Volume 13 . Issue 8
October 2017
LEARNING FROM ELDERS
2017 YOUTH LEADERSHIP GATHERING PAGES 8 - 13
COAST SALISH WEAVING REVIVAL
PAGES 6 - 7
NAUT’SA MAWT TRIBAL COUNCIL NATIONS
Naut’sa mawt - Working together as one
EDITORIAL TEAM Cara McKenna – Editor editor@salishseasentinel.ca Todd Peacey – Photographer DESIGN & LAYOUT Kelly Landry & Carmel Ecker ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION Manoj Sood ads@salishseasentinel.ca 604-943-6712 or 1-888-382-7711 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
The Salish Sea map was created in 2009 by Stefan Freelan at Western Washington University
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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 PHOTO: Tla’amin Elder John Louie teaches a group of youth how to build a sweat lodge during the second annual Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s Youth Leadership Gathering.
1. HALALT (250) 246-4736 chief@halalt.org www.halalt.org
7. SNUNEYMUXW (Nanaimo) (250) 740-2300 johngwesley@shaw.ca www.snuneymuxw.ca
2. HOMALCO (250) 923-4979 m.enevoldsen@homalco.com
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. MALAHAT (250) 743-3231 caroline.harry@malahatnation.com www.malahatnation.com 5. TLA’AMIN (604) 483-9646 clint.williams@sliammon.bc.ca www.sliammonfirstnation.com 6. SNAW-NAW-AS (Nanoose) (250) 390-3661 chris.bob@nanoose.org www.nanoose.org
9. TSAWWASSEN (604) 943-2122 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 • 1
WALK
Quamichan Creek Culvert Replacement “The Fish Return”
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2 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
FOR RECONCILIATION DRAWS TENS OF THOUSANDS
Residential school survivor Amy George shares her story
Tsawwassen Chief Bryce Williams, second from left, takes part in a blanketing ceremony after the walk
4 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
The event in Vancouver was symbolic of moving forward together Story and photos by Cara McKenna Standing on a wooden platform, TsleilWaututh Elder Amy George spoke to an enormous crowd of people before the Walk for Reconciliation in Vancouver on Sept. 24. George, a survivor, spoke about a decade she spent in a residential school as a child, and how it took her many years to cope with the trauma. “We were strapped and starved and punished,” she said. “(But) today, I stand in my Sundance dress. They did not kill this Indian.” George said the abuse she experienced and witnessed was horrible, but the worst thing she learned was that the worst thing you can be is a First Nations person. “I grew up thinking I was worthless, I was dumb, I was an ignorant Indian,” she said. “That’s what I was taught when I was little. There are thousands of us like that.” After George shared with the crowd, an estimated 50,000 people flooded the streets of downtown Vancouver for a twokilometre walk to Strathcona Park, where speeches and performances took place. The event hosted by Reconciliation Canada was symbolic of a larger effort
to see Indigenous and non-Indigenous people move forward together. During one part of the event, residential school survivors and leaders were blanketed in a ceremony led by Squamish Hereditary Chief Ian Campbell. “This now means we are family, we have adopted these people by blanketing them,” he said. “The tide has turned. We are beginning a new chapter of Canadian history. One where our children will be safe.” B.C. Premier John Horgan, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould were all part of the ceremony. Chief Robert Joseph of Reconciliation Canada said the event represented an important moment. It was the second walk of its kind. An estimated 70 thousand people walked in the first one that took place four years ago during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “To the survivors, we remember you. That’s why all these people are here,” he said. “We’re going to learn how to look after each other and not to hurt each other anymore.”
Coast Salish dancers performed to open celebrations after the Walk for Reconciliation on Sept. 24.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 5
Dancers showcase newly woven blankets, created by George and Joseph’s most recent cohort of student weavers.
THE REVIVAL OF COAST SALISH WEAVING Groundbreaking Squamish weaving teachers launch book about the art of Salish Blankets Story and photos by Tessa Vikander The art of weaving Coast Salish blankets is a skill that’s thriving today, thanks to dedicated teachers like one husband-and-wife team from Squamish Nation who recently launched a book about their craft. Hereditary Chief Janice George (Chepximiya Siyam’) and Willard Joseph (Skwetsimeltxw) have committed their lives to sharing the ancestral skill that was almost lost after European contact. The couple launched their book, Salish Blanket: Robes of Protection and Transformation, Symbols of Wealth, to about 100 guests during an event at the Museum of Vancouver on August 10. In between signings, Joseph told the Sentinel about when he and George met Susan Pavel, the woman who would 6 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Chief Janice George spent several hours signing copies of 'Salish Blankets'.
become their teacher, at a weaver’s gathering in 2003. “Susan had a weaving, a tunic for sale,
at this gathering,” Joseph explained. “My wife asked her how much for the tunic. And Susan, she told us later, that it’s something that she doesn’t always say to people [but she said] ‘I could sell it to you, or I could teach you for the same money.’ So that really was the 180 in our life.” Soon after, Joseph and George began travelling down to Washington state for one weekend a month to learn with Pavel. She taught them both how to weave and how to teach others the traditional skill. Since then, Joseph and George have become full time weavers and teachers, ushering a new cohort of weavers into their studios every year. Prior to 2003, when George and Joseph started weaving and teaching, very few people wore blankets at ceremonies, George said. Woven blankets, an intricate
Chief Janice George (left) and Willard Joseph (right) pose with their niece, Taylor McCarthy, who is wearing the woven blanket she received from her husband, for their recent wedding.
part of the Coast Salish spiritual and economic system, are used at ceremonies and celebrations as a marker of status and protection. “Every ceremony, you will see a weaving now,” she says. “After we started teaching, everyone started wearing weavings…everybody wants to wear them.” But their mark on the traditions of Coast Salish weaving goes far beyond the studio and their students. The new book is the culmination of years of research, and the pair travelled the world to examine woven Coast Salish artifacts in far off museums. “I found it very spiritual,” Joseph says, recalling his time with the rare museum acquisitions. “We wish we could have taken them home with us.” The book was 10 years in the making, and its launch wasn’t a simple networking event of wine and cheese. It was a full out celebration that included singing, drumming, dancing, a showcase of woven blankets and a feast. Near the end of the event, George spoke about the importance of the Salish Blanket book. The book “is like a marker, of how far we’ve come in our teaching,” she said. “It’s honouring the ancestors…it’s a responsibility. What I love about [the book] is that it’s a perfect mixture of academic, spiritual and technical [teachings] all woven together.” SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 7
Following the instructions of Tla’amin Elder John Louie, youth create the framework for a sweat lodge.
DEVELOPING FUTURE LEADERS: COAST SALISH YOUTH GATHER IN TLA’AMIN Teens spent three days learning and bonding at NmTC’s second annual Youth Leadership Gathering Photos and story by Cara McKenna Several years ago, Lawrence Mitchell of Snaw-naw-as First Nation had a vision to give Coast Salish youth an opportunity to come together and learn about their culture. This summer, he saw his idea realized for the second time at Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s 2017 Youth Leadership Gathering. The camp from Aug. 22 to 25 saw three dozen teenagers from the tribal 8 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
council’s 11 member nations come together to learn from their elders, have fun together and practice their culture. Standing in the main hall of the outdoor learning centre in Tla’amin territory where the event was held, Mitchell expressed his gratitude. “What we’re doing here, it’s very meaningful,” he said. “It took me several years to fight for this event to happen, and I know it takes time, it takes resources, it takes people to
come together and make this a success.” Mitchell said it is particularly meaningful to have seen the tribal council realize his idea of engaging youth because it was something he was never afforded himself as a child. “I just started learning more and more about who I am … I’m 38 and I only started really tapping into it several years ago,” he said. “Imagine how strong you’re going to be if you start figuring this stuff out
It took me several years to fight for this event to happen, and I know it takes time, it takes resources, it takes people to come together and make this a success.
when you’re younger. How strong of an adult you will be if you start grasping onto that language and learning the songs.” Activities that took place during the camp included drum-making, creating traditional art, making jam, ceremony and games. Matthew Louie, a 13-year-old from Tla’amin, said he used to rarely see other kids from his nation participating in cultural activities, but now he sees that increasing. “It’s really cool to do this type of thing, and take part in culture. I’m really glad to see other kids here from my nation,” he said. “I like to see people actually take part because if you don’t take part, it’s going to die.” Matthew has learned many teachings from his grandfather John Louie, who was at the camp showing groups of youth how to build a sweat lodge. The elder Louie said now that the sweat lodge is built, he will continue to pass his knowledge on through programs with the local school district and beyond. “So I’ll be doing sweats here with the youth from the schools, I think there’s five different groups that I’ll be working with,” he said. “I’ll also work with different men’s groups. It’s all about sharing.” Valerie Cross-Blackett, camp planner and governance advisor with NmTC, said she is grateful to see that the youth camp is not only planting seeds of knowledge for future leaders, but resulting in other positive benefits such as the sweat lodge. “I really appreciate the teachings that people are willing to share,” she said. “We’ve got all kinds of people working together for one common goal.” Bronwen Geddes, who also planned the camp and works as a community planning advisor with NmTC, said each year has been a learning experience. “Last year the youth said they loved the camp and they got a lot out of it, but they wanted it to be longer,” she said. “It’s a great way for the youth to get outside of their own home communities … and also for the youth to meet each other.” Next year, Geddes and Cross-Blackett will be looking for more sponsorship opportunities and take feedback from this year’s gathering in order to keep improving. In the meantime, the youth from this year’s camp were left with the words of elders such as Tla’amin’s Elsie Paul, who urged the teens to learn words in their Indigenous languages and to take time for selfreflection. “We’re tested all the time in what we do in this life,” Paul said. “Don’t ever feel defeated, don’t ever feel like you can’t do this or that. Take a deep breath, go somewhere, meditate, even if it’s just to your room. Think about life, think about the blessings you have.”
At the beginning of the camp the group wrote down their goals for the event and hung them on a tree.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 9
Clockwise from top: • Tla’amin Elder John Louie teaches a group of youth how to build a sweat lodge. • Cyndi Pallen of Tla’amin teaches a group of youth about making jam. The day prior, the youth harvested berries for the spread. • A group of youth learn about Coast Salish designs from artist Ivan Rosypskye. • Youth listen to teachings from Tla’amin Elder Elsie Paul.
LEADERSHIP GATHERING 2017: THROUGH THE YOUTHS’ LENS Several loaner cameras were distributed to those participating in NmTC’s 2017 Youth Leadership Gathering in Tla’amin. These photos were taken by various youth and youth leaders who picked up the cameras at the event.
MUSQUEAM WE ‘SI’EM’ UNV
The work, by Bren will remind visitors of unceded A Coast Salish welcoming figure carved by Musqueam artist Brent Sparrow has been unveiled at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. The piece, adorning the entrance of the university’s downtown campus, was revealed during a celebration on Sept 6. It’s part of a larger effort by the school to acknowledge the unceded Indigenous territory on which its three campuses were built—a Squamish welcoming figure by Jody Broomfield was unveiled at the Burnaby campus earlier this year. Sparrow’s welcoming post depicts a man wrapped in a wool blanket and cedar hat, and is titled Si’em.
At the unveiling in-law Morgan G piece, explaining for the artist to re event. “When you hav something like a and soul, you do n behalf,” Guerin very strong but ve Sparrow was Musqueam by his Susan Point. He's carvings that ad tions in Vancouve “The house pos who your ancesto ings your ancesto
Artist Brent Sparrow stands with his handiwork that will now be on permanent display at SFU Harbour Centre in downtown Vancouver. –Photo courtesy of SFU.
ELCOMING FIGURE VEILED AT SFU
nt Sparrow, called 'Si'em' d territory and give students strength
g, the artist’s brotherGuerin introduced the that it is customary emain silent at such an
ve a work such as this, piece of your heart not speak on your own explained. “We are ery humble people.” born and raised in s mother, famed artist done numerous other dorn different instituer. st is a way of showing ors are and the teachors have given you,”
Guerin said. “When Brent told me where this post was going, I thought what an amazing and perfect tribute to this house.” Guerin said the figure will be a reminder to everyone at the school that there is a community behind them. “Don’t be afraid to tell the truth, don’t be afraid to be strong, there’s a community wrapped around you,” he said. SFU president Andrew Petter thanked Sparrow and all the representatives from Musqueam who attended the unveiling, calling it “a very special day.” The piece can now be seen in the foyer of SFU’s Harbour Centre campus on West Hastings Street.
Musqueam Elder Larry Grant welcomes the crowd before the welcoming post is unveiled. –Photo courtesy of SFU.
BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS GET PREPARED AT BUSINESS ‘BOOT CAMP’ Up-and-coming Coast Salish entrepreneurs learned some tips about what it takes to start a business during a weekend training session in late August. Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s event in Tsawwassen saw about a dozen people sit in on sessions with experts, discuss business ideas and take part in group exercises. The seminar was led by Jay Silverberg from Synergy Management Group and Chris Cathers of Evolution Business Group, who run a regular 12-week Indigenous entrepreneurship program our of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre. Silverberg said the point of the weekend event was to get people thinking in the right direction. “This weekend is really all about a boot camp on Indigenous entrepreneurship,” he said. “We cover as much as we can. It gives people an idea of where to take it from here.” Participants in the workshop percolated business ideas that stemmed from their experiences and skills, and heard from successful entrepreneur Erik Blaney, who runs the Tla’amin Convenience Store and a tourism business along with his job at Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council. Cathers said many successful businesses are extensions of people’s interests and skillsets. “It’s amazing what drives businesses,” he said. “You want to do something that you are comfortable with and that’s fun as well, hopefully.” A second Indigenous entrepreneur session will be held from Oct. 20 to 22 at Tigh-Na-Mara Resort in Parksville. For more information Erik Blaney can be contacted at erikb@nautsamawt.com.
Jay Silverberg, left, and Chris Cathers, right, lead a seminar on SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 15 entrepreneurship for NmTC.
COAST SALISH STORIES
YAKIMA TERRITORY My grandfather Ronald Aleck told me this story at the age of four, and he said this is the reason Yakima is so rich with land. He also showed me a beautiful beaded bag, I can still remember the smell of the buckskin and listening to him tell me story after story and names I needed to remember. He said that we had traded with Yakima people; that our people would bring smoked fish and dried clams and they would get beaded saddle bags and buckskin clothes in the trade. This beautiful beaded saddlebag has been handed four generations, and one day I will hand this beautiful treasure down to my son. I apologize should this story not be told the exact proper way, if I had messed up even a word or two, please forgive me my dear Yakima relatives.
Told by Celestine Aleck (Sahiltiniye) of Snuneymuxw First Nation Long ago, a white general built a fort in Yakima and told his solider: “You go and tell your white chief he can’t come here and runner to go to all the chiefs in Yakima territory and to tell them kill our children and try and feed him to us, he can’t kill us and there would be a meeting in two days. On the day of the meeting, take our land.” The solider had said: “They will just come back the general goes to his cook and says: “I want you with more soldiers.” The chief said: “No, you go kill that Indian kid over there, cut him up and tell your white chief.” put him in the soup, were going feed him to the They had heard that 700 soldiers were making Indians.” Before the cook could reply, the gentheir way to Yakima and all the Yakima warriors eral says: “If you don’t do it I will kill you and get were lined up and there were four shamans someone else to do it.” So, the cook had to do it. standing in front of them. They had turned The tables were set and as some of the chiefs around and told all the warriors they didn’t need came in they were told to sit down and eat, some to fight today, and that they would take care of it. of them knew that something was wrong when The four shamans had been fasting, bathing and they had tried the soup. They had pushed it aside preparing for this day. The four shamans began to and didn’t touch it. It was still busy and loud sing a song in unison and went towards all the 700 and the cook pulled one chief aside to somesoldiers and all the soldiers were shooting at where quiet and told the chief: “I see some of them. The bullets had hit them and fell off like you can’t eat the soup. The general made me kill pebbles. If they had stuck in, the bullets would Sahiltiniye ikw Silah Ronald Aleck. one of your children cut him up and put him only stick a little bit into their leather and fall out. in the soup. He’s going to kill you all and take The four shamans killed all but one solider and your land.” The chief thanked the cook and said: “Tonight, when they had told the solider: “You go back to your white chief and everyone is asleep I want you to wake up and run, run as far as you tell him that we are all like this and that they can’t come back and can, even if you get tired keep going.” try and steal our land.” The cook thanked him and that night when everyone was Celestine is a published writer/illustrator who considers herself very asleep, the cook woke up and ran, and kept running. The chiefs fortunate to have learned some of the rich stories of Coast Salish territory from came in and killed everyone except one solider. They told that her elders. She can be contacted at celestinea@snuneymuxw.ca. 16 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
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Beaded Saddle bag from Yakima.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 17
KINDER MORGAN FIGHT REACHES CRUCIAL MOMENT B.C.’s new government has promised to stop the pipeline, but the construction start date looms Story and photos by Cara McKenna Hundreds of people opposed Kinder Morgan with renewed vigour on Sept. 9 as B.C.’s new NDP government has promised to do “whatever it takes” to stop the pipeline and support Indigenous rights. First Nations communities along the pipeline route from Alberta to B.C. have continually said no to the project, including Tsleil-Waututh which is fighting against a sevenfold increase in tanker traffic in its backyard. The fight has been a long and constant effort in the Vancouver area that’s included other Indigenous communities, experts, the courts and residents. But despite recent breakthroughs in the fight against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, the project still has approval by Canada and Alberta and the construction start date is looming. During the “Kinder Morgan We Still
18 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Say No” rally in Vancouver organized by the group Climate Convergence, Burnaby South MP Kennedy Stewart was optimistic. “Two bitter rivals, the Green Party and the NDP—let’s call it what it is—have come together to help us stop Kinder Morgan,” he said. “I can feel it in my bones that we’re going to win.” Stewart said that he’s going to keep challenging officials in the House of Commons as soon as he’s back in Ottawa. “I’ve made over 70 speeches against Kinder Morgan in the House of Commons, and we’re going to keep it up,” he promised. Meanwhile, Musqueam Elder Shane Point talked about the importance of taking action for future generations. “Canadian citizens, you need to take action and say ‘we’re going to start a class
action suit against Kinder Morgan.’ Nobody’s said that yet,” Point said. “Those of you out there who really want to take action, take action through the courts, otherwise (the federal government) isn’t going to listen to you.” After a group marched from the Vancouver Art Gallery to Sunset Beach Park, Squamish Elder Linda Williams expressed her gratitude for those who are fighting. “We are not only physically tied to the lands, we are also spiritually tied to the lands, and this is why our passion is so strong in protecting what is so precious to us and fighting for life,” she said. “I’m very glad in my heart that all of us are taking a strong stand together, and fighting for what we believe in, fighting for what we have hope for, and taking a stand today.”
Chief Bob Chamberlin (left) of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, stands with Reconciliation Canada’s Chief Robert Joseph (middle), and Gordon August of Sechelt First Nation.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 19
Much of Semiahmoo artist Roxanne Charles’s weaving work explores Indigenous women’s issues.
ARTISTS EMBRACE ‘INTANGIBLE’ COAST SALISH IDENTITY New exhibit at Bill Reid Gallery doesn’t shy away from complications of Indigeneity in a colonial country Photos and story by Cara McKenna Creating Coast Salish artwork in 2017 can be complicated: just ask multimedia artist Ostwelve (Ronnie Dean Harris). “What I’ve been told is Coast Salish changes every year,” he said. “We’ve had a hard time as Coast Salish people placing ourselves in a contemporary culture. To understand who we are … it takes disruption of the popular culture that exists in this place.” Ostwelve, who was born in Sto:lo territory, took his questions about Coast Salish identity and turned it into a video art piece called “Speak of What you Know.” He sat in the places where his grandparents are from and wrote a spoken word piece about the intangibility of modern Indigenous identity. “My grandmothers were weavers, so I get to use words to weave,” he said. “A thousand years ago I’d be speaking in a longhouse or weaving it into design but today we use media.” Ostwelve is one of six Coast Salish artists who have created works for the new Intangible exhibit at the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver. The exhibit embraces the complicated nature of what it meanstobeCoastSalish,andincludesworksinadiversearrayof mediums and styles. Roxanne Charles of Semiahoo First Nation looks at women’s issues through performance and multimedia weaving, while lessLIE (Leslie Sam) of Cowichan Tribes tackles issues like capitalism and Indigenous land rights through paintings and woodwork. In one piece, lessLIE drafted a “culturally correct” Coast Salish version of the Vancouver Canucks team logo. In another, he gives a Coast Salish treatment to the Starbucks mermaid. “How do contemporary Coast Salish people fit within modern capitalist society?” he asked. “(I wanted to) question the idea of if these corporations can even exist without Indigenous territory.” Intangible was curated by Sharon Fortney of the Klahoose First Nation and Bill Reid Gallery’s Beth Carter. “Each artist featured at Intangible comes from a unique background,” Carter explained. “Some are primarily influenced by their respective lineages, while others have found inspiration from sources within and outside their immediate community. This fluidity of knowledge gathering opens the way for a wealth of new and exciting ideas to surface.” The exhibit will be on display until Dec. 10.
Top: lessLIE (Leslie Sam) speaks to media about his pieces in the exhibit which explore issues like capitalism and food sovereignty. Above: Curators Beth Carter, left, and Sharon Fortney, talk to media about the Intangible exhibit at the Bill Reid Gallery.
Right: Ostwelve (Ronnie Dean Harris) speaks to gallery guests about his video work, “Speak of What You Know.�
2017
TRIBAL CANOE JOURNEYS
Paddlers engage in protocol before coming ashore.
22 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Kalvin Hackett of Homalco stands with other band members who paddled for Tribal Journeys.
Photos by Todd Peacey Tribal Journeys is still resonating with thousands of people who attended the annual events in Campbell River this summer. An estimated 100 canoe families were welcomed onto shore on Aug. 5 before guests spent several days engaging in protocol. The Wei Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum nations hosted the events on their territories and paddlers from as far away as the Shinnecock Nation in Long Island, N.Y., shared songs, stories and dances. As usual, numerous Coast Salish canoes were present including those from Snuneymuxw, Tla’amin and Klahoose nations. Tribal Journeys will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2018, and it was recently announced that the Puyallup Tribe in Washington State will host next year’s events, slated for July 28 to Aug. 4
Homalco artist Derek Georgeson.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 23
Tla'amin and Homalco elders take pause at a booth during the event.
Above: A Wei Wai Kum woman welcomes canoes. Below: Thousands of spectators watched the canoes arrive at Tyee Spit.
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Youth dancers from Wei Wai Kum performed during protocol events.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 25
Top: Protocol takes place at the Wei Wai Kum Big House. Left: Homalco youth dancers perform a bear dance.
26 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
AROUND THE SALISH SEA
PREPARING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE By Edith Moore, NmTC Communications Liaison On the tip of everyone’s tongue these days is the term “climate change” and I have to be honest: I was the person with my head in the sand on this issue. But now climate change is all around us, with the hurricanes, floods, and fires happening in recent months. Upon an invitation from the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians to the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, I was able to attend the Tribal Climate Change Camp along with Allan Planes (T’Sou-ke), Melanie Walker, and Carleen Thomas (Tsleil-Waututh). Attendees also included participants from all over the U.S. and as far as Indonesia. The camp was set up to support teams of tribal leaders, climate change coordinators, planners, student interns, and program managers to build skills, gather information, and develop tribal policy needed to address climate change impacts. The camp was held at the University of Washington’s Pack Forest Conference Center in Eatonville, WA, on the territory of the Nisqually Indian Tribe. We spent a week with some well-respected speakers learning how to assess and address the impacts in a realistic way. We worked on an outline for a comprehensive climate change strategy that we can continue to build on to develop a formal climate change plan for our Tribal Council. This very interactive, intensive camp opened our eyes to creating change for not only our own communities but also the world. “The traditional way of life of indigenous people has contributed little to climate change, yet they are the most adversely affected by it” –Gina Cosentino/ Indigenous Peoples Advisory Consultant, World Bank Let us be the leaders for change. edithm@nautsamawt.com SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 27
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NMTC HELPS TEAM B.C. BRING HOME SOCCER GOLD By Penny Baird, Tsawwassen First Nation A huge thank you to Naut’sa mawt Trial Council and their partners! Team B.C. U16 Girls soccer team competed at the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in July with funding support from Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council’s 2nd Annual Golf Tournament. The NAIG experience was an inspiring display of athleticism and hard work, and more importantly, sportsmanship and team bonding. To boot, our girls succeeded in bringing home the GOLD! We couldn’t have done it without you!
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REMEMBERING THE SNAW-NAW-AS COMMUNITY HALL Snaw-naw-as First Nation’s beloved community hall was left in ashes after an early morning fire on Aug. 19. No people were harmed and firefighters managed to save important cultural items that were stored in the basement. But losing the gathering place was emotional for the community that has decades of memories in the hall. RCMP Constable Gary O’Brien said the cause of the fire isn’t yet known but is being 28 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
investigated as suspicious. Snaw-naw-as Chief Brent Edwards told the Nanaimo News Bulletin that the building was insured and will eventually be torn down and replaced. He said the building held many memories for the nation, both happy and sad. “It’s hard to see,” he said. “It’s right next to the graveyard so everybody…who has passed away in the last 40 years has been carried out that doorway. “It’s a pretty big deal for us.”
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MYRA offers a complete suite of technology services - from fully managed infrastructure operations to project-based technical services, strategic business planning, and enterprise business architecture. Our team of professional IT consultants will work with you to investigate, analyze, design and implement business process and technical solutions that allow you to achieve all of your strategic goals.
Business & Technical Services
Business Consulting Services Storage and Server Management System Administration Project Management & Business Analysis
Product Sales Networking Virtualization Cloud
Victoria Office
Vancouver Office
488A Bay Street 740-1190 Melville Street Victoria, BC V8T 5H2 Vancouver, BC V6E 3W1 T: 250-381-1335 T: 604-688-1719
G MYRA.com
� (250) 381-1335
Integrated Data Management
Systems for First Nations • Band Membership & Community Database
• Financial Management Tools
• Community & Human Resource Management
• Housing & Asset Management
• Post-Secondary Education
• DoculinX™ - Electronic Filing Cabinet
• Patient Travel, and many more ...
Contact us today! 1-866-699-6829 info@xyntax.com www.xyntax.ca
One Solution. One System.
Xyntax (pronounced Zin-tax) is an Aboriginal-owned, Canadian software system that is tailored to serve the needs of First Nations. For more than 30 years, Xyntax has provided an integrated suite of easy-to-use financial and administrative management tools, exclusively for First Nations. Xyntax software is not only robust, secure and affordable, it provides high levels of personalized support to its customers. Please contact Xyntax for a demonstration of how it can provide the solutions you require for your organization.
Canada’s Premier First Nation Data Management Software