Volume 12 . Issue 9
November 2016
INSIDE
3 AD20-2 O R s
N age O I T y–p A LI e
PADDLES AWAKEN SPIRITS PAGES 8-9 ART IN ACTION PAGES 12-17
CI Jour n N O e
C th RE on
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NAUT’SA MAWT TRIBAL COUNCIL NATIONS
Naut’sa mawt - Working together as one EDITORIAL TEAM Mark Kiemele – Editor editor@salishseasentinel.ca Cara McKenna – Reporter/Photographer caradawnmckenna@gmail.com Tricia Thomas – Photographer Bronwen Geddes – Copy Editor DESIGN Kelly Landry - Creative Director Carmel Ecker - Design & Layout 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, BC, V4K 5B8 604-943-6712 or 1-888-382-7711 PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT #42922026 Undeliverable mail may be returned to: 330-6165 Highway 17A Delta, BC, V4K 5B8 circulation@salishseasentinel.ca The Salish Sea Sentinel is published monthly, ten times a year, by the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, representing 6,500 people in 11 member nations. © Salish Sea Sentinel is all right 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: Gary Manson’s memories ran deep as he stood before the Witness Blanket.
The Salish Sea map was created in 2009 by Stefan Freelan at Western Washington University
1. HALALT (250) 246-4736 chief@halalt.org www.halalt.org
7. 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 bbaptiste@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, BC V0R 1K5 (250) 324-1800 • www.nautsamawt.org
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 1
AROUND THE SALISH SEA SNUNEYMUXW VOTES ON LAND QUESTION
Darren Blaney likes the sounds of radio.
LICENSE AWARDED FOR HOMALCO RADIO STATION
After almost ten years of waiting, a Homalco First Nation-based radio station has been awarded a license by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. “We got our radio license today,” said Darren Blaney in mid-October. “We will be 100.7 on the FM dial and will be streaming on the internet.” He said the Aupe Cultural Enhancement Society board of directors will be meeting do all the work needed to get the station on-air by October 2017. Funding sources for capital costs, as well as training dollars, will be high on the agenda. “We want to train Homalco and others to begin this venture to help our youth, elders and community,” he said. “We will do healing issues around residential schools and Aboriginal rights and languages. We’ll also have reporters going to events and workshops.” Another agenda item will be determining the station’s call letters. Blaney said some early choices include CHIA (grandmother), CHOI or CIEM (honoured one). He said there has already been interest by Indigenous people wanting to work as DJs or reporters for the new station, as well as from musicians wanting to host live weekend jam sessions. The CRTC license runs until 2023 when it can be renewed. 2 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Voters at Snuneymuxw First Nation will be going to the polls on Nov. 12 to vote on the Thlap’qwum specific claim, a settlement of 79 acres of former reserve lands lost to the city of Nanaimo about 130 years ago. Worth more than $49 million, the settlement could also see the nation asking for 79 acres to be added to what is currently the smallest reserve lands per capita in BC. About 1,200 vote on whether to accept the offer. Canada ruled 13 years ago that the claim for the wrongfully-taken lands was valid. Visit www.snuneymuxw.ca/project/79acre-claim for more information.
STORE COOKS UP A WIN
The Tla’amin convenience store picked up a BC Aboriginal Business award at the organization’s gala in Vancouver on Oct. 19. Run by Erik Blaney, his mother Gail and his partner Miel since 2014, the store has become a hit with people living at Tla’amin Nation as well as the thousands of travellers that pass by on the main highway from Powell River to Lund and Desolation Sound. In addition to grocery and gift items, the store also serves an ever-changing range of ‘healthy’ fast food.
NEW HEAD OF MST
David Negrin has been named the new head of MST Development Corp. run by Musqueam, Squamish and TsleilWaututh nations. The former head of the Aquilini development and construction will guide the three nations’ plans for more than 160 acres of land in Metro Vancouver whose combined value is estimated at more than $1 billion.
Verna Francis who is the Tla’amin justice program manager holds the stone tool.
ARTIFACTS RETURNED
An animal-shaped stone club and other objects were recently returned to Tla’amin Nation from the Royal BC Museum. The return was part of the museum’s Aboriginal artifact recovery project. The BC Government announced a $2 million contribution to the program – part of its reconciliation efforts with more than 200 communities – at a gathering with First Nation leaders in early September.
HERITAGE SITE?
An organization called the Salish Sea Trust is working toward a January deadline to have UNESCO consider the Salish Sea as a world heritage site. “Once every decade we get this chance, and it may not come again, with climate change, biodiversity losses, population and development increases putting our historical, cultural and natural heritage at risk,” the trust says. Visit www.salishseatrust.ca for more information.
AROUND THE SALISH SEA
The Kwùmut Lelum office building after the fire.
WORK GOES ON DESPITE FIRE AT KWÙMUT LELUM
A late September fire at Kwùmut Lelum Child and Family Services caused significant structural damage, but staff were soon working from other sites in Nanaimo to deliver critical services to nine First Nation communities. The 20-year-old Aboriginal agency built its new offices on the main Snuneymuxw reserve about six years ago. It provides guardianship and residential resource teams, child protection caregiving, as well as community programs and services. More information at www.kwumut.or.
Children were the beneficiaries of the Malahat Gala held in late October.
SENTINEL SNAPS
Here are some photos of people the Sentinel captured while travelling around the Salish Sea recently.
Donna Tom, longtime receptionist at Tla’amin Nation, has a welcome smile for visitors to the new Governance House.
‘Baldy’ by Derek Smith, better known as tions and rela ion Nat t Firs his Stz’uminus his side. by eye Pop dog his has n friends, ofte
Carmen Galligos, a university student from Tla’amin Nation, had her hands full of paddles while helping out at the Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council Youth Gathering at Kulleet Bay in Stz’uminus.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 3
Chief Delorme signs the agreement – Cara McKenna photo.
WE ARE PART OF THE PROCESS New agreements show that we mean business, especially for the BC Assembly of First Nations By Cara McKenna The chief of Klahoose First Nation says responsible partnerships between Indigenous communities and businesses are crucial as Canada moves towards reconciliation. James Delorme, who also sits on the BCAFN board of directors, was one of numerous chiefs who signed a memorandum of understanding with the Business Council of BC in September. A few weeks later, the BCAFN announced that a national sustainable economic development strategy is being produced with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. The agreements come during a time of division among Indigenous people in BC, as Premier Christy Clark pushes the 4 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
approval of controversial extraction projects such as LNG and the Site C dam. The agreement that the BCAFN signed with the Business Council of BC outlines “economic reconciliation” between the two parties. The council said it builds on numerous economic development agreements between BC First Nations and businesses, including resource extraction projects such as coal and hydroelectric. But Delorme said after the Sept. 6 signing in Vancouver that it is about more than just development. “It’s about us getting that recognition that we’re a part of the process and we’re actually getting a voice in how things are done,” he said. “There’s actually the component of making sure our territories are respected. That’s the biggest piece in all of this.”
On Sept. 27 in Ottawa, the BCAFN announced it was working on a plan that it said will identify First Nations’ “aspirations” and opportunities when it comes to economic development. Both the federal and B.C. governments are supporting the plan, which has been dubbed the National First Nations Economic Development Strategy. BCAFN Regional Chief Shane Gottfriedson, who is notoriously business-oriented, said sustainability and consent are crucial when embarking on development projects. But he also feels communities must “work together to lift our people from poverty. In order to advance reconciliation, we must build bridges. “We must work together to ensure more positive, constructive and meaningful relationships with government and industry.”
DELORME TELLS ALL ABOUT BCAFN
Students Matter Here.
At Vancouver Island University, we help you find success in your studies with… • small classes and individual attention from your professors • support from Aboriginal Elders • a classroom experience where students are seen and heard ts
Contact VIU’s Aboriginal Services Centre to find out more. Toll free 1.888.920.2221, local 6510 | Tel 250.740.6510 | Email sas@viu.ca 25-07-8901
Chief James Delorme of Klahoose told his community what the BC Assembly of First Nations was all about after his election to the board of the assembly last year. In June 2015, with support of the Klahoose council, I was elected to the board of directors for the BC Assembly of First Nations. Since then I have been a part of board meetings and have spoken on behalf of Regional Chief Shane Gottfriedson at many events. Some Klahoose folks have asked me what the BCAFN is all about and how it benefits Klahoose, so I wanted to make this post to give some insight. My role as board member is to assist Regional Chief Shane Gottfriedson, my fellow board members and the entire staff at the BCAFN. Since I started working with this great group of leaders, I have learned a vast amount of knowledge in regards to First Nation’s governance, policy, advocacy and national issues. Specifically, I have been involved representing Chief Shane at the national executive level, spoke at an energy conference, represented BCAFN at last year’s Elders Conference and other board duties, including the general assembly in Nisga’a territory and one of the regional economic planning strategy sessions in Snaw-naw-as territory. Regional Chief Shane has asked me to help with economic development and other files. I have assisted where he needed me. To answer the question: “How does this work benefit Klahoose?” The answer is very important. The work I do to advocate for the needs of all First Nations in B.C. greatly affects Klahoose in a positive way. At all times I am first, chief of Klahoose, and second, board member of BCAFN. I waste no time making sure everyone knows my allegiance to my people. My peers have the same responsibility to their nations and they understand. We all have an unspoken respect for each other’s communities. Klahoose’s successes are greatly appreciated by other nations, especially with our green energy run-of-river hydro projects. My interaction with political leaders – and learning from other nations – helps with development for our people. What this means is the knowledge I have gained is being used for the benefit of Klahoose in areas such as housing, social development, economic development, health, education and culture. We are also making sure our people are not left out of important issues. Klahoose is in the spotlight with national resource minister Jim Carr wanting to visit our territory, as well as many chiefs and First Nations who either want to do business with Klahoose or, at the very least, learn our ways. Not to mention we had the Regional Chief Gottfriedson visiting Toba Inlet last spring. Chet em’quinama! Chief James Delorme
NANAIMO | COWICHAN | PARKSVI
UALICUM | POWELL RIVER
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 5
Work also continues on the Stz’uminus Oyster Bay development north of Ladysmith.
LADYSMITH DEVELOPMENT BY STZ’UMINUS COULD EARN $40 MILLION IN DECADE Stz’uminus First Nation and its development partner are getting closer to building a new neighbourhood in the Town of Ladysmith. The town has held a public hearing on the Holland Creek project and the town council has given its okay as land use policies are adopted. And Ray Gauthier of the Coast Salish Development Corporation said that the project is “almost there”. “We were having trouble moving it through the town,” Gauthier said of the plan to build more than 600 homes on 140 acres. But he pointed out that recent land use approvals are “sort of the benchmark of a done deal.” Gauthier added that the project will earn significant revenues for Stz’uminus. He expects it could bring in about $40 million over the next decade. The development will be a mix of detached single-family residences, townhouses and multi-unit homes, as well as ‘community care campuses’. The focus 6 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
will be on the preservation of Holland Creek’s role as a fish-producing stream within a residential area. Drainage work is currently underway in the area to improve water quality entering the creek. Site work has also begun for the first phase of the new subdivision. A biologist is monitoring the work near the creek and timing is within an approved fisheries window. It has taken Stz’uminus several years to finalize town approval for the Holland Creek development. Construction was initially slated to begin in late 2014. Holland Creek Partnership is co-owned by Thuy’she’num Property Management and a private company. It operates as a business unit of the development corporation. Thuy’she’num provides land management and administration services for Stz’uminus properties and carries out municipal-like functions of planning, development and bylaw enforcement. Visit www.hollandcreek.ca for more info.
NAUT’SA MAWT PARTNERSHIPS MAKE SENSE FOR TOWN MAYOR It has been almost a decade since the councils of the Town of Ladysmith and Stz’uminus First Nation began meeting together. And its latest mayor is a firm believer in the Hul’qumi’num language word Naut’sa mawt – working together as one. In a recent article, Mayor Aaron Stone wrote: “Our Stz’uminus neighbours are and will continue to be, an important partner in many of our initiatives and plans.” He pointed to service agreements for water and sewer, harbour restoration and place name signs as well as “a commitment to honour the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.” He also said Ladysmith will work closely with Stz’uminus on developing industrial lands in the town’s south end “with the goal of attracting more industry…more jobs and expanding our tax base.”
10 Years Ago ‘THIS WAS OUR OTHER BIGHOUSE’ That was just one of the ways that four generations of Nanaimo Native Sons lacrosse players and fans from Snuneymuxw First Nation said farewell to the Nanaimo Civic Arena as reported in the October 2006 edition of Klahowya, the predecessor to the Salish Sea Sentinel. When former and current boxla players gathered in the arena, shortly before it was demolished, the remembered things like: • BC’s senior B championship team from the late 1940s; • Players on the 1956 Canadian Mann Cup champions, the Nanaimo Timbermen; and • Great battles – on the floor and in the stands – with Natives Sons rivals like the North Shore Indians or the Duncan Cowboys. When Joe White won the Mann Cup with the Nanaimo Timbermen, no money was available for championship rings. But Snuneymuxw chief and council bought Joe his one-of-a-kind ring made 50 years later.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 7
Photos by Klahoose community members
SPIRITS AWAKENED BY CEDAR PADDLES When Klahoose First Nation staff and community members got together for a paddle-making workshop, they learned a lot more than how to shape wood. Michelle Robinson, the nation’s social development manager, said “It was so nice to see everyone waking up their spirits. People are really missing their culture and workshops like this will help them understand that we still have it.” She said many workshops involve having an ‘expert’ visit the community from Vancouver or other cities. “My idea was to have Sherman Pallen come over from Powell River to create a group of teachers from our own carvers. Sherman is an amazing teacher and we 8 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
were so lucky to find someone like him who was willing to come in and teach. “People from town might have a hard time understanding what it means to miss our culture. But we need to wake it up and acknowledge it. It takes a lot of courage for someone to say ‘I want to learn’ and they did that at this workshop.” For his part, Pallen said it was a joy to be involved in the workshop. “I loved the looks of pride the came from the heart,” he said of participants. Robinson said she hopes to hold other workshops. Her ideas include sessions with elders on stories and songs, perhaps another on canoe building or drum making.
Culture is more than just drumming and singing. It’s all that we do.
“There are a lot of ideas, but people have to come to them,” she said of future workshops. “It’s all about the community and how we work together. Culture is more than just drumming and singing. It’s all that we do. It’s about fish and about finally getting a longhouse for Klahoose.” She hopes gatherings such as these will “connect it all” for members when it comes to the ongoing comprehensive community planning projects and other initiatives. As for her own paddle making, Robinson said special things happened. “Cedar talks to you. It makes dreams and helps with healing.” SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 9
With fist raised, Rueben George celebrates the signing of the treaty by Tsleil-Waututh leaders.
NATIONS SAY ‘NO’ TO HIGH-RISK OIL By Cara McKenna First Nations and tribes from throughout North America have signed an Indigenous treaty that collectively denies any oil transport in their respective territories. The signatories include about 50 nations from British Columbia, including Snuneymuxw and Tsleil-Waututh. The communities are vowing to help each other to stop all five current tar sands pipeline and tanker project proposals, plus tar sands rail projects, while instead looking towards renewable energy. The agreement was signed concurrently in both Vancouver and Montreal and collectively challenges Kinder Morgan, Energy East, Line 3, Northern Gateway and Keystone XL. It states that the involved nations “join together ... to officially prohibit and to agree to collectively challenge and resist 10 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
the use of our respective territories and coasts in connection with the expansion of the production of the Alberta tar sands.” Grand Chief Serge Simon from the Mohawk settlement Kanesatake said the treaty means there will be more collaborative efforts between provinces to stop oil transport. “From Quebec, we will work with our First Nation allies in BC to make sure that the Kinder Morgan pipeline does not pass,” he said. “We will also work with our tribal allies in Minnesota as they take on Enbridge’s Line 3 expansion and we know they’ll help us do the same against Energy East.” The nations said in a collective statement that tar sands developments have already poisoned water in Alberta and beyond, and project proposals are threatening the water in many other
communities in the midst of a “climate emergency.” Chief Terry Teegee of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council said nations are encouraged by the Supreme Court’s recent overturning of the Northern Gateway approval. “You will now see the same thing play out with all other tar sands pipelines, including another failed BC pipeline – Kinder Morgan,” he said. Tsleil-Waututh anti-pipeline activist Rueben George of the nation’s Sacred Trust initiative was present at the signing in Vancouver. He said Indigenous people are working together in larger numbers than ever before. “The Kinder Morgan pipeline proposal in our territory represents an unacceptable risk to the water, land and people,” he said. “We are proud to stand together with all of our relatives calling for sensible alternatives to these dangerous projects.”
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL MALAHAT SAYS ABOUT LNG PROJECT Malahat Nation reaffirmed its support for a liquefied natural gas facility in its territory in the wake of Canada conditionally green-lighting a project on BC’s northwest coast. Shortly after the federal government announced conditional environmental approval for the massive Petronas-led Pacific NorthWest LNG project in late September, Malahat Nation issued a statement about the LNG plant that’s proposed for nation-owned industrial lands on Saanich Inlet. Malahat’s statement outlines ways in which the Steelhead LNG plant would be less damaging to the environment than the Pacific NorthWest LNG project. “It’s important to point out that the scope and scale of Steelhead’s proposed Malahat LNG project is significantly smaller than the Pacific NorthWest LNG project,” the statement said. “Steelhead LNG is planning to build an at-shore facility moored to the foreshore which will reduce impacts compared to a land-based facility, like Pacific NorthWest LNG.” However BC Premier Christy Clark told the Victoria TimesColonist newspaper that the Steelhead project is more complicated than Petronas in other ways. She said one major reason was that it proposes moving gas through the United States. “The Petronas project, which has taken so long, was a lot simpler, even when it comes to approvals,” she said. “The Steelhead project is going to be very complicated. I would say that one’s too early to call.” There is no word on when a decision will be made on the Steelhead project, but Clark told the newspaper that it is a “very, very, very long way off.” Meanwhile, the $36-billion Pacific NorthWest LNG project must now meet 190 legally-binding conditions before it gets the final go-ahead.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 11
THAT COAST SALISH FEELING… ‘RECONCILIATION IN ACTION’ Words and photos by Cara McKenna
From floor to ceiling, artworks from Tsawwassen First Nation people are on display to the thousands of shoppers visiting the newly-opened megamall. When the doors at Tsawwassen Mills swung open in early October, it marked the end of four years of planning, site preparation and construction. The destination mall sits on land acquired when the nation signed BC’s first urban treaty in 2009. Next year, on nearby lands, a bigbox-store complex will open for business. 12 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
The opening of Tsawwassen Mills represents the end of one journey and the beginning of a new one. This is reconciliation in action, and we invite everyone to come and witness.
Chief Bryce Williams said the project – a partnership with company Ivanhoe Cambridge – has built his nation’s pride. “The opening of Tsawwassen Mills represents the end of one journey and the beginning of a new one,” he said. “This is reconciliation in action, and we invite everyone to come and witness.” The massive centre is divided into five themed ‘neighbourhoods’ including
one that is Coast Salish. The other four neighbourhoods are themed fashion, nature, city and sports. The Coast Salish neighbourhood features artwork from seven of the nation’s artists. Some pieces of art are on display and others are incorporated into the mall structure itself. Jeff Brown, Ivanhoe Cambridge’s director of development, said artists either created pieces themselves or worked with designers who fabricated larger structures. “A lot of it was just too big to be done by local artists, so we had two or three companies that got involved with fabrications,” Brown explained. Those include a Coast Salish bench that was designed by Chief Williams, and a central ‘hearth’ that stretches from floor to ceiling and features faux flames that turn into salmon, designed by Karl Williams. Tsawwassen First Nation artwork is even part of the floors and light fixtures. “The artists had a really good time doing more non-traditional kinds of things,” Brown said. However there are also traditional pieces, such as a large blanket woven by Loretta Williams. Her weavings are also incorporated in to the ceiling elements. The mall’s food court is another prominent feature, as it is designed to look like a longhouse. It features carvings by Jody Wilson, Cliff Gurniak and Frank Campbell. There are also cedar boxes on display that were made by Holly Campbell.
NEW MALL ‘A SYMBOL’ The Vancouver Sun newspaper had an editorial in its Oct. 12 edition entitled ‘Tsawwassen Mills mall symbolizes First Nation’s independence’. It ended with these words: “Tsawwassen Mills is not just a shopping mall. It is a symbol of First Nations independence and growing economic strength. Given the significance of the project, opening just weeks after the Business Council of B.C. and the B.C. Assembly of First Nations signed a formal agreement to help lift indigenous communities out of poverty and build the province’s economy, the complaints seem almost petty.”
MALL A SHOWCASE FOR NATIONS’ ARTWORK
14 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
BURSTING AT THE SEAMS Almost 300,000 shoppers came through the doors at Tsawwassen Mills in its first six days of operations in early October. The Mills said in a statement: “The opening was a huge success, attracting
16 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
approximately 284,000 shoppers over the six day period including more than 201,000 visitors in the first four days.” Heavy traffic volumes on those first days have calmed down with new signs
indicating best routes for drives. And a 42-passenger shuttle service provides free round-trip transportation from the nearby BC Ferries terminal for walk-on ferry travellers.
YES, THERE ARE TAXES First Nations shoppers at Tsawwassen Mills will not have the usual tax exemptions for those who carry status cards when shopping on reserve lands. When Tsawwassen First Nation signed its treaty in 2009, it was no longer a reserve and the nation stopped following Indian Act regulations. Nation members were allowed, under treaty, to make an application for tax exemption in order to become familiar with changes. But all those exemptions for income and property taxes for members will end in 2021.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 17
WE ARE HERE… REMEMBER US By Cara McKenna When Vancouver’s mayor and council are making decisions for the city’s future in decades to come, they’ll be reminded of the local First Nation’s ties and values. Jordan Gallie, from Tsleil-Waututh Nation, is one of three artists who won a city-led contest to create works that are now hanging permanently in city council chambers. The pieces were unveiled recently as part of Vancouver’s effort to become a “city of reconciliation.” Gallie’s work hangs between artworks by Chrystal Sparrow of Musqueam and Jody Broomfield of Squamish. His piece consists of a seven-foot cedar plank with sandblasted tempered glass showing an image of a wolf, representing Tsleil-Waututh. Its paw is on city hall. Also featured are maple leaves to represent Mother Earth, and the North Shore mountains with an eagle inside of them to represent his ancestors’ vision of sustainability. “It’s a statement piece saying ‘We’re here; remember us; make good decisions for us,’” Gallie said. “When I heard about the chance to have this piece, I thought of the whole concept right off the bat.” Gallie, who is 26, said this is his first major work, taking a couple of weeks to complete. He learned the basics of art when he took a jewelry-making course at Native Education College and said he has been learning more about Coast Salish-specific design over the past few years. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said he expects the art will play a “powerful role in shaping our city and its future. We are honoured to have these art installations displayed at city hall, showcasing our region’s beautiful landscape and majestic scenery.” Tsleil-Waututh Maureen Thomas called it “another step towards reconciliation” in Vancouver. “I’m proud of all our artists who continue to connect our nation’s history to our future through their artwork,” she said. According to the City of Vancouver, each of the three artists was paid $19-thousand for their work. Gallie now is working on starting up an art business with his partner from Musqueam First Nation. He hopes to work in other mediums including more sandblasting as well as screen-printing and jewelry.
18 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Artist’s rendering of new UBC centre.
EDUCATION AND DIALOGUE AIM OF NEW UBC CENTRE A new centre at the University of British Columbia will aim to educate the public on the experiences of residential school survivors while memorializing thousands of children who did not live to talk about their experiences. The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre is under construction on UBC’s Vancouver campus and is set to be completed in the 2017-18 academic year. The donor-funded $5.5 million centre is an arm of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in Winnipeg. According to the university, the centre was created in consultation with survivors and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. It will focus on BC residential school students’ experiences and give those former students and their families access to records.
Through both policy and inaction, the circumstances of indigenous peoples have often been invisible in all but the most superficial ways. It is a responsibility of the university and the educational system as a whole to change that. There will also be an education centre for visitors from the public or schools to learn about the history and effects of the residential school system, something that hasn’t been taught in mainstream education until recently. Linc Kesler, director of UBC’s First Nations House of Learning, said the
centre is a form of acknowledgement for those historically unacknowledged experiences. “Through both policy and inaction, the circumstances of indigenous peoples have often been invisible in all but the most superficial ways. It is a responsibility of the university and the educational system as a whole to change that and provide the basis for more informed interactions.” An important part of the centre will be a memorial site for an estimated 6,000 children who died while attending the schools. The government-imposed system began in the late 1800s and involved cultural assimilation and often physical and/or sexual abuse. The last school closed in Saskatchewan in 1996. In that century, about 150,000 Indigenous children were forced into the schools. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 19
UNIVERSITY TAKES TRAVELLERS ON THE
RECONCILIATION ROAD
20 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
One year ago, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its final report. In it was a clear summons to all Canadians to do their part in addressing the challenge of reconciliation between Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Vancouver Island University (VIU) heard that call, especially the one for educational institutions to take responsibility. That was the genesis of Reconciliation Road, a series of events and activities that are being planned to engage people in the reconciliation process. November is especially filled with events – open to everyone – from a sold-out Buffy Sainte-Marie concert, part of the downtown Nanaimo Port Theatre’s Spotlight series, to VIU’s Indigenous speaker series and ‘soup-and-bannock lunch-and-learn’ series at Shq’apthut (A Gathering Place) on the Nanaimo campus. The university is no stranger to building solid relationships with First Nations. There are elders in residence at its campuses in Nanaimo, Cowichan and Powell River. And eight years ago, Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, a hereditary leader from Ahousaht First Nation on the west coast of Vancouver Island, was named the university’s first chancellor. But Reconciliation Road marks a new journey for the institution. One of the first steps took place in early October when the Witness Blanket was unveiled at the View Gallery on the Nanaimo campus. First Nation artist and master carver Carey Newman created the thought-provoking contemporary art installation about the impacts of Canada’s residential school era. The Blanket stands over eight-feet tall and 40-feet long and includes more than 800 objects, including braids of hair, a weather-beaten shoe and the door to the infirmary of St. Michael’s residential school in Alert Bay. The exhibition lasts until Nov. 30 and is a partnership between VIU and the Regional District of Nanaimo. From Nov. 23-Dec. 7, the Testify project comes to the Nanaimo campus. It is a pairing of artists and legal thinkers working to create artwork about Indigenous laws and opportunities. The project hopes to put the idea of reconciliation into practice by creating a space for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians to dream a way forward. Visit ur.viu.ca/reconciliation-road for more information.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 21
Gary Manson speaking on behalf of Snuneymuxw. – Photo courtesy of John.Gardiner, VIU.
ALL WE NEED IS LOVE There is no doubt that absolutely we must create a more tolerant society. Absolutely we must learn to accept each other, to stop hurting each other… I believe that, as a society, we must strive for altruistic love. Instead, the idea that some of us don’t matter or we don’t matter to each other, must be utterly thrown into the dustbin of history and replaced with the idea that we matter to each other. That I want my children to love your children.
Artist Carey Newman and daughter with Snuneymuxw councillor Doug White III – Photo courtesy of John.Gardiner, VIU.
Douglas White III, a councillor from Snuneymuxw First Nation, at the opening ceremony for the Witness Blanket Buffy Sainte-Marie photo by Drpeterstockdale - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40988890.
22 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
A NEW TOTEM A new totem was raised outside Shq’apthut at Vancouver Island University in October. It was carved by Tom Hunt from the Kwakwaka’wakw territories and was the third and final pole raised in a project that started two years ago. The other poles were carved by Snuneymuxw artist Noel Brown and Qwaya Sam from Nuu-chah-nulth. – Photo courtesy of John Gardiner, VIU
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 23
Roy Francis sees the land outside his office window as prime for future developments.
ROY’S GETTING GOING ON NATION BUILDING Roy Francis made a salient comment at a recent meeting of service providers and partners – from police to health care – in the new Governance House at Tla’amin Nation. “Who’s responsible?” he asked and answered his own question when he said: “We’re really new self-government, but the answer is that we are.” Francis knows a lot about selfgovernance. Until the Tla’amin treaty was celebrated in April, he was chief negotiator for years as the nation met with BC and Canada over an agreement. But since May, Francis has been the nation’s community development officer, a job that’s perhaps equivalent in scope to that of a chief negotiator: doing a little bit of everything. “We came out of negotiations with BC and Canada with a fiscal financing agreement. That’s important because for years all we had were annual funding agreements with governments. “Now there is a new funding stream. We are documenting and identifying needs, coming up with strategies and 24 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
new approaches for accessing funding.” But lest one thinks that Tla’amin Nation is now on its own, Francis points to the long, solid relationship with both the city and regional district of Powell River. He mentions partnerships with Vancouver Island University and the local school district as well as a variety of alliances in health, social services and other areas. “All the history and relationships that we built through treaty negotiations are a benefit now,” Francis said. “It’s exciting stuff, building Tla’amin. There are lots of
A meeting of providers and partners.
areas that I’m delving into that are still evolving.” He is certainly broadening his own horizons in his new job. But he’s also working on a professional development program for staff and looking at ways to build capacity for members of the Tla’amin legislature. “Getting approval of treaty was a huge, challenging task,” Francis said. “But now there is a whole new layer of work. I’m always asking myself: How do we carry on beyond treaty and get into the next stages of the work?” Continued on the next page
Continued from the previous page
He turns in his office chair and looks out the window at a bare parcel of land next to Governance House. And with that glance, another big subject comes to mind – housing. “Two or three years ago, housing was one of our biggest concerns, but now it’s under control thanks to our housing department. They explained how those members who were in arrears could get good standing and even own their own homes under treaty. That was a big thing. “Now we’re building an approach for future home ownership. We’re building 15 serviced lots, helping members secure financing and holding workshops for those interested. We have a great relationship with First Credit Union with long-term support on all our lease lands, mortgages and other financing.” Francis leans back in his chair and says: “There is a lot to do in this new job. I just always have to be aware of the big-picture vision and things will work out.”
HELLO, HELLO… TELUS? Even though the new Governance House at Tla’amin Nation has been open since May, legislators, staff and visitors have had to use cellphones to communicate with the outside world. In late October, Roy Francis told the Sentinel: “We’re still having Telus issues. We are definitely not happy with them, but we are functional.” Crews from Telus have been working on the project since summer and the company said the new phone system would be working by November.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 25
CANDLES FLICKERED FOR SISTERS IN SPIRIT Words and photos by Cara McKenna
26 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
A crowd of people in Vancouver lit candles on Oct. 4 to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women. It was just one of hundreds of memorial events that took place across the country on that day. The Sisters in Spirit events are part of a national day of mourning and a day to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women. The vigil in Vancouver took place in the Downtown Eastside, which is an epicenter of violence and was where serial killer Robert Pickton notoriously preyed on women two decades ago. Many of those who attended the vigil have been demanding a national inquiry into the problem for years. An inquiry got underway this year. Gertie Pierre of Sechelt Nation, whose niece was murdered in 1992, said she hopes a solution will come. “I know the tragedies and the traumas and the sorrows that you go through,” she told the crowd. “Because I know when we lost our loved one it never left. My heart still aches, to this day, with the murder.” Long-time Indigenous advocate, Lillian Howard, also spoke, telling the crowd that Canada must address the institutional racism that exists and marginalizes Indigenous women. “Indigenous people live in an oppressive society in 2016 all across this country,” she said. “We need to stand up with each other as Indigenous people and tell Canadian people all across this country that enough is enough.” Howard herself has lost several relatives and has personally experienced violence. “It’s very difficult and a lot of family members feel shame around it to talk about this issue, but it’s an issue that needs to be addressed,” she said. During the vigil, there was a moment of silence in remembrance of the hundreds, or perhaps even thousands, of Indigenous women who have been lost. The Sisters in Spirit remembrance vigils have grown from just 11 in 2006 to more than 200 in 2014, according to the Native Women’s Association of Canada. CBC news has a webpage dedicated to documenting the stories of Canada’s missing and murdered indigenous women. Visit www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered to learn more.
I know the tragedies and the traumas and the sorrows that you go through because I know when we lost our loved one it never left. My heart still aches, to this day, with the murder.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 27
Administrative assistants from tribal council nations recently attended a conference in Saanich.
IF IT’S HAPPENING, IT’S PROBABLY ARRANGED BY NAUT’SA MAWT EVENTS Word came recently that Naut’sa mawt Events had been selected to organize the 2017 Joint Gathering next February in Vancouver. Naut’sa mawt Events? What’s that? The BC regional office of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada certainly knows. That’s why it selected Naut’sa mawt Events to manage the gathering for the second year in a row. Kirstin Sware, who has been managing events for over seven years, said the reason for the rise to prominence for the division of Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council. “As a Coast Salish entity, we are mindful of our cultural values and renowned for treating our partners and participants with dignity and respect,” she said. “Working together as one – which is what naut’sa mawt means – means we work with First Nations communities and organizations to build capacity by sharing knowledge.” Over the years, she has acquired a broad knowledge of every stage of the event planning process from concept to postevent reporting. Sware said that the key to 28 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Kirstin Sware
any successful event is open communication and collaboration at all stages. “Naut’sa mawt Events is one of Canada’s most established and trusted Indigenous event management service providers,” she said. “We are honored to manage events centered around Aboriginal initiatives.” She said that it manages about 30 events annually for federal and provincial government departments and
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