Volume 12 . Issue 8
October 2016
G I N re R E tu
TH cul A G nd
IP nd a H RS la
E th AD th
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H o UT ecti O Y nn Co
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Save the Date!
Friday October 28 2016
Gala & Golf Event Bear Mountain Resort and Spa
A Nation’s future begins with the children The Malahat Nation will be hosting its Annual Gala Dinner and Auction on October 28th at the fabulous Bear Mountain Resort and Spa. This prestigious event never failed to wow those in attendance. We will also be hosting a golf tournament earlier in the day - a great opportunity to have some fun with our business partners and with us! By sponsoring and attending this fundraising event, you will assist our Nation in building a much needed Daycare Centre – a place where our future leaders can grow and thrive together! Details to follow.
Huy ch q’u
We raise our hands in thanks to last year’s sponsors
PLATINUM
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
Steelhead LNG
Capacity Forest Management Iron River Forest Norton Rose Fulbright Mike Hamilton Logging Quantum Murray
JFK Law Corporation FortisBC Reed Pope Lawyers H’ulh-etun Health Williams Energy Island Savings
Plus over 20 Bronze Level supporting sponsors
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: The photograph of two girls at the Youth Leadership Gathering was one of many taken by participants with cameras supplied by facilitator Barclay Martin. See story and more photos on Pages 13-15.
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
Chief MaryAnn Enevoldsen and Chief Roger Williams.
NEIGHBOURS UNITE AGAIN DURING BUTE INLET VISIT
The mid-September meeting of Homalco and Tsilhqot’in leaders in Bute Inlet was more than a ceremonial visit. “Historic” was one word used for the visit, as leaders and other delegates met in Bute – the traditional home of the Homalco – in what was seen as a first step in renewing a traditional trading relationship between the nations. It was in that regard that those attending referred to the Grease Trail, the ancient overland trade route from Bute through the Homathko River valley and over the Coastal mountain range to the Chilcotin in BC’s western Interior. At the centre of that trade was the grease from the eulochon and other dried coastal seafoods that were exchanged for elk, moose and other products. 2 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Chief MaryAnn Enevoldsen said: “It is a great honour for the Homalco Nation to host representatives from the Tsilhqot’in National Government and their six communities. “Our common ancestry compels us to work together, as we once did. Our hope is that this new relationship will grow, that our people will prosper, and our kinship will prove us to be indivisible as a people. “The resources within our shared territory provide us with great potential, but it is by working together that we will both realize our economic goals. Emote (thank you).” The purpose of the visit was to build relations and discuss potential economic partnerships. Both nations agreed ways must be found to merge traditional economic systems, values and beliefs with
today’s economic world. A first step in this was having a solid foundation of trust and mutual respect in all projects pursued. Chief Roger William, who is vice-chair of the Tsilhqot’in National Government and chief of Xeni Gwet’in First Nation, said: “Building unity amongst our neighbours has always been a priority. “The opportunity to develop relations in connection to economic opportunities is very important to us. Not only do we, as Tsilhqot’in people, want to be a part of the provincial and Canadian economy, we also want to be the drivers of any opportunity that comes into our territory. “Consent is built through joint partnership and collaboration around common goals. Our mission will always be to protect our land for the current and future generations.”
GREASE TRAIL
THE TRIP AND THE FILM
Above: Film maker Jeremy Williams with actor Duane Howard and Homalco councillor and former chief Darren Blaney. Below: The great Canyon - 1885.
A long-awaited dream of Darren Blaney is nearing reality. Film-maker Jeremy Williams was at work in Bute Inlet as the Homalco and Tsilhqot’in people met. Blaney, actor Duane Howard and others were by his side, pointing out objects and places of interest – both past and present – as plans were discussed for what can only be described as ‘the long walk’. Blaney, the councillor and former chief of Homalco, has been talking for years of taking youth and others on a trek from Bute into Chilcotin country to reconnect with history and relations. Now there are firm plans for filming the 130-kilometre walk from Bute to Chilko Lake in Xeni Gwet’in territory in the Nemaiah Valley. The journey through the canyons of the Homathko River will retrace history and explore the beauty of the river as it cuts through the Coastal mountain range. Walkers will pass archeological sites and remnants of Waddington’s Road, a failed attempt to bring miners inland to the Cariboo gold fields in 1864. The walkers will also penetrate the mountains and explore the traditional place names and the stories those names tell. If the mountains could speak, one story they would tell is of the Chilcotin War that fatally stopped the miners in their tracks and changed the fate of this country. Fourteen road workers were killed and five Tsilhqot’in chiefs were subsequently hanged. The chiefs were exonerated more than 100 years later, but the incident remains one of mourning for the Tsilhqot’in people. Find more information at River Voices Productions on Facebook.
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TRAVELLING TOTEM TELLS COAST SALISH MESSAGE By Cara McKenna
Story and photos by Cara McKenna
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On a warm August evening in Vancouver’s Grandview Park, about 200 people have gathered around a Coast Salish totem pole. The pole, strapped to the back of a truck, is making its first stop on an 8,000 km journey around Turtle Island, an Indigenous name for North America. Its creator, master Lummi Nation carver Jewell James, is leading the trek and he is being joined by a crew from Lummi near Bellingham, WA. The goal of the journey is to unite Indigenous communities across the continent that are fighting fossil fuel projects – from oil pipelines and tankers to mining. Lummi Nation itself successfully blocked a coal export facility from being built in its territory last year. James said nations from both Canada and the United States must hold government accountable. “We’re not supposed to be this greedy,” he said. “If [leaders] turn a deaf ear to our concerns about the environment, about the quality of the air, the water, the land, or even the health of our children, then it’s time to ask them to step down.” When the group from Lummi stopped in Vancouver, it was supporting Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s fight against the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion project. Over the next several weeks, the crew went on to stop in numerous American and Canadian cities and communities, including Seattle, Longview and Missoula. They made a special stop in Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota where an occupation was taking place in protest of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. The journey culminated in a stop in Winnipeg, where Lummi stood with the city’s Indigenous community in rejection of the proposed Energy East oil pipeline. James explained that the pole itself – made of red cedar and standing close to
seven metres tall – will send blessings and protection to the communities it touches down on through a number of symbols. “On the top there is an eagle. A leader that’s like an eagle can see all of this, can see all that destruction and report to the people,” he said. “We’ve got a face on it representing father sky, we’ve got the moon on the eagle’s chest.”
Lummi Nation carver Jewell James in Grandview Park, Vancouver.
All of us coming together have a great amount of power… The totem pole journey is about going to the communities and saying ‘We hear you.’ That’s what we’re demanding. Stand up, work together, cooperate.
James said that there’s a wolf on the pole, because wolves go out and scout and tell the people what’s happening. There’s also a bear, because, he said, Indigenous people must have the endurance and strength of a bear.
Other symbols include four sacred buffalo, a warrior and pipe carrier. It’s the latest in a series of totem pole journeys that have been organized by Lummi over several decades. The first poles were carved after the 9/11 attacks and sent to Washington and New York. Another was carved to protect TsleilWaututh Nation’s territory and it sits on its reserve in North Vancouver looking out at the Kinder Morgan oil terminal. James later connected it to a second pole on the other side of the pipeline in Beaver Lake Cree Nation northeast of Edmonton. Eugene Kung, a lawyer who works with Tsleil-Waututh’s anti-pipeline organization the Sacred Trust, said the poles are special because they’re a representation of Indigenous law and have brought communities together. “It was Jewell’s generosity and spirit of unity that brought together all of these fights: coal exports, oil pipelines and tankers…” he said. Rueben George of the Sacred Trust added that he sees something special happening among First Nations that he hopes will spread to the rest of Canada. “What’s happening is the Indigenous people are uniting,” he said. “What’s beautiful and what blows me away… is that these nations are saying ‘No’. They’re saying no even though people are suffering and that money would help my people out of poverty.” Before the pole moved on from Vancouver, numerous people placed their hands on it and prayed. James expressed his gratitude to have the opportunity to visit his Coast Salish relatives in BC. “These are all our relatives,” he said, referring to the Coast Salish communities around the Salish Sea. “All of us coming together have a great amount of power… The totem pole journey is about going to the communities and saying ‘We hear you.’ “That’s what we’re demanding. Stand up, work together, cooperate.”
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THE BLANKET AND THE BIGHOUSE In modern-day Coast Salish longhouse ceremonies, the speaker calls witnesses and they are handed two quarters – 50 cents – in recognition of their role to remember and share the work about to take place. Those two quarters were once the price of a Hudson’s Bay blanket in the early days after European contact. This was talked about when the Sentinel sat with Ray Harris of Stz’uminus and Wendy Grant-John of An important Coast Salish tradition was revived earlier this year in the longhouse at Kulleet Bay for a memorial held by the Harris family. Prominently displayed in a canoe between the fires, surrounded by a photograph, was a blanket woven by Wendy Grant-John. When she was approached by Ray Harris to make the blanket, it brought memories of old traditions and methods. Wendy: Something happened when I started talking to Ray, what that blanket should do. In the old days, you were a high siem if you had a wife who had enough time to make all kinds of blankets. Blankets were piled as high as a child. What they would do is cut the blanket up and give the pieces away, the way the coppers were broken in some cultures. 6 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Musqueam recently, surrounded by wool weavings and bar looms in Grant-John’s home above the north arm of the Fraser River. As they talked about the blanket, the gentle conversation grew to include things like currency before contact, the meaning of wealth, the relationships between men and women in the old Coast Salish society, equality and survival.
I did four small weavings on the end (of the blanket) and they got cut off. Ray had one of the older women cut pieces off and gave them to prominent women around the bighouse in marking of the memorial for his daughter. Ray: They cut that fringe in four pieces that went out to the audience and there was another fringe that they cut out and gave to me. In the old days, it would be cut up in whatever number of pieces. Somewhere in the audience is a man or a family that’s going to do a big dance… he’s watching where these gifts went. Wherever these gifts went, he prepared himself and went and bought them back with trade goods or whatever, all the pieces of this sacred blanket, and rebuilt (rewove) them. It took four years to rebuild them.
There was no money then. This was the original currency. It had value, spiritual and financial value. Now the coins represent blankets. You could buy a Hudson Bay blanket for 50 cents, two quarters. Wendy: The blankets and weaving were not just for show. They showed value of the man – his ability to take care of his wife so well, that she had time to weave. You showed your wealth by being able to cut those up. Ray: If I cut it and gave it away, somebody’s going to come and buy it off you, for a year’s supply of salmon or whatever. The prestige followed the cuts that went out. You gladly accepted it and looked after it because somebody some day is going to knock on your door to buy it back.
Blankets before contact were called swuwqwa’l. They were made of mountain goat hair mixed with the hair of small dogs that were bred and herded specifically for that purpose. Duck down was also often spun into the hairs. Simon Fraser (the European explorer) had writings about women who raised little white dogs. They were so particular about those dogs that they kept them on little islands to prevent cross-breeding. But blankets woven on the Salish loom began to disappear in the early 1900s. Wendy: Salish weaving probably died around when my grandfather was 10. The last time he saw anybody doing it was in the bighouse. That happened because of the Cowichan sweaters coming, women switched to doing knitting. I used to help wash wool and handcard with my grandmother. I was interested as a little girl in what she was doing. One day we were sitting in the living room and grandfather said: “I’m going to show you something”. He went upstairs and came back with a cloth
bag. He opened it up and there was a swuwqwa’l in there. There were only three groups (of Indigenous people) that did bar-loom weaving at the time of contact. The Salish were the only ones doing the two-bar finger weaving. They created patterns that were comparable, and superior in my opinion, to the Navajo’s. The Tlingit do a completely different kind of weaving that hangs from a single bar. We were the only ones that did that type of weaving and it died very quickly. Ray: Follow the wheel… there’s a real good story about the spinning wheel. The Coast Salish people probably invented the wheel before anybody. It’s a true story. Wendy: I’m hoping it sparks some people in the bighouse when they see it (Ray’s blanket). Ray: It carried on a custom that was real important to our people. Woven blankets defined the people, made the connections and kept the connections alive. Wendy: Everybody did it, not just Musqueam; all the people in the Salish nation did it, but it died with the
Wendy Grant receiving the Order of BC in 2013.
Continued on page 8
Coast Salish leaders in their blankets circa 1906 from Vancouver City archives.
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“Woven blankets defined the people, made the connections and kept the connections alive.”
Ray Harris
Hudson’s Bay blanket. We re-introduced it (in the 1980s) to Stz’uminus, Squamish… and now the Squamish women are going up to Tla’amin. Ray: The longhouse… Everything used to take place there. I used it when I was chief. Women made the decisions; the men would hang around. Men all sat in one section, women in another, deciding on things. Who’s going to get the ducks, who’s going to get the wood and all the other things? Wendy: When I was a kid, I remember the women talking in the bighouse. Not in an overpowering way, but very forceful. We need to reclaim and own the teachings in order to move forward. It has been so perverted by the government. 8 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
This is really important for me, about men and women’s relationships in our old societies. The importance of women and they work they did was honoured and supported by the men. After contact, women were subservient in the Western model of relationships. People talk about residential schools and the breakdown of the family and impact on children. I’ve always said that the impact on families is absolutely a horrific thing, but the more destructive was the relationship breaking between the men and the women. White men demeaned women and put them in that role. We’ve had four or five generations of men who have come through that. And yet the matrilineal society was so strong here.
When Grant-John was 38, after just six months in politics as the Musqueam chief, she was becoming stressed out by the criticisms that were directed toward her by many male politicians and some women in leadership positions. “I was ready to quit and couldn’t take it,” she said. But then she was invited to meet a group of culturally strong women. Wendy: Ray’s mom (Irene Harris) and others invited me over to the Saanich bighouse and they shared with me. The native women’s organization said we were sell-outs to the men because I was regional chief then of the AFN and they said I was being subservient to the men.
A woman using a spindle whorl from the Royal BC Museum.
A spindle whorl on display at the Nanaimo Museum.
A modern day blanket.
The importance of women and their relationship with men was what they were talking about. She said to me, in our communities, our families followed together in the longhouse. That was the centre of who we were. And the relationship between the men and the women was the strength. Everything happened in the longhouse and you built your family in that longhouse. Ray’s mother was so adamant. She said there is no one person above or below. They [men and women] are equal. Women’s work, the spindle whorl, the loom. The men thought it so important, they wanted to make it beautiful for them. Wealth was created by women, really, because the men gave them enough time.
A Paul Kane painting from the late 1800s shows a loom being used with dogs nearby.
Women’s work, the spindle whorl, the loom. The men thought it so important, they wanted to make it beautiful for them. Wealth was created by women, really, because the men gave them enough time. My grandfather told me, “You can’t do reconciliation if you don’t know the history and own it. You have a responsibility to help your people. And you have a responsibility to help those white people understand what
they did to us. But most important, you have to help those white people understand what they’ve done to themselves. The way they treated us; it was a reflection of what they did to us.” Understanding is about the survival of the greater society…of all of us. Understanding the kind of societies we had here… the time has come. What goes on in the bighouse was so strong it stayed. The longhouse is selfgovernment in action. This is how communities make decisions. Ray: Reconciliation, the longhouse, prominence of the ladies… I was so lucky to be a speaker. I learned the real important part of the speech is the response to it. And most of the heartfelt, sincere responses always came from the ladies. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 9
FIRST POST-TREATY ELECTION HELD FOR TLA’AMIN VOTERS Clint Williams was elected hegus (chief) on Sept. 10 in Tla’amin Nation’s first election after its treaty was implemented in April 2016. He is pictured here with Sliammon Development Corporation’s manager Kelly Rankin. Eight Legislators were elected by Tla’amin voters. They are, in order of votes received: Tyrone Wilson, Lori Sparrow, Larry Louie, Gloria Francis, John Hackett, Denise Smith, Brian Hackett and Shawn Louie. After the swearing-in ceremony, an executive council of four members was voted in by the legislators and the hegus followed by the selection of committees and portfolios for the new governing body.
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LEACH TO HEADLINE MALAHAT GALA The stars are aligning to make the fourth annual Malahat Gala a memorable event. George Leach, the guitar wizard from the Interior Salish nation of St’at’imc (Lillooet), will be the headline performer when the dinner and silent auction is held at the Bear Mountain resort and spa outside Victoria on Oct. 28. The theme for the evening gala is “A nation’s future begins with the children”. Prior to that will be a golf tournament on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Bear Mountain course. But Leach will play a major role in celebrating all things Malahat Nation. Twelve years after his first album, Leach recorded Surrender. He received a Juno nomination for Aboriginal album of the year, as well as three Aboriginal Peoples Choice music awards for songwriter of the year, single of the year and best rock CD.
“I’ve worked hard on this album. I am so honoured to be able to share my music with audiences and to have the fans stick by me all these years between albums,” said Leach. While Leach is known for his high-energy rock, he’s also known for his intimate lyrics
and vocal hooks. One critic called him “a restless musical explorer coming into his own”. When Malahat Nation hosted its first gala at nearby Brentwood College in 2013, the planning team said: “We believe that building a nation takes a community of champions who are willing to defy the odds and commit themselves to change. It also, however, takes a community of champions outside of the Malahat community who believe in our dream.” That first event raised $130,000 thanks to a variety of high-level sponsors and local businesses. The money was used to build the timber framed Kwunew Kwasun Cultural Centre that houses a library, meeting spaces and other facilities. Sponsors are coming forward for the 2016 gala. Contact Miya Inkster for more information, gala2016@alahatnation.com or phone 250-743-3231, extension 202.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 11
QUALITY OF LIFE KEY AGENDA ITEM IN TOP-LEVEL MEETINGS Early September was a busy time for First Nation leaders in BC. First, there was the signing of a partnership agreement with the BC Business Council for economic development between First Nations and business leaders, focusing on a shared vision going forward to remedy the negative economic and social outcomes currently facing many nations. Then, the BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Shane Gottfriedson and Premier Christy Clark announced BC’s commitment to $2.5 million dollars over three years to support the BCAFN’s sustainable economic development strategy. The funding will support environmentallyresponsible economic development in BC as First Nations move forward in developing their own opportunities. A flurry of other announcements from BC followed, including: • A partnership project with the BC First Nations Forestry Council; • $2 million to the Royal BC Museum to support all interested Aboriginal peoples seeking the return of their ancestral remains and belongings of cultural significance; • A cooperative effort to find new, practical approaches to improving First Nations people’s health and wellness; and • Support for the work of the Moose Hide Campaign, dedicated to ending violence against women and girls, to the tune of $250,000. Those announcements came during the now-annual gathering of First Nations leaders and BC cabinet ministers. The event is jointly organized by the First Nations Leadership Council and the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. Regional Chief Gottfriedson said of the gathering: “In order to advance 12 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Snuneymuxw councillor Doug White II with Premier Christy Clark and Chief John Wesley. - Photo courtesy of the BC Government
reconciliation, we must continue to build bridges as demonstrated with our new memorandum of understanding with
We must work together to ensure more positive, constructive, and meaningful relationships with government and industry, and in turn, we must work together as First Nations governments to address the poverty in our communities that has sadly become commonplace.
the BC Business Council and the strong commitment of support provided by the province of BC. “It’s not my role to administer this strategy, but to help communicate, educate and advocate for our First Nations to develop as they see fit. “We must work together to ensure more positive, constructive, and meaningful relationships with government and industry, and in turn, we must work together as First Nations governments to address the poverty in our communities that has sadly become commonplace. “It is time for us to start managing wealth, rather than administering poverty.”
NMTC YOUTH LEADERSHIP GATHERING TWO DAYS OF CULTURE AND TRADITION
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IT WON’T BE THE LAST! More than 30 young people from nine Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council (NmTC) nations had some real knowledge-building and a lot of fun when they got together for the first NmTC Youth Leadership Gathering at Kulleet Bay in mid-August. From the opening ceremonies beside the fires in the bighouse through daytime and evening activities, the youth gave a decided ‘thumbs-up’ to two-day the experience. Fittingly enough, it was Lawrence Mitchell – Tsumkwatun – and his children from Snaw-naw-as First Nation, who performed traditional songs and dance at the start of the gathering. Mitchell has been a long-standing proponent of building the leadership capacity of youth. Through his involvement with the board of directors of NmTC, he strongly supported the gathering. There was much interest and excitement as youth learned about drum- and paddle-making, traditional medicines and cedar weaving, all while hearing stories and teachings from elders. And the comments received after the event from the youth were very positive. Participants said the gathering was a gift and hoped it would be even longer next year. When asked what they liked most about the gathering, youth said: “Being welcomed into the Stz’uminus community and being engaged with their elders. Learning more about my background. The gift of knowledge.” and “I loved my time here. Learning about my culture, making friends, feeling a sense of connection with the land and culture.”
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Photos by Youth Gathering participants, Barclay Martin and the Sentinel
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SHOPPERS ABOUT TO FLOCK TO TSAWWASSEN’S MALLS Tsawwassen Mills features a Coast Salish “neighbourhood” and will showcase artworks by the nation’s members Tsawwassen Mills – the huge malls on Tsawwassen First Nation lands – is opening its doors this month. The destination retail centre contains 200 stores and features a Coast Salish ‘neighbourhood’ and artworks created by the nation’s members. Mark Fenwick, the centre’s general manager, said there has been much anticipation for the malls and he’s glad to see the doors finally open on Oct. 5. “We’re really pleased to be bringing this project to market,” he said. “It 16 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
represents significant investment for the region.” He said his company, developer Ivanhoé Cambridge, is proud to have partnered with the nation. Tsawwassen Mills is about 1.2 million square feet and consists of several different areas. Indigenous artwork will be present in many details of the mall, including on ceilings, benches and full installations. “It’s been a good experience,” Fenwick said. “I think it’s a win-win all around.”
The nation decided to develop the mall as part of a wider development plan after it signed its treaty in 2008. It will receive ongoing lease revenue from the mall, which is expected to generate about 3,000 jobs. More information about the centre, including a store list, can be found at www.tsawwassenmills.com. Next opening for the nation will be Tsawwassen Commons, a separate outdoor mall that’s underway across the road from the Mills.
Photo by Tricia Thomas
RUNNING TO REAWAKEN THE SPIRIT After 430 kms, eight runners reached Halalt First Nation on Sept. 22 to rest. They were on the road for the annual Heliset Hále (Awaken Life Within You) relay, an event started in 2013 by Kelly Paul of Tsartlip First Nation. “Our people have been asleep for way too long and it’s time to wake up,” Paul said. “That is what we are encouraging. We are here to celebrate life, to strengthen one another, and let our spirits live.” The mission of the Heliset Hále organization started by Paul is to promote suicide prevention across Vancouver Island by gathering First Nation communities together to openly speak about suicide and to bring healing to those who have lost family members and friends to suicide. The runners started the 535 km relay in Port Hardy and
Kelly Paul
ended the run at Pauquachin First Nation in West Saanich on Sept. 25. “It is something that was uplifting and healing,” Paul said of the first relay in 2013. “So, we decided to do a relay run every, September which is suicide prevention month.” Halalt members shared a meal with the runners and shared their stories as a way to inspire positive change. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 17
STRONG NANAIMO PROTEST AGAINST FISH FARM IMPACTS
Snuneymuxw leaders Chief John Wesley, Gary Manson and James Johnny.
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Leaders and members from Snuneymuxw, Stz’uminus and Snawnaw-as nations were joined in an anti-fish farm protest in Nanaimo on Aug. 31. A group from Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw on the BC central coast stopped in cities and towns from Campbell River to Victoria to raise awareness about the impact of the fish farms that operate in their territory without their consent. On board a Sea Shepherd Society vessel – the Martin Sheen – with biologist and longtime fish farm opponent Alexandra Morton, the group had travelled south from the nation’s traditional territory which includes Gilford Island and Kingcome Inlet. Hereditary Chief William Moon said that fish farms have been coming into his territory for 30 years without the nation’s consent. “We have a group called the DFO [Department of Fisheries and Oceans]
that claims to know what’s good for our waters,” Moon said. “Yet they’re allowing the parasites that they call fish farms into our waters and killing off the wild salmon.” Though some nations are working with fish farm companies, many oppose them because of the rapidly dropping numbers of wild salmon. Stz’uminus has also been in a battle with the DFO for many years. Elder Ray Harris came out to voice his support for Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw. “We’re the same as you. We’re concerned about all the resources in the sea,” Harris said. “Nothing compares to the salmon. Nothing, for our people. Nourishment for our children, a wonderful way of life we have, all connected to the salmon.” Snuneymuxw Chief John Wesley also showed his support. “It’s a shame what’s happening,” he said. “I’d like to thank the chiefs here for doing what they’re doing. It takes a lot of courage to go to each nation to gather support.”
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WHITECAPS PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL HOPE AND HEALTH SOCCER EVENT Aboriginal youth from around Vancouver Island recently spent a day with the Vancouver Whitecaps professional soccer team in Snuneymuxw territory. The occasion was the for the annual Hope and Health event at Beban Park in Nanaimo on Aug. 31. Hope and Health is uses soccer as a way to build relationships and inspire hope with children and youth while supporting health and wellbeing.
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Participants got a chance for skills-and-drills training and to play soccer with their favourite Whitecaps players. Other activities included a soccer ball shaped bouncy castle, face painting and traditional cedar weaving. The free event is held annually on Mid-Vancouver Island and this year was also held at Musqueam Park in Vancouver. More information at www. hopeandhealth.org.
Snuneymuxw chief John Wesley with Canadian Soccer Hall of Famer Carl Valentine.
Photos by Tricia Thomas
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Photo courtesy of the Yothu Yindi Foundation –www.yyf.com.au
CULTURAL SIMILARITIES DESPITE THE DISTANCE William George Thomas was one of 18 youth from Tsleil-Waututh Nation invited to meet the Māori tribe in New Zealand and attend the 2016 Garma Festival in Australia. This is his story. Jetlag, new experiences and tons of laughs took place this summer as 18 youth from Tsleil-Waututh Nation were given the chance to explore the world and become culturallyenriched by travelling to New Zealand and Australia. After a long 14-plus-hour flight, we finally landed in the windy city of Auckland and travelled to Tauranga, just outside of the city. This is where our journey of discovery and knowledge would begin. The Māori tribes were set to enlighten us with their culture and in return show us the importance that they place in their culture… and did they ever! 22 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
William George-Thomas
Our time with our friends in New Zealand was very well spent. We got to see first-hand how fluently the indigenous people spoke their tribes’ languages. Also, while we were there, we were able to learn the haka (traditional Māori war dance), which the intimidating New Zealanders do exceptionally well. We also had a ride in their traditional canoes, which are built similarly to ours in Canada, but are significantly sturdier and thicker. We were able to make arts and crafts that they originally used for combat, but now use for their traditional dancing.
We discovered that Canada and Australia share similar environmental issues, the problems with preserving our indigenous lands and the need for our traditional languages to not only survive, but thrive. With all of this said, and the differences distinguished, we easily found that we have far more similarities with the youth than we would have thought. Right off the bat, we laughed and goofed around, having a little dance-off for ice-breakers. The Tsleil-Waututh youth often said: “Feeling just like family here” and described the Māori youth being “like old friends we haven’t seen for a while”. With the comfort of feeling back at home with the Māori, you can imagine it was a tad difficult to say our goodbyes. We reluctantly left New Zealand, but brought with us valuable life skills that we will take into our future, including leaderships skills, how to engage an audience and how to properly teach our culture in a respectful and traditional way. Next stop… Australia Now was the time for us to truly explore. The Garma 2016 festival grounds were filled with a plethora of tribes and nations from all over Australia and with us Canadians free to explore it with open minds. This is where the majority of our culture shock came into play. The new surroundings, temperatures, and people made all of us Canadians stick out like sore thumbs, especially whenever we spoke. This, however, enabled us to
become more creative and outgoing to be able to socialize and learn from the locals. The major differences we found between us and the Australians were: our accents, our tastes in food and our reactions to all of the HUGE insects. However, this pales in comparison to the similarities we found, even with thousands of kilometres between us, all and the different contrasts in culture and the way we were each brought up. We found we had the same tastes in music and in how much we value our cultures. Through meeting some Australian university students, we discovered that Canada and Australia share similar environmental issues, the problems with preserving our indigenous lands and the need for our traditional languages to not only survive, but thrive. Through sharing and learning from each other, we learned and taught the ways we deal with these problems, how to stand up for our rights and how to be strong youth advocates. The new experiences and discoveries did not stop there in the slightest. Day and night, we travelled around the festival discovering new heritage and hearing new beliefs; like why during their traditional dances some men and women would wear yellow and some red. It was all to do with culture and heritage.
The big monumental moment occurred on the main stage – a giant sand pit with all of the local tribes’ flags proudly displayed. Tsleil-Waututh was invited to perform and sing our traditional dances and show what Canadians had to offer. The people were ever-so-grateful to see this new spectrum of Indigenous culture to the extent that one of the local tribes gifted us with a special gift. It is how they gifted it towards us, though, that made all the memories. In full regalia and tribal paint, they sang and danced their way into the circle and to the beat of the song gave us a gift. The ending days brought a tonne of refection for our youth. This new experience gave us a new view on what life back home will be like, on how we should deal with the issues our people face. We became positive beings looking through multiple lenses and learned how to be accepting of people. In return, we can pass on this positivity and knowledge back home, regardless of the social issues we face. SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 23
CULTURAL FEST CELEBRATED COAST SALISH
People from all walks of life gathered in TsleilWaututh Nation territory to celebrate Coast Salish art, music, food and culture at the community’s eighth annual cultural arts festival on a bright August Sunday in Whey-ah-Wichen (aka Cates Park) in North Vancouver. Hundreds gathered throughout the day to hear stories from elders, listen to performances, feast on salmon and look at the work of artists. There were demonstrations of Coast Salish weaving as the sound of traditional songs and dances was heard throughout the park on Burrard Inlet. The music on the mainstage is always a highlight at the festivals. Notable performances this year included DJ Shub (formerly of A Tribe Called Red) and Crystal Shawanda.
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FINALLY A PLACE TO PLAY By Cara McKenna When Doug White II was a kid growing up at Snuneymuxw First Nation, he had to get creative to find places to play. “My gymnasium was just across the street here,” he said, gesturing to a road in the community’s village in Nanaimo. “It was an old, wrecked-up building where somebody put up a couple of buckets.” He also recalls playing on the street outside, trying to stay away from prickly blackberry bushes. That was the reality for many generations of Snuneymuxw children until Sept. 1 when the nation officially unveiled its new state-ofthe-art community centre. The long-awaited building includes a large gymnasium for children to play sports and other games. It also has a commercial kitchen, general store and multi-purpose room. Chief John Wesley cut the ribbon at an opening ceremony on Sept. 1. “Now the kids have choices,” Wesley said. “This is the start of many good things for Snuneymuxw.” Wesley said he looks forward to seeing many generations of kids use the gymnasium, and hopes to eventually add an outdoor sports field. The centre is a big victory for the nation that was challenged by the site’s proximity to the water, various environmental challenges and overall costs. Stefan Moores, with Castlemain Consulting, helped Snuneymuxw make the centre a reality. He said he remembers thinking the concept was “crazy” at first because of how challenging the site was. He said that one of the more unique aspects of the building is the fact that there is underground parking. “It’s pretty rare, and it’s just a pretty creative and innovative way to build a building,” Moores said. 26 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Chief Wesley about to cut the ribbon. - Photo by Cara McKenna
Cake cutting at Snuneymuxw grand opening. - Photo by Tricia Thomas
“It was designed first for users. It was built on what people wanted to use the building for.” Nanaimo MLA Leonard Krog said he was excited about what the future will hold.
“I guarantee that at some point, some young person from Snuneymuxw who has played in this gymnasium will go on to the Olympics,” he told the crowd at the opening. “Because this is how it happens.”
Leaders from around the Salish Sea attended the community centre opening. Back row: Chief James Delorme, Klahoose; Chief John Wesley, Snuneymuxw; Chief Brent Edwards, Snaw-naw-as; Snuneymuxw councillors Doug White II, Paul Wyse-Seward, Regan Seward, Michael Wyse and Kate Good. Front row: Chief Chip Seymour, Cowichan; Chief Rick Thomas, Lyackson; Ray Harris, Stz’uminus; and Songhees councillor Frank George with Chief Ron Sam. - Photo by Tricia Thomas.
SALISH SEA SENTINEL • 27
John Marston and his Mother. - Photo courtesy of BC Ferries
SALISH EAGLE TO GLIDE OVER THE SALISH SEA
Stz’uminus artist John Marston’s artwork will grace one of the three new Salish Class ferries. His design was unveiled in Ladysmith last month. “The Eagle is highly respected within our culture. It is a symbol of our spiritual connection to the natural world. The Eagle has long been connected to us and carries our prayers to the Creator. Our guardian in life, we look to the teachings he offers us. “The Eagle is beautiful and graceful with the never ending strength to survive. Over the years as an artist I have learned from our ancestors’ old artworks. It is important to me that this design was strongly influenced by these old masterpieces.” Those were the words of Stz’uminus artist John Marston when his artwork for the new Salish Class vessel for BC Ferries 28 • SALISH SEA SENTINEL
Gliding along the Salish Sea, the Salish Eagle is shifting from our ancient roots into a time where our history is coming alive into the forefront of our modern society. was unveiled in Ladysmith on Sept. 14. His design will adorn the Salish Eagle ferry which is currently under construction in Poland. The Salish Eagle will go into regular service on the Tsawwassen-Victoria route
in 2017. Two other Coast Salish artists have designed artwork for the Orca and the Raven vessels that will also sail next summer. The Orca will be on the ComoxPowell River route while the Raven will serve the southern Gulf Islands. The First Peoples’ Cultural Council worked with BC Ferries on the competition for artists whose artworks will be displayed on the hulls as well as inside the vessels. “Gliding along the Salish Sea, the Salish Eagle is shifting from our ancient roots into a time where our history is coming alive into the forefront of our modern society.” – John Marston
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