANDC during 2013 and will be rolled out during the coming year. “It is application based as opposed to the existing continual housing subsidy model,” he said. The new initiative will run concurrently with the old model over next two years and it will be assessed during that period. “We are trying to get First Nations to have a direct role in the applications rather than just hiring a consultant,” Sabiston said. The application will also be the basis for reporting to AANDC. He signaled out Malahat First Nation where new homes were built for about $100,000 each when he talked about 8 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Chief Gordon Planes (far left) talks housing with other team members.
“the creative discussions in alternative financing methods and alternative housing designs”. The new approach should provide flexibility for nations’ housing along with a certainty of commitment from AANDC, Sabiston said. “Current subsidy programs push you into a box. The new program provides certainty.” The housing discussions held by AANDC has generated conversations that we’ve never had before,” he said,
adding that learning took place on all sides. Such as: • “As soon as council steps out of the picture, housing policies begin to work” and • “Success depends upon whether a nation sees housing as an asset or housing as a liability.” “We are not trying to sell you on this new approach,” Sabiston said. “It has to work for you.” But he added, “The answers are here in this room”.
Next workshop – Feb. 19 The First Nations Market Housing Fund will be on the agenda at the next NmTC housing networking team meeting at the Coast Bastion in Nanaimo on Feb. 19. The fund is the first of its kind to support financing arrangements for housing on reserve and settlement lands, while respecting the communal ownership of reserve land. Building on the expertise and success of innovative First Nations communities and financial institutions, the fund is a new approach, providing easier access to homeownership, rental and renovation loans in First Nations communities. In addition to a presentation about the fund from Earl Commanda, there will also be a group exercise filling out an actual application. For more information, please contact Kirstin Sware, NmTC’s assistant project manager, at our Tsawwassen office. Phone 604-943-6712 or toll-free 1-888382-7711 or email her at kirstins@nautsamawt.com
NEWS
SACRED TRUST VOWS TO STOP PIPELINE Carleen Thomas of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Sacred Trust made a presentation on the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline to Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s board of directors meeting in late 2013. Her talk and slide show generated much discussion around the table as she explained that The Sacred Trust is mandated to oppose and stop the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline project On Jan. 15, Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) issued an application to participate notification about the hearing process for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. Those who wish to participate in the NEB hearing must apply to participate. The application to participate is on the NEB’s website at www.neb-one.gc.ca where you should click on ‘Major Applications’ and ‘Projects’ and then ‘Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC - Trans Mountain Expansion’. Applications to participate in the NEB hearing are due on or before noon on Feb 12. “This is not just for us, but for everyone,” Carleen said about TsleilWaututh’s opposition to the project. “We have to put aside any differences we have. When an oil spill happens, we will have nothing left to fight over… no salmon or anything else.” After the presentation, Chief Gordon Planes of T’Sou-ke said that he has heard of other First Nations who have met with Kinder Morgan and accepted consultation funding. “They approached us and we said ‘No, we are not drinking that Kool-Aid.” Chief Bryce Williams of Tsawwassen said: “I already felt passionate about this issue, but once I saw this presentation, it is extra confirmation for me. I can’t stand this project.”
FROM THE ARCHIVES:
ANCIENT DISCOVERIES Among the finds, a small animal bone fragment of an intricately carved human face with a tear drop falling from one eye. The following article is from the March 2005 edition of Klahowya. When construction began on Stz’uminus First Nation’s sewage works in 2003, no one realized that history would be in the making. As excavation began around the site of a pumping station at Shell Beach, the first artifacts began to be uncovered… a stone box, tools made of stone and bone, foundations for posts for ancient longhouses. As work on the project nears completion several kilometres from Shell Beach at Kulleet Bay, the community is still learning about the discoveries that tell a story of their ancestors from thousands of years ago. In all, more than 2,000 artifacts have been collected. But more importantly, the remains of over 120 individuals, all identified as aboriginal, are awaiting reburial during a special ceremony scheduled for later this spring. Archaeologists working for the engineering company who designed the project have carbon-dated some of the findings as being about 5,500 years old. “This is a very big thing for us,” said capital and public works manager George Harris as he gazed into a pipeline excavation in which four or five skeletal remains lie. As the archaeological team clears away
soil and debris with brushes and hand trowels, nearby community members work as rakers and screeners, checking all excavated soil for bone fragments and artifacts. Heavy machinery and dump trucks idle on the roadside as the work painstakingly progresses. This is not your run-of-the-mill highball construction job. For Lawrence Harris Jr. and Dale Frenchy, their work sifting through the soil has become a treasure hunt of the first order. They anticipate their daily finds and speak excitedly about past discoveries. A small animal bone fragment of an intricately-carved human face with a tear drop falling from one eye… an intact stone hearth with remnants of fires from before the time of Christ… a green translucent stone shaped into a wedge with its edge still almost chisel sharp… a siltstone carving of a seal… hammers, anvils, bowls, clubs, sinkers, anchors, hooks, harpoons and arrow heads, all tools used daily by ancestors… and decorative items made from the bones of bear, wolf, deer, fish and birds. Archaeologists discovered much about the ancient Stz’uminus peoples as they catalogued not only the above artifacts, but also the remains of the animals with which they shared their lives… seal and sea lion, whale, vole, beaver, otter, marmot, elk, deer and grey wolf.
Left: A foundation for a longhouse. Right: Infrastructure work exposed the ancient articles.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 9
LOOK BACK – FEBRUARY
TLA’AMIN TREATY SIGNED AT LEGISLATURE “This treaty represents a commitment to full inclusion.”
There were tears of joy in the BC Legislature on Valentine’s Day as the Tla’amin Treaty was presented to lawmakers for approval. High school student Ryan Pielle’s words visibly moved everyone at the ceremonies. As the young man’s voice faltered, Les Adams who was Sliammon’s chief in the early 1960s comforted him. The youngest member of Sliammon, one-month-old Tobin Leblanc, was the star of the show, however. He was introduced to the crowd by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ida Chong and later was cradled in many arms while sleeping soundly. An admirer was Premier Christy Clark. The premier referred to “the people who have been here since the ice age… very much the founders of this country.” She said the treaty settlement was “making good on our obligation” to all citizens. “This treaty represents a commitment to full inclusion.”
10 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
LOOK BACK – FEBRUARY
The spirit of Wilson Bob The spirit of Wilson Bob was in the room on Feb. 26 as the five Te’mexw treaty nations signed pre-treaty agreements for land with the BC government. Each speaker from the nations honoured the achievements of the late Snaw-naw-as leader, saying that they would have liked him to see the results of 15 years of negotiations. T’Souke, Scia’new, Songhees, Malahat and Snaw-naw-as each acquired parcels of land. Some were transferred immediately with others to follow when a treaty agreement-in-principle (AIP) is signed. “He would have been very proud to be here today to see this happen,” Chief David Bob said of Wilson Bob. Snaw-naw-as acquire two parcels – one 3 hectares and the other 3.4 hectares – that will be transferred in fee simple in three years. Malahat acquired 64-hectares immediately and will get a 120-acre parcel next to the first upon signing the AIP. T’Sou-ke acquired 60 hectares on Broom Hill with another 60 hectares to come with the AIP.
Wilson Bob would have been very proud to be here today to see this happen.
Spring arrives early at T’Sou-ke The first day of spring may be weeks away for most of us, but at Ladybug Garden & Greenhouse at T’Sou-ke First Nation, there are definite signs of a new season. Christine George, who is the nation’s administration receptionist, also finds the time to coordinate the activities at the garden. Christine has produced a new report entitled Our Traditional Food Gatherings. The sharp-looking report was prepared for Seedy Saturday in Sooke on Feb. 23. Ladybug is one of the ‘veteran’ vendors at the four-year-old event at the community hall that celebrates local foods. As Ladybug sells its plants, it also tells people about the all-inclusive T’Sou-ke vision for sustainability. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 11
LOOK BACK – MARCH
SNAW-NAW-AS HEALTH CENTRE COMPLETE “This place has character. It stands out on its own. It belongs to Snaw-naw-as. It belongs to us. As of today, it is ours.”
The blessings were bountiful for the new Snaw-naw-as health centre on March 15 as a special ceremony was held for community members. After the cleansing, Chief David Bob said the building was a new home for community members. “This place has character. It stands out on its own. It belongs to Snaw-naw-as. It belongs to us. As of today, it is ours.” It has been 16 months since the ground was broken for the $2 million facility that will offer modern treatments and traditional healing methods. The 4,000-square-foot health centre is located on the hillside over12 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
We built this place, but we can’t make you come. I hope you will all utilize it. If it wasn’t for all of you, this building wouldn’t be here.
looking Nanoose Bay and is adjacent to the Tsow-tun Le Lum treatment centre. “We built this place, but we can’t make you come,” told community members. “I hope you will all utilize it. If it wasn’t for all of you, this building wouldn’t be here.” Chief Bob said that the centre’s location and layout was intentional in order to make sure that it would be well used. “We eliminated the excuse that there will be no privacy. If you want to, you can make an appointment and they will be able to let you in the back door.
LOOK BACK – MARCH
New library for Halalt Books – both paper and digital – fill the new library that had its grand opening at Halalt First Nation on March 13. There are 1,750 books, to be exact. But already some people are talking about expanding the facility for which Halalt and its neighbours Lyackson are all so proud. The library is at the edge of the trees between the health and daycare centres on the main Halalt reserve about midway between the towns of Duncan and Chemainus. The project is the result of the partnership between BC’s Lieutenant Governor’s office and Rotary Clubs. BC’s new Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon has taken the work to heart. During her remarks to a crowd in the former Halalt school building, she said more libraries are in the pipeline. Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon and Chief James Thomas.
New housing for Malahat Nation members There are 24 people living in new homes at Malahat First Nation and more housing units are on the way. That is evidence of “a commitment to make housing a priority for the community,” says Councillor Dean Harry. Four of the two-storey, single-family homes are along Jesken Road in the upper part of the community. They were all built under the traditional Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) program. The fifth was self-financed by a community member.
Land deal for Snuneymuxw Snuneymuxw First Nation has taken ownership of large sections of forest lands near Nanaimo and made other deals with the BC government that is expected to lead to both economic and job opportunities for the nation. The government termed the deal a “reconciliation agreement” when Chief Doug White and Aboriginal Relations Minister Ida Chong got together for the announcement in Nanaimo on March 27. The long-awaited agreement sees 877 hectares (2,100 acres) of land in the Mt. Benson area west of Nanaimo transferred to Snuneymuxw. Also announced was the transfer of a small but culturally important piece of property in Departure Bay. In signing the deal, the province recognized an 1854 treaty with the the Saalequun Trib of whom the Snuneymuxw people are successors. Chief Douglas White III said: “This agreement… is a positive step forward in our relationship with the province. It builds on many years of effort by our elders, leaders, and members who have stood in a strong and principled manner in trying to forge a better future for our children and youth.
Dean Harry at his new home.
Chief Doug White
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 13
WE ARE COAST SALISH
OUR YOUTH Whether they are enjoying fresh foods from the sea, taking part in canoe races, inspecting fish from our rivers or marching in the annual Coast Salish Games, our children are connecting with our culture and traditions.
WE ARE
Coast
14 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
WE ARE COAST SALISH
OUR CULTURE Photos from the past decade show our culture is strong. Right: master canoe carver Elmer Sampson of Stz’uminus works on a project. Below left: Stz’uminus drummers in a canoe welcome the Olympic torch to Ladysmith. Below right: Murray Mitchell of Sliammon meets Maori relatives on the Salish Sea. Bottom, the Snaw-naw-as community tries carving when the Spirit Pole visits for the 2008 Indigenous Games.
Salish
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 15
LOOK BACK – APRIL
Cross-country support for Halalt Powerful support is coming Halalt First Nation’s way as it awaits the Supreme Court of Canada decision on its leave to appeal application over the Chemainus River aquifer case. The Union of BC Indian Chiefs council has passed a resolution in support for Halalt’s asserting Aboriginal rights to groundwater. The UBCIC has joined the official interveners in the case – BC’s First Nations Summit and a group of Alberta First Nations – in backing the appeal to the country’s highest court. The Assembly of First Nations has also supported Halalt in the legal battle. Halalt filed its appeal documents to the court in late January. It should take “three or four months” for the court to announce its leave to appeal decision.
Big numbers for Stz’uminus There were a few surprises in store on April 25 when leaders from First Nations, local governments and business attended the Power In Numbers event at Stz’uminus First Nation. And the big one came first. Chief John Elliott and Don Hubbard, operations manager for RCR Mining, kicked off the standingroom-only event by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for what could become a major revenue generator for the nation in the years to come. The proposed Sognidoro mine, west of Ladysmith in Stz’uminus traditional territory, had the potential to produce minerals, jobs and
Planting garlic… with a beat.
Dirty hands, a green thumb and new careers
Chief John Elliots signs the mining MOU.
wealth for many generations. For Chief Elliott, the MOU was “an opportunity to build a partnership”. And that was precisely the sort of relationship that the second annual Power In Numbers was all about.
It was a rainy April day at the community garden at Snaw-naw-as First Nation, but the dozen youth from through Vancouver Island did not seem to mind. Many knelt in garden beds, planting vegetables. Others made a trek to the beach along Nanoose Bay to gather truckloads of seaweed to be used as mulch and fertilizer. A few sat dry inside the gazebo, shelling hazelnuts and walnuts for roasting. The day was a hands-on-and-get-dirty part of a 16-week program designed to introduce First Nation youth to potential careers in agriculture and the agri-food industry. “I am particularly excited about this program,” said Natasha Bob from Snaw-naw-as. She is the leader of the Nanaimo Youth Services Association project that is supported by the First Nations Agriculture Association.
Election another step for ‘Mr. Positive’ ‘Mr. Positive’ – There are many things the leader of a small First Nation can be called, but the name often used to refer to the chief of Klahoose First Nation, James Delorme, is a pretty good one. He is starting his second term following the nation’s vote for chief and council on Saturday, April 13. The message he sent out on Twitter that evening shows a bit of his attitude. “A big effort by all the candidates at the Klahoose general election. The next council is: Mavis Kok, Kathy Francis and Kevin Peacey. Yes!!!” The voting was really just for members of council. Delorme had been acclaimed chief more than a month before when no one else was nominated to run against him. Not bad for a Cree kid whose people are from Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan. 16 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Chief James Delorme drums at Klahoose.
LOOK BACK – MAY
Bannock battle on menu for Malahat A fried bread competition, raffles, seeking sponsors and a whole lot of paddling. Those are just a few of the things on the agenda as Malahat First Nation prepares to take part in its first Tribal Journey – Paddle to Quinault. “Our community is very interested and excited about this journey,” said Randy Daniels, the nation’s language and culture coordinator. “We have 20 adults and 12 youth signed up for the Tribal Journey. Some have paddled and trained before and for some this is their first time on a canoe.” Paddlers have been getting into shape – and into synch with one another – through daily afternoon workouts. Every Wednesday, the community gets together for potluck dinners at the canoe shed. Support is also coming from neighbouring nations. At a recent practice, George Seymour of Stz’uminus First Nation attended to share his long experience as a paddler on racing canoes as well as on past journeys.
Randy Daniels and George Seymour.
PADDLE TO QUINAULT “The revitalization of ocean culture through canoes is coming to life.” “The revitalization of ocean culture through canoes is coming to life.” That is Guy Capoeman speaking about Paddle to Quinault, the 2013 version of the annual Tribal Journey. He is the project coordinator for the Journey that will end at his nation, more than 100 kilometers south of Neah Bay on the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula, in late July. Ocean-going canoes from several Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council nations will join about 100 others that will journey to Quinault Indian Nation this summer. They will travel from Bella Coola, along
the west coast of Vancouver Island and through the Salish Sea. Paddlers from Sliammon, Snuneymuxw and Malahat will join the Journey as it heads south, meeting their relations from Puget Sound in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The T’Sou-ke First Nation canoe will cross the strait, landing near Port Angeles for the last legs of the voyage, west to Makah and the open Pacific Ocean, and then south, visiting the tribal communities of Ozette, Quileute, Hoh River and Queets before the final landing at Quinault.
This huge pole was erected at Quinault at the end of the Journey.
Another journey begins for Leah This morning (May 22), a long journey will end and another will begin for Leah George-Wilson of Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Last night, she posted this message on Facebook: “Thinking about tomorrow because I’ll be walking across the stage to ac-
cept my law degree!! – feeling excited at Tsleil-Waututh… where my ancestors are.” She explained that she had finished the degree at the University of BC’s law school last December, but since there were no graduation ceremonies for th winter term, she had to wait until today. “It kinda seems unreal because the stress from exams
is long over. Of course, articling (training with a law firm) brings its own stress.” Leah was the first female chief elected at Tsleil-Waututh in 2001. She also won elections in 2005 and 2007 and returned to school after her unsuccessful 2009 campaign. She previously earned a bachelor degree in anthropology from Simon Fraser University. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 17
LOOK BACK – JUNE
Victory on the shores of Kulleet Bay.
GEODUCK PROTEST LOOMS More than 100 turned out in boats and along the beach, frustrating geoducks divers and the RCMP. Another geoduck battle is brewing today as the Stz’uminus community prepares for the harvest of the pricey shellfish in Kulleet Bay. Chief John Elliott, who is barred by an injunction has warned that he will be forced “to stand up for what is right”. That came in a letter to the federal fisheries minister, Keith Ashfield, sent late last week after Stz’uminus learned more details of the planned geoduck harvest by members of the Underwater Harvesters Association. “The monopoly the UHA holds 18 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
The monopoly the UHA holds over this resource is not an effort of sustainability and conservation; rather it is a profiteering scheme that has gone on long enough.
over this resource is not an effort of sustainability and conservation; rather it is a profiteering scheme that has gone on long enough,” Elliott wrote about the UHA in his letter. The injunction against the chief was sought by the UHA after the 2010 blockade of the commercial fishery within sight of homes on the reserve. More than 100 turned out in boats and along the beach, frustrating geoducks divers and the RCMP until the harvest was called off.
LOOK BACK – JUNE
“Grave concern” and praise over pipelines Tsleil-Waututh Nation – The People of the Inlet – has praised the BC government’s stand on the northern Enbridge pipeline while laying out its worries over Kinder Morgan’s plans for an oil sands pipeline in its own backyard. Chief Maureen Thomas said: “Today we raise our hands to Premier Clark and the Government of BC for making the right decision.” That comment came after BC said that it does not support Enbridge’s Northern Gateway project – from Alberta to Kitimat – because it has not been able to address the province’s concerns about the environment. But she also scolded Kinder Morgan’s plans to triple oil storage tank capacity in Burnaby, directly across Burrard Inlet from her nation, and the company’s plans to significantly expand its Westridge Marine terminal. “Kinder Morgan’s plans should concern us all,” she said.
New Tsawwassen chief looks ahead Tsawwassen First Nation Chief Bryce Williams thanked his community for participating in the third general election in Tsawwassen First Nation’s self-governing history after he won a re-run of last year’s vote. “I appreciate that the last several months have been a trying time for our community,” he said. “We have continued to move forward in the face of uncertainty and tragedy. Now that this election is over, we look forward to healing and getting on to the important tasks at hand.” He said at the top of the list was “building a sustainable economy and revenue base to secure a healthy, promising future for our community. I wish to thank the 73 per cent of eligible Tsawwassen members who took the time to vote and participate in building their community.”
“That’s the way to do it,” Chief Gordon Planes says of the cooking salmon at the water blessing ceremony on the beach at Siaosun.
IN THE WATER, A BLESSING The T’Sou-ke community hosted a water blessing ceremony on the beach at Siaosun on June 22 with many young members as well as six guests from England and other countries. As the morning mist was burned away, people gathered at the waterside, their bellies full from a feast that included fresh Spring salmon, crab, chowder and salad from the nation’s Ladybug Nursery. Shirley Alphonse guided the ceremony as Chief Gordon Planes beat the drum. Cedar branches were dipped into waters from around the world and prayers were said by everyone, acknowledging the connectedness of all things. At the same time, a similar ceremony was taking place at the Tanashi Shinto temple in Tokyo, Japan where several people from T’Sou-ke had visited four years ago. The day was in recognition of National Aboriginal Day on Friday and in honour of a Shinto priest who died earlier this year. It began with a smudge ceremony and prayer. Then the young people were off down the beach, helping to gather clams as adults cooked crab and prepared salmon for cooking in the traditional way, on cedar sticks above a maple fire.
Chief Bryce Williams
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 19
LOOK BACK – JULY
Paddlers at the Whey-ah-Wichen Canoe Festival race through the water in North Vancouver.
MUSIC, SPORTS & A NEW BUSINESS Races about many things The annual war canoe races that take place around the Salish Sea every summer are about many things… competition, family, the elders, the traditional arts of canoe carving and much more. That was the case last weekend when Tsleil-Waututh Nation hosted its annual Whey-ah-Wichen Canoe Festival. Whey-ah-Wichen is the Tsleil-Waututh name for Cates Park in North Vancouver. The backdrop for the races, hosted by The People of the Inlet, was the ‘oil tank farms’ of Kinder Morgan and Chevron across the water in Burnaby. Hundreds of race visitors from Washington State, Vancouver Island and around the Lower Mainland were able to see first hand what worries Tsleil-Waututh about bitumen from Alberta being shipped through its waters.
by twin 150 hp Yamaha outboards. The speedy rigid-hull inflatable boat that travels upwards of 42 knots also allows him to carry out other work. He is coordinator of the Tla’amin Guardian Watchmen program, part of a First Nations network that protects culturally sensitive sites along the BC coast. He also does work for the provincial government, including BC Parks. This summer, he also ferried archeologists from Simon Fraser University as they explored sites in Sliammon’s territory.
Hanuse from Klahoose
Erik’s fast boat Rapid response… that pretty well sums up both Erik Blaney and his boat. Erik’s new business – I’Hos Cultural Tours based in Lund – takes culturallyinspired tours throughout Desolation Sound in the traditional territory of Sliammon First Nation. Tourists get on board his pride and joy, a fast Zodiac Hurricane powered 20 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
After a local mayor, a Halalt councillor and others took the first shots at the new basketball hoops – and missed – he calmly walked to the three-point line and let loose his unique two-handed overhead shot. The ball swished through the net and the crowd erupted in cheers. “I haven’t shot a basketball in years,” the chief said after his performance. It was a fitting end to a perfect day. It was National Aboriginal Day, after all, and local dignitaries as well as First Nation leaders from throughout MidVancouver Island turned out. So did the people for whom the $2 million structure was built, people of all ages from the Halalt community.
Erik Blaney
He shoots, Halalt scores Chief James Thomas showed off his basketball moves and amazed the crowd during the grand opening of Halalt First Nation’s new gymnasium and community centre.
The annual Cortes Island Music Festival takes place on the northern Salish Sea this weekend. And two Klahoose First Nation members named Hanuse will be at centre stage. There’s Ken Hanuse, who is often seen at community events in and around his nation, opening ceremonies with his drum and a song. Then there’s his nephew Johnny. The singer-songwriter will be performing on stage at 1 p.m. Sunday. “There are so many talented people on Cortes it’s crazyyy,” the festival said of
LOOK BACK – AUGUST Johnny’s addition to the lineup. When Klahowya last spoke to Johnny, he was heading from his T’oq home, leaving Cortes for the bright lights of Victoria and the bachelor of fine art at Camosun College’s Landsdowne campus. Now, a year later, life is changing again for Johnny. “Sooooo, it looks like I found myself as an intern for the Ministry of Environment--BC Parks, for a year!” he told his Facebook friends on July 12.
Johnny Hanuse
Coast Salish youth learn soccer skills from a Whitecap player.
Marina makes waves
Soccer stars came out
Klahoose First Nation may learn this week what the Strathcona Regional District thinks of its plans for a marina at Squirrel Cove. Not that it particularly cares. The SRD board is due to make a decision on a rezoning bylaw following a public hearing on Cortes Island on July 24. But even before that meeting, Chief James Delorme sent a blistering letter to the regional district saying, in part: “The SRD Board and its committee have sullied the process by inferring Klahoose First Nation would use intimidation and coercion to sway public opinion.” The Klahoose Resort Limited Partnership, wholly owned by the nation through its Qathen Xwegus Management Corporation, has already received provincial and federal approvals for its plan to build a world-class marina at Squirrel Cove. QXMC says it “considers the marina project an asset to self-sufficiency, and has dedicated many hours of planning to create a secure investment for our future”.
The stars came out for hundreds of young Coast Salish soccer players this week. They got tips from the pros as Vancouver Whitecaps players and coaches came to Ladysmith for the second annual Hope and Health soccer extravaganza. The event was designed to reach children in care through the partnership with Kw’umut Lelum Child and Family Services and Lalum’utul Smun’eem Child and Family Services. Dancers from Snuneymuxw and Cowichan Tribes led the Whitecaps in a moving ‘Evening of Champions’ opening ceremony at the amphitheatre at Transfer Beach that overlooked the traditional territory of Stz’uminus First Nation. The next day, about 300 players were hosted by the ‘Caps in a day filled with soccer skills, drills and games as well as coaching and goalkeeper clinics. But the centre of attention, especially for the younger players, was the Whitecaps’ popular mascot Spike.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 21
LOOK BACK – AUGUST
Travelling to the territories.
Three canoes, one goal Paddlers from three nations took their canoes on a journey from the past into the future, travelling from Orford Bay in Bute Inlet, the original Homalco village, to Squirrel Cove, the home of Klahoose, and to Sliammon nation. It is said the Coast Salish tribes Sliammon, Homalco, and Klahoose are at a crucial point when it comes to preserving the traditional language. All three nations speak the same dialect and there are only a dozen fluent speakers among the communities. Imagine heavy rain, lightning, and thunder smothering you before you even enter the canoe for your journey. The two canoes that started from Orford Bay go by the name of Cheech Lem Chi Chia, which means dancing grandmother. The other canoe’s name 22 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
It is said that the Coast Salish tribes Sliammon, Homalco, and Klahoose are at a crucial point when it comes to preserving the traditional language. is Gunnos, a cedar dugout that was created in the vision of the late Chief Joe Mitchell. He wanted a canoe for the youth to enjoy the waters of the coast.
Stz’uminus plans ahead 20 years Most people know Stz’uminus First Nation for its presence along the Trans Canada Highway just north of Ladysmith. But blink and you will miss two of the nation’s main revenue earners, the Husky gas station and A&W.
Now imagine it is 2033. Those two businesses may still be there (if anyone is still using gas!). So too will be a new community of 1,000 homes and about 130,000 square feet of retail and office space, not to mention a 200-room resort hotel, a marina and an assisted living facility. The 20-year plan to build the Oyster Bay Development is another large-scale initiative from a Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council nation that will affect not only community members, but also entire regions, much like the industrial, retail and housing projects at Tsawwassen First Nation.
LOOK BACK – AUGUST
TLA’AMIN TREATY DELAY ON “BORROWED TIME” “I wouldn’t want to see progressive nations like Sliammon and Tsawwassen get bogged down over something like this.”
From the Aug. 1, 2013 online edition of Klahowya. The Tla’amin treaty could be delayed up to one year thanks to what its chief negotiator is calling a “Dumb and Dumber” situation over financial borrowing requirements for treaty nations. “It’s kind of insulting,” Roy Francis said of Sliammon First Nation learning of a hold-up in Canada approving the treaty settlement legislation, six months after BC’s lawmakers okayed the deal and it was sent to Ottawa. At the heart of the matter is a treaty nation’s ability to borrow money – at low rates similar to a municipality – in order to improve its infrastructure. Sliammon, for example, wants to borrow millions of dollars in order to improve its maxed-out water and sewer system and to build a proper government house for the fledgling nation. As an Indian Act nation, it could have borrowed from the First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA). But a treaty nation, such as both Sliammon and Tsawwassen, has to first meet the requirements of the First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Management Act. The FNFA says: “In the case of Aboriginal governments that are not established under the Indian Act, enabling regulations may be required”. “The solution is for us to rewrite our financial administration laws,” Francis said. “They think that after treaty, we could create a law saying we don’t have to repay any loans. So, we have to come up with something that will be reviewed by FNFA. Then Sliammon could become a certifiable borrower.” Now the average First Nation member probably does not care much about such things. In fact, many would probably ask: “Why do we need to borrow money anyway?”
Roy Francis
Here is what the FNFA has to say: “Good infrastructure is needed to build safe and healthy communities; it increases the value of land and attracts the business investments that result in business opportunities, jobs and prosperity. Communities usually require large amounts of capital to finance infrastructure projects such as: purchasing land, building roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, public buildings and amenities.” The next question a nation’s member might ask is: “Didn’t anyone see this coming?” According to Frank Busch, FNFA’s
Good infrastructure is needed to build safe and healthy communities; it increases the value of land and attracts the business investments that result in business opportunities, jobs and prosperity.
director of information and marketing, the answer is “No”. “This all may have come as a surprise for some,” he said. “This problem was not really thought of by anybody until recently.” And if it makes First Nation lawmakers feel any better, he adds treaty settlements are fairly recent and “When people are doing something new, there’s going to be little snags.” Busch thinks it is unfortunate that forward-thinking nations such as Sliammon and Tsawwassen have come up against such a setback. “I wouldn’t want to see progressive nations like them get bogged down over something like this.” But bogged down they are. In fact, Tsawwassen, which is facing retail and residential developments in the hundreds of millions of dollars, has to borrow 10-to-20 times that which Sliammon needs to invest in its public works. “It is very crucial to the development and growth of any small community to be able to access low-cost borrowing,” Chief Bryce Williams recently told Business In Vancouver magazine. For now, both Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council nations are prevented from borrowing from either the FNFA or BC’s Municipal Finance Authority. Both organizations access funds from the world’s money markets and lenders want to been sure the funds they offer are safe. “A secure revenue stream gives comfort to the capital markets,” Busch said. “Capital markets want to see guarantees and they don’t want to see a treaty nation that could circumvent our Act. “Everyone has an idea of the solution, but it is a matter of getting everybody around the table to sort out jurisdiction,” Busch said. “Regulation has to be developed at some level.” SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 23
LOOK BACK – SEPTEMBER
Pole tells an old story A Stop! sign should be erected beside a new pole that stands at the entrance to the boardwalk along the seafront in Crofton. That’s because the pole tells an important old story from the Halalt First Nation people about the Thunderbird, Watchman, Sun and Moon. There is some irony that the pole, carved by Harold Joe of Cowichan, stands beside the latest addition to the $1.8-million boardwalk. The newest walkways is named Catalyst Paper Way in honour of the huge pulp mill that has been affecting the lives of Halalt since it opened more than 50 years ago. The Halalt First Nation logo shows Xulel-hw, the Watchman Le’lumuxhun holding the Salmon. There is a Thunderbird S-hwuhwas’us’ on each side of the Watchman, symbolizing day and night. Day and night is identified on the wings of the Thunderbirds by the Sun and the Moon.
Sun’s rays power T’Sou-ke
Power to the people at T’Sou-ke.
Gifts from the sun keep on coming for T’Sou-ke First Nation. On the same day that the nation was named Canada’s first Aboriginal solar community, word came of a $175,000 award for its commercial greenhouse project. So, T’Sou-ke will soon be producing electricity and hot water from the sun as well as using its rays to grow food for international markets as well as southern Vancouver Island. “We are setting the table for future generations,” Chief Gordon Planes told a group of municipal and provincial politicians and other solar friends who gathered in the community hall. “There is an appetite for change and I really believe that the next generation is the one that is going to make positive changes. “The Creator provided the resources for us to take care of ourselves. We are doing that a lot… I see huge opportunity for all of us and I encourage others to get in the canoe with us to build a stronger, sustainable economy. All of us can prosper together.
Songs Inside Us Four people from the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council family are among 16 profiled in a new book We Are Born with the Songs Inside Us: Lives and Stories of First Nations People in British Columbia described as “a celebration of 24 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
the thoughts and hopes of young First Nations people living Canada”. Evan Tlesla Adams of Sliammon, Kim Kwuntiltunaat Baird of Tsawwassen, John Qap’u’luq Marston of Stz’uminus and William Yoachim of
Snuneymuxw join former Vancouver Canuck Gino Odjick and others who have the strength and discovered ways to keep themselves firmly grounded in their traditional upbringing while being successful in the modern world.
LOOK BACK – OCTOBER
DRAWING A LINE IN THE INLET Kinder Morgan wants to ship 850,000 barrels a day of heavy bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands to the waters of Westridge Marine Terminal.
Canoes from Tsleil-Waututh Nation, along with neighbours from Musqueam and Squamish nations, paddled across Burrard Inlet on Thanksgiving Day, past oil tankers and other vessels to the waters of Westridge Marine Terminal. That is where Kinder Morgan wants to ship 850,000 barrels a day of heavy bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands. The paddle and ceremony from Whey-ah-Whichen (Cates Park) on Monday was another event in the years-long campaign by the nation whose members are People of the Inlet. The canoes could be seen from the TWN community centre where a new totem known as Kwel hoy’ stands. That pole was raised two weeks ago and was a gift from Tsleil-Waututh’s Coast Salish neighbours Lummi Nation who is carrying out its own campaign against transport of carbon-rich fuels.
Forest partnership on Cortes Klahoose First Nation has emerged as a major forest industry player on the north Salish Sea with word of a landmark forestry partnership the nation and its Cortes Island neighbours. The Cortes Forestry General Partnership recently received community forest tenure for the 3,700 hectares on the island. That is a tiny forest area compared to the 230,000 hectares that Klahoose manages through its operations in the Toba Valley. But Chief James Delorme said the Cortes deal is significant because it has two communities working closely together toward building an excellent forestry enterprise. And he credited councillor Kathy Francis, who was also instrumental in the Toba agreement, with much of the behind-the-scenes work on the Cortes partnership. “Klahoose is overjoyed over the tenure for the Cortes Forestry General Partnership,” Delorme said. “And once again Kathy, as co-chair of the partnership, has served both our community and the greater Cortes community very well. Raising the pole at the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Community Centre. It was a gift from the Lummi Nation.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 25
LOOK BACK – OCTOBER
Geraldine quietly teaches Geraldine Manson of Snuneymuxw First Nation, the first full-time elder-inresidence at Vancouver Island University, is using her unique talents to provide guidance and support to both Aboriginal and other students. Her appointment comes after years of serving her own community and part-time work at the Nanaimo campus of the university. Elders from Snuneymuxw first urged Geraldine over a decade ago to use her skills and ingrained compassion to train as a ‘pre-elder’. Geraldine’s quiet presence has been felt everywhere, from the council table at Snuneymuxw to community gatherings. For 17 years, she served as the elders’ coordinator for the community. Eight years ago, she began to work parttime at VIU.
Geraldine’s quiet presence has been felt everywhere, from the council table at Snuneymuxw to community gatherings. Ellen White and Geraldine.
TFN to build own sewer Tsawwassen First Nation announced today that it is going ahead on its own to build a sanitary sewer treatment plant to service Tsawwassen Lands. Chief Bryce Williams said the decision “secures Tsawwassen’s future by ensuring the capacity to provide sewer services to support Tsawwassen’s growth and development”. TFN will collaborate with one of Canada’s largest construction and engineering companies – Maple Reinders – to build a system that will service the huge residential, retail and industrial projects at the nation. Today’s announcement effectively ends several years of negotiations with the neighbouring Corporation of Delta to supply sewage services to the nation. Delta said it could not accommodate TFN’s long-term sewage needs. “I am delighted to confirm that TFN is building its own sanitary treatment system, and has entered into a contract with a terrific partner, Maple Reinders, to design and build the plant,” Chief Williams said. “TFN carefully explored its options with respect to the provision of sanitary sewer service and is convinced that this direction, and our choice of partner, is a sound choice from an environmental and an economic perspective.” 26 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Ken Baird at the Tsawwassen First Nation sewage plant in 2008.
LOOK BACK – NOVEMBER
Kwumut Lelum stands out
Tsleil-Waututh sees future in the wind.
OUR NATIONS GO GREEN T’Sou-ke First Nation recently signed a memorandum of understanding for a huge wind power project.
Our nations have been leaders in clean, green alternative energy projects. This week, the BC government announcement that $1.3 million has been put on the table for other nations to do the same. Sliammon, Homalco and Klahoose have been earning revenues for more than five years from their agreements for the run-of-river hydro projects in their traditional territories. In 2009, T’Sou-ke First Nation put up its solar panels on roofs throughout the community to generate electricity and provide hot water. This summer it connected a solar-powered charging station for electric vehicles outside the administration building and recently signed a memorandum of understanding for a huge wind power project in the nation’s traditional territory. And speaking of wind, there is TsleilWaututh Nation which invested $2 mil-
lion to form TWN Wind Power almost three years ago. The partnership company has installed its turbines as far away as the USA’s Midwest.
T’Sou-ke First Nation invested in solar panels in 2009 so the community could generate it’s own electricity.
When Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, BC’s independent representative for children and youth, tabled her report in the Legislature on Wednesday, headlines soon followed about mismanagement of $66 million by the government and the 23 delegated aboriginal agencies (DAAs) throughout the province. But hardly noticed on page 42 of the report was the praise for one DAA, Kwumut Lelum Child and Family Services. William Yoachim, executive director of Kwumut Lelum spoke about the report – “When Talk Trumped Service: A Decade of Lost Opportunity for Aboriginal Children and Youth in BC.” As he talked about the report “exposing a broken system,” he also praised his organization’s nine First Nations who have made caring for children their mandate for more than 15 years. Turpel-Lafond said: “Some notable progress has been achieved. This includes Kwumut Lelum Child and Family Services that, within six months of having its completion of comprehensive plans of care tracked by MCFD, increased its completion rate for plans for children it serves by 97 per cent. This is in stark contrast to the five per cent provincial compliance rate for children in care of the ministry and DAAs.”
William Yoachim, executive director of Kwumut Leluma.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 27
LOOK BACK – NOVEMBER
BUY SELL TRADE products & services Do you have something to sell, something you want to buy or a service to offer? Advertise it in the Salish Sea Trader. To celebrate our new magazine, we are offering community members of the eleven Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council nations free ads for a limited time. Ads must be 75 words or less. Your ad can only be submitted by email and must include either your phone number and/ or an email address. Ads for the March issue of the Salish Sea Sentinel must be submitted by Feb. 15. Send your ad to SalishSeaSentinel@shaw.ca Publisher reserves the right to refuse ad copy.
28 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Actor Adam Beach and former Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point drum during a fundraiser for the Kwunew Kwasun Centre in Mill Bay.
BREAKING DOWN WALLS ONE BOOK AT A TIME “Aboriginal people are no longer invisible. We are becoming doctors and lawyers and movie stars”
More than $100,000 was raised for Malahat First Nation’s cultural resource centre on Saturday night. But that was almost a secondary story to what occurred as 400 people gathered in Mill Bay. One of the stars of the show – and there were many stars out for the fundraiser for the Kwunew Kwasun centre whose name means ‘Catch a Star’ – the former BC Lt. Gov. Steven Point. In a moving keynote address, he said: “My
dear friends, the barriers between our communities have been there too long. “Aboriginal people are no longer invisible. We are becoming doctors and lawyers and movie stars… The barriers between our communities have been there too long. Aboriginal people are no longer invisible… these walls begin to come down. They came down in Europe… and you know what? They are starting to come down in Canada. Brick by brick we’re bringing them down…”
CONTACTS
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 29
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