Ha Shilth Sa Newspaper February 9, 2023

Large offshore area closer to protection with MOU

Managed through First Nations co-governance, the proposed marine protected area would be Canada’s largest

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Vancouver, BC -After years of negotiating the shared governance of a vast offshore area west of Vancouver Island, on Feb. 7 the federal government and four First Nations groups announced a major step towards protecting the unique deep-sea territory.

Amemorandum of understanding has been reached between Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, the Pacheedaht, Quatsino First Nation and the Council of the Haida Nation to preserve what is now known as Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxw iqak — Tsigis Marine ProtectedArea. The name of the proposed MPAencompasses Haida, Nuu-chah-nulth and Quatsino, meaning “deep ocean”, “very deep waters off of our shores” and “monster of the deep” in the respective languages.

Comprising an ocean area four times the size of Vancouver Island, the proposed MPAis located approximately 150 kilometres offshore, spanning little-known deep-sea territory. The stipulations of the draft agreement are now set to be published on Canada Gazette Part 1 on Feb. 18, allowing 30 days for public input before the parties move towards a binding agreement to manage the 133,019 square-kilometre area.

“We are utterly committed to reconciliation,” said Canada’s Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray at the announcement of the proposed MPAon Feb. 7.

“It looks like a simple agreement, but there’s a lot of years of fighting, wordsmithing,” said Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council at the event, which was held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on the traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

Protection began in 2017, when it was identified by DFO as an offshore Pacific area of interest. Five years of discussion with the First Nation’s followed, resulting in a pending agreement that entails a shared governance of the area, said Murray.

“Yes, it does involve co-governance, absolutely,” she said.

This means a management board is planned to oversee the area, with representation from the First Nations involved and the federal government that “seeks to operate on a consensus decision-making basis”, according to a press release from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“There will be many discussions on how we will work together in co-management and the Indigenous leadership that this

Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxw iqak — Tsigis will be managed through,” said Murray.

Once identified as an offshore area of interest in 2017, bottom trawling fishing was banned in the area. If it becomes an MPA, further restrictions would be enforced under Canada’s OceansAct, prohibiting activities like deep-sea mining, oil and gas drilling and dumping.

“The thing that we’re all confident will occur is that by conserving the sea bed floor from some of the activities that disrupt it, we’ll actually have a greater abundance and diversity of fish from protected areas that will spill over into areas where fishing is permitted,” explained the fisheries minister.

The announcement took place at IMPAC5, an international congress on marine protected areas. Two days earlier at the congress the federal government, 15 First Nations and the province announced an action plan for the Northern Shelf Bioregion, a network of offshore territory extending from the top of Vancouver Island toAlaska. This plan guides efforts to preserve ocean and marine wildlife in the area, another step towards protecting more of Canada’s ocean.

The federal government is working towards a pledge to protect 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, then 30 per cent by 2030. If passed, Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxw iqak — Tsigis would be the largest MPAin Canadian waters, comprising 0.88 per cent of the ocean area claimed under federal jurisdiction.

“Here in Canada we’ve gone from safeguarding less than one per cent of

Canada’s oceans to conserving over 14 per cent,” said Murray of the progress made so far. “These protected areas are giving the ocean and marine life a chance to rebuild and that is to the benefit of everyone.”

In recent years the feds have undertook expeditions to the large offshore area, sending a Canadian Coast Guard vessel to document and study the little-known region. What has been found so far are an undersea range of at least 46 mountains, called sea mounts. The area also has fissures in the earth’s crust that release warm water, hydrothermal vents that support a diversity of surrounding marine life unique to the deep-sea region. The proposed Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxw iqak — Tsigis MPAcovers over 70 per cent of Canada’s underwater mountains.

Murray noted that the MPAcould help to mitigate the effects of the humancaused changes in the earth’s climate.

“The more biomass and diversity we have in the oceans, the more the oceans can do the job that they’ve always done, of being a sink for carbon that’s been eroded in the last decade,” she said. “We need to restore oceans as well as protect them so that they can perform their function of absorbing greenhouse gas emissions.”

During the announcement a video was shown displaying marine life from the area, including a grey whale filmed jumping from the water.

“Our relatives in the ocean are celebrating,” said Sayers.

“I often think about flying over the

does it look like down there? Is it just as depressing as looking at our clear-cut mountains?’,” she continued. “We need to make changes now to protect the oceans, those beautiful mounts and vents and all of the habitat and biodiversity that is there. There are many spiritual places there.”

The path towards the Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxw iqak — Tsigis Marine Protected Area follows the recognition of the Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area, a 1,500 square-kilometre offshore region west of Haida Gwaii that achieved designation in 2010. Gaagwiis, Jason Alsop, president of the Council of the Haida Nation, sees the proposed MPA as another step towards preserving the ocean’s resources.

“For our people, protecting this area is about keeping our way of life as ocean people, being able to sustain ourselves and our communities with the bounty of the sea and all of the food that’s provided for us from the ocean,” he said.

Sayers dreams of a time when First Nations can attain MPAdesignation in their respective territories on their own.

“One of my dreams, mine and others across the country, is that we could do our own Indigenous marine protected areas, where we could declare those areas that are significant to us spiritually, culturally for the protection of all of those resources,” she said. “The Government of Canada right now is the mechanism that we have, and we’re grateful that we have something that we can work with, but we need to push them further.”

Eric Plummer photo

Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, speaks in Vancouver at the announcement of an memorandum of understanding for the Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxw iqak — Tsigis Marine ProtectedArea on Feb. 7. ocean and think, ‘What

There used to be 200 totem poles in Opitsaht

A Tla-o-qui-aht artist works to bring totems back, following the village’s first raising in decades last summer

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Tofino, BC – “There used to be 200 totem poles lining the front of Opitsaht,” said Tla-o-qui-aht artist Hjalmer Wenstob.

Most were broken or burned when American Captain Robert Gray bombed Opitsaht back in 1792, he added. Back then, historians say there were 200 long houses in Opitsaht, located on Meares Island across from Tofino. Each longhouse held 50 to 100 people. But the village was abandoned that day, its residents likely at other seasonal villages.

The longhouses and totem poles were hit with cannon balls and burnt, leaving Opitsaht in ruins. But the people rebuilt.

Wenstob said he was talking to his wife about the old village and his wish to see those poles back up.

He was encouraged when he saw fellow artist, Joe David, raise his latest carving in Opitsaht last summer.

“It went up with Carving on the Edge festival,” said Wenstob.

That event served as a catalyst.

“I said to my wifeAnnika that it’s time to do it now and not wait for funding or projects,” he told Ha-Shilth-Sa. “So, I toldAnnika that I’d been thinking about putting up a pole a year.”

Annika applied for grants from the First People’s Cultural Council and received funding to work on two poles.

“Ideally, I’d like to see two poles a year going up throughout the territory,” said Wenstob.

He is starting with place markers of importance – “this is to remind people of where they are, and who Tla-o-qui-aht

are.”

It was about ten years ago when Wenstob and his brother created the welcome sign that stands on top of Sutton Pass. Now, there is a cedar Thunderbird figure watching over Kennedy River at the Wally Creek lookout located 75 kilometres from Tofino.

The Thunderbird figure was made the same time as a Kakawin (Orca) pole in 2021. The Kakawin figure, also carved by Wenstob, stands on the beach at Esowista. Wenstob calls the first two carvings simple ones.

With the help of his parents and brother Tim, Wenstob created two more figures in 2022.Amoon mask was installed at the top of Radar Hill and a carved bentwood box atop a pole was placed at the Ty-

Histanis cemetery.

The Thunderbird pole at Kennedy River along the Highway 4 is garnering the most attention. Wenstob says it doesn’t have a plaque, yet, because he wants to consult with Tla-o-qui-aht elders to get the proper place name.

“They (poles) are going to be seen by a lot of tourists, visitors, but we also want some in the community,” said Wenstob. Annika has successfully applied for another grant and two more carvings are planned for 2023. In addition, Wenstob says another full-sized totem pole will be going up in Ty-Histanis, hopefully this summer.

“We heard most comments from Thunderbird pole on highway by river and it’s been super positive feedback. People are

thankful to see our art and acknowledgement of Tla-o-qui-aht when they are in our territory,” said Wenstob. “We want them to know where they are and remind them of Tla-o-qui-aht being present.”

Another benefit the project brings is the joy and pride to the people.

“The community came out to help raise the pole the old-fashioned way, with ropes and beams – it was beautiful to see all the people come together to raise it together,” said Wenstob.

Asimilar thing happened at the raising of the Thunderbird pole at the river.

“So many people driving by wanted to stop and help raise it. It was beautiful.Art brings people together,” said Wenstob.

Hjalmer Wenstob photo

Abeautiful Thunderbird figure overlooks Kennedy River on Highway 4 West. It is the first in a series of carvings to be erected in Tla-o-qui-aht traditional territory by artist Hjalmer Wenstob.

Health Canada decriminalizes illicit drugs in B.C.

Latest move to reduce overdose deaths aims to end the stigmatization of users, while encouraging treatment

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Vancouver, BC - Illicit drugs are now decriminalized in British Columbia, after a joint announcement issued Jan. 30 from the province and Health Canada affecting illegal substances carried for personal use.

After lobbying the feds to make an exception, Health Canada has granted B.C. an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and SubstancesAct, which took effect Tuesday, Jan. 31 and will be in place for at least the next three years.As of Tuesday, anyone in the province 18 or older will not face criminal charges or seizure if found carrying up to 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine methamphetamine or MDMA(ecstasy).

“Instead, police will offer information on available health and social supports, as well as local treatment and recovery options,” stated a government press release.

Officials noted that this is not the legalization of street drugs, and charges still apply if any amount is found on the property of an elementary, high school or daycare.

The federal government and the province have pledged to closely monitor how the ongoing opioid crisis progresses to ensure “desired outcomes of decriminalization are met and there are no unintended consequences,” continued the release.

“Supporting British Columbia in this exemption to the Controlled Drugs and SubstancesAct, our government is providing the province with the ability to help divert people away from the criminal justice system toward the health and social services they need,” said Carolyn Bennett, Canada’s minister of Mental Health andAddictions and the associate minister of Health.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, hopes that allowing the personal possession amount will “open conversations” about drug use by ending the stigmatization that illicit users face.

“It drives people to hide their addictions and use alone,” she said.

The announcement is the province’s latest effort to curb a fatal toll that has climbed to six deaths a day from illicit drug use since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The opioid crisis was declared a public health emergency inApril 2016, and in the following years the rate of fatal overdoses climbed to 1,562 across in B.C. in 2018.

Public health officials and front-line workers saw the situation improve the following year, when fatalities dropped to

987. But widespread public health restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19 in 2020 coincided with fatal overdoses rising to 1,775, then increasing again the next year to 2,306. The most recent data from the BC Coroners Service shows 2,272 deaths in 2022, although this number could climb after more toxicology results are verified.

Officials have blamed an increasingly toxic supply of street drugs for how the crisis escalated during the pandemic, as well as the growing tendency for people to use alone. Results from the Coroners Service show the presence of Fentanyl in fatal overdoses rising from five per cent in 2012 to 87 per cent in 2021. Etizolam, a drug medically used for insomnia and anxiety disorders, was detected in 38 per cent of illicit deaths from July 2020 to August 2022. This benzodiazepine analog doesn’t respond to naloxone treatment.

“We know that criminalization drives people to use alone. Given the increasingly toxic drug supply, using alone can be fatal,” said Jennifer Whiteside, B.C.’s minister of Mental Health andAddictions. “Decriminalizing people who use drugs breaks down the fear and shame associated with substance use and ensures they feel safer reaching out of live-saving supports.”

First Nations have died by illicit drug use at a rate of 4.8 times more than other B.C. residents, according to data from the

First Nations HealthAuthority from the first half of 2021.

“This is because First Nations people experience stereotyping, racism and discrimination in many different ways, including the health care and judicial systems,” said Dr. Nel Wiemen, the FNHA’s acting chief medical officer. “Decriminalization will help to mitigate the stigma and shame attached to substance use and reduce the negative impacts of criminal charges, which is especially important to First Nations people who are over-represented in the criminal justice system.”

With the decriminalization announcement, the province noted it was building “a comprehensive and seamless system of mental health and addictions care that works for all British Columbians.” This includes hundreds of new treatment beds, improved access to supervised consumption sites and the growing prescription of a safer supply of drugs, including the administration of less harmful opioids than what is purchased on the street.

But for many Nuu-chah-nulth families affected by the opioid crisis, this hasn’t been enough. Last spring the Nuu-chahnulth Tribal Council called on governments and the FNHAto provide a sevenday-a-week “rapid access addiction clinic in Nuu-chah-nulth Hahoulthee (traditional territories) along with a fully certified detox centre that will work in a culturally safe and trauma informed way.”

TheAlberni/Clayoquot health area, which covers a large portion of Nuuchah-nulth territory, ranks fourth in the province for the rate of deaths by illicit drug use, with the highest toll on Vancouver Island, according to coroner’s data from January toAugust of last year.

“We are in a state of emergency with the number of deaths from drug overdoses with Nuu-chah-nulth people,” said NTC President Judith Sayers in a press release fromApril 1, 2022. “We need resourcesmoney, services, and counselling and so much more. We can’t keep saying this is a crisis, an emergency if we haven’t taken drastic steps to prevent more deaths. The time to act is now, let’s act together to save lives.”

During Jan. 30 press conference the case of Portugal was mentioned several times, a country that decriminalized drug possession over 20 years ago.After facing an illicit drug epidemic in the 1990s and the European Union’s highest rate of HIV infection among injecting users, Portugal decriminalized the possession of illegal substances for personal use in July 2001. Over the following years the country saw drug-related incarcerations drop from 3,863 in 1999 to 1,140 in 2016, and HIV infection among users fell from 907 to 18 over the same time period. Meanwhile, Portugal’s overdose deaths fell from 369 in 1999 to 72 in 2019, dropping to as low as 10 fatalities in 2011.

Province of B.C. photo

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, hopes that allowing the personal possession amount will “open conversations” about drug use by ending the stigmatization that illicit users face.

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Tla-o-qui-aht to build a wellness centre

Mobile bunkhouses set up to support members who are coming out of treatment

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilh-Sa Reporter

Ty-Histanis, BC – Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation is breathing life back into trailers used inAhousaht to create a new wellness center at their Ty-Histanis reservation.

Five trailers that served as bunkhouses for crew members working onAhousaht’s wastewater treatment plant are being moved out of the Flores Island community. Tla-o-qui-aht purchased the trailers from the contractor that builtAhousaht’s wastewater treatment plant.

According to Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Administrator Jim Chisholm, the mobile bunkhouse facility will be set up at TyHistanis to support members who are living rough and hitting roadblocks in their efforts to live a healthier life.

“There’s been a blooming of street people in our province,” said Chisholm.

They are finding it increasingly difficult to get into treatment facilities, as more people access the services, with fewer safe places to go when they’re done treatment.

“If we want to send them for drug and alcohol counselling, we’re finding the facilities are saying if we can’t guarantee them a place to stay when they’re done,

then it’s not worth treating them, and we see that as a growing trend,” he said.

Like most First Nations, Chisholm says Tla-o-qui-aht is facing an acute housing shortage.

“We had a situation where we had some of our people sleeping in the park in Tofino in the wintertime,” he said. “They wanted help, they reached out for help. That’s what prompted us to buy this camp.”

“We want to encourage many of our members that need help and treatment.

Up to now, we haven’t had the facilities to accommodate people coming out of treatment,” added Chisholm.

The five units were originally purchased by Tla-o-qui-aht’s economic development department to be used as staff housing for Best Western Tin Wis Resort. But with a more pressing need identified, the units were transferred over to another department.

“We call it a helping house. It’s not a homeless shelter,” said Chisholm, adding it will be used as a bridge to help those returning from treatment find a more stable lifestyle. “The idea is we bring people in who [are] maybe going to treatment. We can throw resources at them to help them. We’re bringing people into the community that are looking for help.”

The units are not only for people looking to escape addictions, but also those who may be homeless due to employability issues.

“We throw resources at them and, hopefully, they leave in a better place than they came from,” said Chisholm.

The five trailer units include an industrial kitchen and space for 20 people.

Chisholm says meals will be up to the individuals staying there. He estimates there will be room for about 18 people once it’s set up.

Chisholm says his staff are working on rules and intake policies, noting that the facility will be alcohol and drug free and supervised.

The new helping centre could open options for a long-term supportive housing facility for Tla-o-qui-aht.

“If we planned a permanent facility down the road, we could always find another use for it. It’s portable, we can move it down the road,” said Chisholm.

So far, three of the trailers have been moved out ofAhousaht. The remaining two will arrive in Ty-Histanis by midFebruary.

Chisholm anticipates the buildings will be ready for use by March 2023. New tenants will have to apply to the nation for a room.

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June Titian photo

Five trailer units are being moved fromAhousaht to Ty-Histanis to serve as transitional housing for Tla-o-qui-aht members coming out of addictions treatment.

Back on: Elder’s Gathering to be held in Vancouver

Annual event was at risk of being cancelled again, but now organizers prepare for the first gathering since 2019

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Vancouver, BC –After a three-year hiatus, it has been announced that the 2023 BC Elder’s Gathering will take placeAug 14 – 16 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the annual gathering for three years. The last BCEG was held in July 2019 at the Vancouver Convention Centre and was hosted by the BC Elders Communication Center Society (BCECCS).

Until recently, it was uncertain if the gathering would be held this year, as the BCECCS feared that not enough deposits would be made from participants to move the event forward. The society noted $145,000 of debt from 2020, due to two sponsors pulling out their support a few months before the gathering was to take place.

“Even though we had incurred costs leading up to this cancellation, these entities pulled their $100,000 and $50,000 in support because the actual event didn’t happen,” explained Donna Stirling of the BCECCS in a Ha-Shilth-Sa article from Nov. 15.

In their Elder’s Voice newsletter, the BCECCS say it stands as the default host when a suitable bidding host has not been named. It could be that there is no bidder or when there’s an issue with a bidder, such as a host location that is too small to accommodate the elders, the BCECCS will host the event.

In 2000 and 2017, the BCECCS hosted the event in its home community of Campbell River, but holding the gathering there is not a possibility this year.

“Campbell River no longer has a caterer large enough to handle the needs of such a large event and serve the elders needs properly, so it will not be back there,” explains the society in its newsletter.

For those reasons, the Vancouver Convention Centre is the society’s “go-to site of choice” when BCECCS hosts. Donna Stirling says she has been the coordinator of the event on behalf of BCECCS three times, including the last one in 2019.

“We will be at the Vancouver Convention Centre again as the elders’five standing ovations at the 2019AEG made it clear that they all want to come back to the same location in the lower mainland and that they want us to host the event

again,” she said in an email to Ha-ShilthSa.

But the location comes with a steep price, not only for the facility rental but also the food.

“It is approximately a million dollars to host this year and it starts with zero dollars every year,” states the Elder’s Voice newsletter.

Inflation has increased the cost of food, forcing a jump in registration fees. In 2019, the registration fee was $400 per person with an early-bird rate of $325. This year the registration fee is $550, which covers entry to the event and its various venues along with two catered lunches and dinners.

There will be no snacks and fruit at the 2023 gathering due to the prohibitive cost.

“We had to decide to cut both from the daily plan. We are not allowed to bring in outside food,” Stirling wrote in the newsletter.

She encourages the elders’support people to pack snacks. There will be water stations set up throughout the venues.

In addition to the registration fee, elders would need to cover accommodation, travel, and breakfasts.

The BC Elder’s Gathering started 47 years ago. It provides an opportunity for

Indigenous elders to get together with their peers from throughout the province.

“It allows them to intermingle with likeminded, like-aged individuals and their families, to reveal common grounds that strengthen those links,” writes Stirling.

“Elders Gatherings are a wonderful time for people to visit and exchange memories and knowledge, to create new friendships and to renew old ones. These gatherings provide a chance to gain perspective on how other First Nations live,” reads the BCEG website.

In general, the gathering is for Indigenous elders age 55 and up, but some nations sponsoring their elders to attend may set another age.

“Some are set at 60 and some at 65… that is up to the individual bands,” writes Stirling. “I was told in 1999 that the age for the gathering was 55 and up and that is what we have always gone by.”

“The theme for the 2023 BCEG is ‘Stronger Together’and though it will be difficult to start this event from scratch after missing three years, we are committed to providing the best Elders Gathering the elders have ever been to,” added Stirling.

Aregistration fee of $550 per person must be paid by July 10 through cheque or money order – no e-transfers or credit

cards will be accepted. There will be no on-site registration and there is no earlybird rate. The 20 groups that signed up in the early bird registration for the 2020 BCEG that was cancelled did not receive refunds. These groups are the only ones that get early bird rates, which have been pre-paid.

Attendees will take part in a grand entrance onAug. 15 and will enjoy access to presentations, games, dances, workshops, self-care services and a variety of vendors. The host notes that the Pamper Me Centre is for the elders only and ask that support people not to sign up for services.

Elders and their support workers are reminded to book rooms early and to register as soon as possible because these funds are required to pay deposits needed to run the event.

Children are not invited to the gathering due to limited space. Group leaders are asked not to bring elders if they are ill. Only those registered will be allowed into the space.

“So, the BC Elders Communication Center Society is the host for 2023 and we look forward to welcoming everyone August 14 for early registration andAugust 15-16, 2023, for theAEG (Annual Elder’s Gathering),” said Donna Stirling.

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Denise Titian photo

Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre in the summer of 2019, the last BC Elder’s Gathering attracted over 1,800 attendees. Pictures are participants at the 2019 event.

Memorial March to honour missing and murdered

For 32 years a memorial in the Downtown Eastside has been held to remember those lost and address violence

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Vancouver, BC – Feb. 14 marks a day of remembering, grieving, healing, and honoring the Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse peoples who are missing or murdered.

The annual women’s memorial walk started decades ago at a time when there was little response or awareness towards MMIWG2S+, said Sarah Hunt, Kwagu’l of Kwakwaka’wakw, an assistant professor at the University of Victoria and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Political Ecology. There was a “lack of systemic response,” she continued.

The first memorial walk was held in 1992 in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, where many Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse people over the years have gone missing or murdered. The memorial was a response to honoring the loss of a woman murdered on Powell Street in Vancouver, and the many others who were lost.

“[It’s] a really significant way that community members, loved ones, families and relatives of missing and murdered women, girls and gender diverse people have come together to create a space for remembering and honoring their loved ones, and also for really speaking about justice on their own terms,” said Hunt. Since 1992 the memorial march has grown to be held in other cities, small communities and on reserves, explained Hunt.

Canada’s colonial systems enacts violence

The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls identifies four social pillars that allow systemic violence to continue. These include intergenerational trauma, social and economic marginalization, maintenance of institutional status quo, and ignoring the expertise of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.

Lisa Robinson is the executive direc-

tor of Kackaamin Family Development Center and a Nuu-chah-nulth member originally from Hesquiaht and married in Ahousaht.

When Robinson thinks of colonial violence, she thinks of systemic racism.

“Everything was built around us while our people were in residential schools,” said Robinson. “We didn’t have the opportunity to participate.”

“They pulled our families apart [and] took children away from the love source they had,” she added. “For generations, there’s going to be repercussions.”

Oftentimes the losses of MMIWG2S+ are stigmatized, such as with addiction, explained Robinson. However, Robinson noted that with Nuu-chah-nulth customs if people experience loss, there is an acknowledgement of the strength it takes to be present.

Colonialism is rooted in racism and sexism, said Hunt. These ideas lead to mistreatment of Indigenous people as though they are “less important and less valuable.”

Hunt explains that this is evident in the lack of action in the justice systems, even with the gathered evidence through reports, such as the National Inquiry and

the provincial inquiry in British Columbia.

“The day-to-day experiences that our family members have, and that we have, [it] really hasn’t changed very much, despite the growing awareness,” said Hunt.

Being

seen and valued makes safe spaces for healing

Robinson explains there needs to be an acknowledgement of the past to build safe spaces for healing in the present. For Robinson, one element of cultural safety means to be free of racism, judgement and criticism in places of healing.

“Anybody in the helping field, anybody in healthcare, they need to have that space to acknowledge and make it safe in different ways to welcome people in,” said Robinson. “To have culturally safe spaces everywhere, including hospitals [and] counseling, they have to understand deeply what it [is] like to be in our shoes.”

“Cultural safety is important to me, and also, all forms of safety, because it’s really about… expressing our self determination as Indigenous people at the intimate level,” said Hunt.

Hunt explains that cultural safety is

localized and will vary from territory to territory.

“I think that cultural safety is an expression of our cultural… norms and values, our systems of governance, and the role that we take up in them,” said Hunt. “Being able to be seen and valued and treated within our own cultural systems is really, you know, core to those broader expressions of, again, our nationhood.”

Correcting is to connect Robinson explains that it is important to identify the systemic disruptions that disconnected Indigenous people from one another and their culture.

“The correction to it is to connect back up and heal from what has disconnected us,” said Robinson.

“The answer is within us… to recognize that this extreme violence happened for generations,” she continued. “We can rebuild it - and wake up those values and Indigenous way of knowing.”

Hunt said that Indigenous ways of being are rooted in the strength and the health of relationships.

“The more we have shared language [and] shared understanding of what safety is, how we can be there for each other, how we can help to keep each other safe, and treat each other respectfully and consensually,” explained Hunt. “It’s not only helping to hopefully lessen the violence that happens, but it’s also in my view, it’s like a way to express our own Indigenous forms of justice.”

Those who have missing or murdered family members often feel the brunt of isolation in their grief and continued challenges in the justice system, said Hunt.

“It’s really about showing up and being present and being able to respond to the needs of people,” said Hunt.

Robinson notes that the memorial walk plays an important role in recognizing the losses and honouring the sacredness of every life.

“They are our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, [and] granddaughters,” said Robinson.

Eagles Hall on Third Ave becomes temporary shelter

By Karly Blats Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

PortAlberni, BC - The Eagles Hall on lower ThirdAvenue has become a temporary cold weather shelter while the Bread of Life Centre undergoes renovations.

PortAlberni city council authorized temporary deferment of the zoning bylaw at Eagles Hall to enable SalvationArmy to operate a temporary cold weather shelter until March 31, 2023.

The Bread of Life Centre, on upper ThirdAvenue, is undergoing renovations to construct a low-barrier shelter in the facility. The previous city council voted in favour of a temporary use permit (TUP) for the new shelter at Bread of Life at a regular meeting of council on July 11, 2022. The 25-bed shelter will be operated by the local SalvationArmy and be funded annually by BC Housing.

At a regular meeting of council on Jan. 23, council voted 5-1 in favour to not enforce the C3 service commercial zoning of the Eagles Hall until March 31, which will allow the building to be used as a temporary shelter.

City staff said the building has been reviewed by an architect and the fire chief to make sure it’s up to safety stan-

dards for housing people. The new cold weather shelter facility will have 17 beds available each evening and will be staffed by the SalvationArmy.

Coun. Todd Patola was the only council member in opposition of deferring the zoning bylaw at the Eagles Hall. Mayor Sharie Minions recused herself from the discussion and vote as her husband is involved with the Bread of Life.

“So moving the facility is not an emergency with regards to people’s health and ability to survive in extreme weather, but it is to convenience the Bread of Life to begin their renovations?” Patola asked. “What makes the urgency arise? There is a facility and suddenly there’s an emergency need to move that facility somewhere else. We’re being asked to basically disregard the laws of this community to facilitate that.”

Pastor Michael Ramsey of the SalvationArmy told council that their contract with BC Housing says renovations for the low-barrier shelter at The Bread of Life should be complete byApril, 1, 2023.

“We need to renovate the washrooms so we have proper washrooms for people, we need to put in a laundry facility and we need to make sure our supports are up to the standards for a new shelter that’s

being opened up at the Bread of Life Centre,” Ramsey said. “The urgency for this is that 17 people need a place to stay while the shelter is making sure it meets the criteria from one category to another.”

Ramsey voiced concern that if no alternative cold weather shelter is in place, 17 more people could face displacement and add to a growing homelessness issue in the community.

“Local fires have displaced even further people, we would hate to have 17 more

people without a roof over their head,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey said a SalvationArmy member has visited neighbouring residents and businesses to the Eagles Hall to let them know about the cold weather shelter.

City staff said other buildings were reviewed for potential cold weather shelter sites but they didn’t meet safety criteria.

The Eagles Hall made more sense location-wise because it’s close to services and resource for occupants to access.

Karly Blats photo

The Eagles Hall on lower ThirdAvenue is operating as a temporary cold weather shelter until the Bread of Life Centre completes renovations.

Women’s Memorial March photo

The 32ndAnnual Women’s Memorial March will begin from Main Street and East Hastings on Feb. 14. Family and community members will gather and speak at 10 am and the walk will proceed through East Hastings starting at noon.

Community gardens grow food for remote villages

As grocery prices rise, community gardens across coastal communities are becoming a strategy for sustenance

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With the rise of retail food costs many remote coastal communities are turning to community gardens as a source for food security.

Kristi Walker, a wellness practitioner and master gardener, has always been an advocate for community gardens in remote communities. Walker is the lead gardener for Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, which provides fresh produce to the it’s members and Nuu-chah-nulth people living in Gold River.

Walker and a team that includes three Mowachaht/Muchalaht youth tend to the garden, which is filled with vegetables and fruit each season. This year they will be entering their fourth gardening season.

The harvested produce is then either stored and preserved, or picked up by community members at their onsite pantry, which includes a freezer and shelves for preserved goods.

Rose Jack, a community health and family services manager for Mowachaht/ Muchalaht, said there is a demand in Tsaxana for fresh produce from the garden.

“The produce like lettuce and kale, tomatoes, and, you know, the cucumbers, the fresh…stuff is really popular whenever the grandchildren harvest,” said Jack. The youth, along with Walker, will post their harvest to Facebook for pick up.

One of the biggest challenges for the garden is getting people involved.

“I really want to start mentoring others so that they can have that ownership over their own food sustainability,” said

Walker.

“It’s a big job to grow a lot of food for a lot of people,” she added. “It’s so necessary.”

“If our grocery stores in Campbell River…begin to empty, the thing that is scary is, any of our remote communities are going to be the last to get into town,” said Walker. “By the time they get in the shelves are going to be bare.”

According to The Future of B.C. Food System Report (2020), British Columbia outsources roughly 2 billion dollars worth of produce from California annually, a state that experiences hurricanes and

droughts.

One of the concerns with food security is climate change. Canada’s Food Price Report for 2023 lists climate change as one of the “very significant” and “very likely” contributor to an increased price in food.

“Food is expensive, it’s hard to access for people, but yet, there’s so much available here that could benefit people,” said Erika Goldt, lead for Clayoquot Biosphere’s Eat West Coast food security initiative.

Goldt explains that food security means communities have access to “good qual-

ity” and “affordable food”, though the definition continues to evolve.

“When we talk about food sovereignty, it means our food isn’t just a commodity, it’s a community good,” said Goldt.

“[It’s] something that matters to the health of our communities…and that we should have a say in…We should have a say in where our food comes from and how our local resources are used.”

Goldt explains that receiving financial support for community gardens has been a challenge because many funding models may not match with the needs of smaller projects.

“Looking at different models that can allow…community gardens to be financially sustainable is a little bit new,” said Goldt.

Trina Mattson has been the school garden facilitator inAhousaht and is owner of the OCN garden centre in Tofino. She said that involving schools in community gardens gives kids the opportunity to develop skills that they otherwise would not have learned.

Mattson said that teaching gardening to kids builds confidence.

“It is about food security, it is also about self reliance,” she said.

Mattson also explains that not only do kids learn skills, they have an opportunity to build new friendships with other students.

“What you’re hoping for is to produce food to feed people. That’s a huge goal,” said Goldt. “There’s just the value itself in bringing people together; that connects us to each other and where food comes from - and that sense of belonging and sharing.”

Kristi Walker photo

Ayoung Mowachaht/Muchalaht boy works in the community garden in Tsaxana.

Future of APD mill in hands of working group

Options for the large sawmill ‘are very limited’; recent shutdown follows the Somass Division closure in 2017

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC -As a working group begins to assess theAlberni Pacific Division sawmill’s future, Huu-ay-aht’s elected chief cautions that the parties involved will need to closely collaborate to find a solution – with keen participation from the province.

After what was initially identified as a six-month curtailment of operations last fall, on Jan. 26 Western Forest Products announced that theAPD mill would not restart “in its current configuration”, leaving over 100 people out of work. The forestry company stated that a “multi-party working group” has been established to explore “viable industrial manufacturing solutions for the facility”, made up of representatives from WFP, the United Steelworkers union, First Nations and “contractually aligned businesses” tied to theAPD operation.

So far a study has found few options for the large site that covers a southern portion of PortAlberni’s waterfront. Last year The Beck Group was commissioned by WFP, the Huu-ay-aht First Nations and Cawak ʔqin Forestry Limited, a partnership between Western and the Huuay-aht-owned Huumiis Ventures.

“The report concludes the options for APD are very limited,” stated a Western Forest Products press release.

The mill’s closure affects the Huu-ayaht’s forestry interests, a stake that has been growing in recent years to account for 60-75 per cent of the First Nation’s revenue from the Huu-ay-aht Group of Businesses. Cawak ʔqin Forestry manages tenure over Tree Farm Licence 44, a 137-hectare section of Crown land south of PortAlberni and Great Central Lake.

Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor Robert Dennis Sr. noted that the First Nation has members who worked at theAPD mill –as does the Tseshaht First Nation – and a significant portion of timber harvested from Huu-ay-aht territory was being processed at the PortAlberni facility.

As the working group discussesAPD’s future over the next three months, Dennis is stressing the need for the companies, union and First Nation to find a common

goal.

“That’s following the theme of our name: Cawak ʔqin Forestry, we are one. Let’s start working as one,” he said. “We have to show that we’re concerned about the worker and we want to find something.”

But Dennis also noted that the provincial government will need to take the needs of the parties involved seriously if a future is to be found for the large sawmill site. He said that regulatory stumpage fees for timber harvested from Crown land currently handcuff the ability of First Nations to economically benefit from their territorial resources.

“The Huu-ay-aht First Nation and all of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations have fiber in their backyard,” said Dennis. “Is there a sustainable use of this wood in our backyard? Sitting idle is no longer an option.”

“Stumpage is a payment for use of a public natural resource,” explained the Province of B.C.’s website in reference to the fee structure. “The money raised by stumpage is used to fund vital social services such as education and health care, and is sometimes shared with First Nations communities under forest consultation and revenue sharing agreements.”

Stumpage fees fluctuate each year, but a comparison of rates over the last half decade indicates one of the many challenges currently facing coastal forestry operations. In March 2016 the average fee listed by the province for cedar on southern Vancouver Island was $13.97 per cubic metre, while Douglas fir stumpage was $5.56. In March 2021 these respective rates had risen to $22.14 and $29.21 per cubic metre on the south island.

“Because the stumpage is so high it’s best for us to just leave the wood in the ground. The province needs to be a participant at this working group table,” added Dennis. “It’s just sad that with all the fiber we have in our backyard that we have to shut a mill down.”

In early 2017 Western shut down the Somass Division sawmill, a facility specializing in old-growth cedar that operated on PortAlberni’s waterfront for

more than 70 years. Over 70 employees were affected by the mill’s closure. This year other mills across the province have ceased operations, following an overall decline that was predicted in the provincial budget released in February 2022. The government’s financial plan forecasted a 12 per cent decrease in harvesting over the following three years, translating into 4,500 lost jobs out of the approximately 50,000 who were still employed in forestry.

Despite this trend, the Huu-ay-aht are looking to explore more opportunities in the industry.Amill to process hemlock is close to running at Sarita Bay, using an existing facility the First Nation acquired

from WFP in 2017.

“Let’s try a small operation, see if we can sell some of that product in our backyard,” said Dennis. “Hopefully in the future we can increase that if people like to buy our product.”

With the future ofAPD yet to be determined, Western Forest Products’CEO Steven Hofer contends that the coastal forestry sector “has a strong future”.

“We are committed to exploring options with partners to advance potential solutions for theAPD facility and appreciate the support of the working group members who have stepped up and joined us in this important work.”

Eric Plummer photo

TheAlberni Pacific Division sawmill has been shut down since early November, and it’s future is now uncertain after Western Forest Products determined that options for the facility are very limited.

Coalition formed to stop extinction of Pacific salmon

First Nations Fisheries Council calls on all B.C. residents to save the species, after 90 per cent decline since ‘70s

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Vancouver, BC - “We’re not going to save Pacific Salmon through a government program,” says the head of the First Nations Fisheries Council of B.C., during the announcement of a coalition formed to stop the path to extinction for the species.

On Monday, Feb. 6 the fisheries council announced the Save Our Salmon (SOS) Coalition, a group of organizations and individuals formed to be a strong voice for the protection of the species on the West Coast. Besides the First Nations Fisheries Council, the coalition includes the Pacific Salmon Foundation, both the Upper and Lower Fraser Fisheries alliances, as well as its first sponsor HeliCat Canada, a helicopter skiing and adventure tourism operator. The coalition was announced in a downtown Vancouver hotel on Feb. 6, across the street from IMPAC5, an international congress on marine protected areas being held in the Vancouver Convention Centre for nearly a week.

With the slogan “Extinction is not an option”, the SOS Coalition announced that 90 per cent of Pacific salmon populations have declined since the 1970s.

Several stocks are listed as endangered, and in Nuu-chah-nulth territory several chinook populations are considered under threat by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. The Tlao-qui-aht First Nation has not permitted its members to harvest sockeye from the Kennedy Lake system since 1992, with hopes that this closure will one day allow the salmon to return to a river that once supported commercial fishing.

“There are some First Nations in B.C. - I can name my own, Tseshaht - who have hung up their nets at one time when there was a threatened return of sockeye salmon,” said Braker during the SOS announcement.

He noted that the state of the species can make First Nations feel threatened.

“I cannot imagine the cultures of the West Coast people without salmon, it would be difficult,” he said. “We believe that the choices made by British Columbians today will have an effect on the future for the returns of salmon.”

“The current outlook is extremely dire. Waiting and talking is not an option anymore,” stressed FNFC Executive Director Jordan Point. “This is about all British Columbians.”

Salmon have continued to decline despite decades of government initiatives to protect the species, including a voluntary licence retirement program that has left the commercial fleet at roughly half the size it was in the mid 1990s. In

June 2021 Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, a complex $647-million plan to protect and rebuild stocks through a combination of improved scientific monitoring, habitat rehabilitation and boosting hatcheries to raise fish for coastal waters.

The PSSI has been criticized by the Nuu-chah-nulth Council of Ha’wiih Forum on Fisheries for using two thirds of its funds to boost capacity within the DFO, but the initiative’s head said that others outside of the department will take on leading roles as well as the plan unfolds.

“There will be quite a bit of funding going out to fishers, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous,” said Sarah Murdoch during an interview with Ha-Shilth-Sa last summer. “In a few different areas there is going to be some shifting and growth. It will be new investments in science, for instance, largely focused on what we’re realizing more and more, and getting to understand what’s going on from a science perspective in terms of climate change and some of the broader ecosystem impacts.”

But salmon will need more than the government’s multi-million-dollar plan to survive, stressed the First Nations Fisheries Council.

“Government and all British Columbians have to make this a priority for their life,” said Braker. “First and foremost is

to educate British Columbians and make sure that they all understand what is happening to Pacific salmon.”

“This cannot be left to the hands of politicians; this cannot be left to the hands of an election cycle,” said Michelle Corfield, a consultant and founding member of the FNFC. “This is far more important to British Columbians and the youth that we’re raising to leave to the hands of politicians. We call upon you British Columbians to step forward to stop the extinction of wild Pacific salmon.”

With a social media campaign raising the alarm, the coalition plans to meet with forestry companies and natural resource operations that affect the habitat the species relies on. They even plan to discuss the issue withAlaskan fisheries, due to ongoing concerns that boats off the state’s southeast coast are overfishing depleted stocks before they can migrate to B.C. river systems. In January 2022 this issue was raised by a report from SkeenaWild Conservation Trust and the Watershed Watch Salmon Society, while an annual review of the species’management was underway for the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

“We need to talk toAlaska and make sure we’ve got them on board,” said Braker. “We know that the First Nations inAlaska support our decision, now we have to make sure that allAlaskans support our position.”

Amid the dire warnings, a rare point of optimism came from Mike Meneer, president and CEO of the Pacific Salmon Foundation.Apoll from the foundation found that 86 per cent of B.C. residents ranked the decline of Pacific salmon as a “top environmental concern”.

Meneer reflected on how the fish waited for conditions to continue before migrating during last summer’s drought.

“Salmon waiting out in the Salish Sea, just waiting until conditions are right for them to make that journey home,” he said.

“Salmon are resilient. They have been adapting for upwards of 7 million years. They continue to adapt amidst climate change,” added Meneer, stressing that British Columbians do have the ability to save the future of the species. “It’s going to take all of us.”

Eric Plummer photo

Chinook salmon swim down the Stamp River in mid September 2022, part of their migration towards Great Central Lake.

Hugh Braker

Tseshaht member prepares to compete in Berlin event

Jolyn Wa s trains for 800 and 1,500-metre races at the Special Olympics World Games in Germany, June 17-25

By Sam Laskaris Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

PortAlberni, BC –Apassion for running has paid off for a Tseshaht First Nation member.

Jolyn Watts, who is 27, has been selected to compete at this year’s Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany.

The multi-sport games will run June 17-25.

Watts will represent Canada in 800-metre and 1,500-metre races.

“I’m really happy and really excited,” Watts said of the upcoming meet, which will mark her international debut.

Watts has been running for about eight years. She is a member of PortAlberni Local, a Special Olympics club that has been offering athletic programming in the community since 1984.

Watts’coach Mike Riddalls said the Tseshaht runner also participates in some sprint competitions. But she has more success in longer races.

“She’s not particularly fast,” Riddalls said. “But she’s like the Energizer Bunny. She just keeps going.”

The summer version of the Special Olympics World Games is held every four years. Winter games are also staged every four years, two years apart from their summer counterparts.

Riddalls said traditionally athletes compete at regional and then national competitions in order to try and qualify for the World Games.

But the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into those plans. Watts, who has never participated in a Canadian championship, was named to the Berlin-bound squad based on her performances at a regional track and field meet in Nanaimo this past June.

Riddalls said he was caught off guard when Watts was named to the Canadian team.

“I’m very pleased but surprised,” he said.

Canada will be represented by a total of 89 athletes in Germany. Watts is one of 16 who will compete in athletics (track and field) events.

Besides athletics, the World Games will also feature badminton, basketball, 3-on3 basketball, beach volleyball, bocce,

bowling, cycling, equestrian, field hockey, football, futsal, golf, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, handball, judo, kayaking, open water swimming, powerlifting, roller skating, sailing, swimming, table tennis, tennis and volleyball.

Watts is not just proficient at running.

“She’s a very good swimmer too,” Plouffe said. “When (Canadian team officials) first called me, I thought they were calling to tell me she had been chosen for the swim team.”

Athletes can only participate in one sport at the World Games.

Besides her efforts at the Nanaimo track meet last year, Watts was named to the Canadian squad for another reason, said Riddalls.

“What they are looking for are individuals that can be away from home for three weeks,” he said. “They go to a training camp somewhere in Germany before the games.”

Special Olympics events feature athletes with intellectual disabilities.Athletes

with physical disabilities are also eligible to compete.

Riddalls said Watts is dedicated to her running.

“She’s a very upbeat individual,” he said. “She loves to train, which really helps.”

And her personality is welcoming as well, Riddalls added.

“She’s a lovely person to work with,” he said.

Watts is usually being coached by Riddalls two times per week at the track. She also frequents a private gym where she works on her strength, averaging two sessions per week with a personal trainer.

Watts also swims, usually once a week. Plus, she has a spin bike at her home.

“The cross-training really helps,” Riddalls said. “She’s putting in a lot of time training.”

Watts’mother is also impressed with her commitment to the sport.

“It’s amazing,” Plouffe said. “I’m just really proud of her and how she’s com-

mitted to her training.”

Watts, who also works part-time at a local Starbucks, explained why she’s enamoured with running.

“I like the fresh air and being outdoors,” she said.

Watts has already met those who will also be representing Canada at the games in Germany.All of the Canadian team’s athletes, from all of the sports, were invited to a meeting in Toronto in November.

They will also converge in Toronto again inApril for some training sessions.

Watts said she would love to capture some hardware while competing in Berlin.

Riddalls believes that is a possibility.

“I think she’ll do well,” he said. “She’ll be in a group with others that have similar times.”

Plouffe said she is not sure when Watts’ next Special Olympics race will be. But the mother and daughter are planning to run a 5-kilometre race together this May in Parksville.

Phrase†of†the†week:†%ay’aa%a+nis†wikaapuk†%uuš†kwaac^i+†

Pronounced ‘Ahh yaa sulth alth nish wik ka pulth ohhs kwa clith’, it means ‘We have had so much loss in our Nation, all so dear to our lives. Walk gently and carefully.’Supplied by ciisma.

Illustration by Ivy Cargill-Martin

Lynn Plouffe photo

Jolyn Watts, a Tseshaht First Nation member, will make her international running debut in Germany this June.

Eric Plummer photo

Staff and visitors to Walter’s Cove Resort begin a canoe journey in Kyuquot at the start of the fishing season for the tourism operation on June 21, 2022. The resort is owned by the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’First Nations.

Podcast showcases Nuuchah-nulth businesses

Program highlights Indigenous tourism on Vancouver Island, including Huu-ay-aht and Kyuquot companies

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tchadis Leo, multimedia broadcaster, journalist, and podcaster, hosts a limited series podcast called 4VI Indigenous Voices, featuring a number of Nuu-chahnulth travel companies and entrepreneurs.

In the podcast Leo, of Homalco First Nation, travels across the borders of the traditional territories of Nuu-chah-nulth, Coast Salish, and Kwakwaka’wakw

meeting with local Indigenous travel companies, while learning about traditionally infused andAboriginal-led tourism in the respective territories.

“The importance behind this podcast, specifically, is it’s allowing to shine a light on Indigenous entrepreneurial ventures across Vancouver Island and the surrounding area,” said Leo in an interview with Ha-Shilth-Sa. “Doing it in a way that we think is respectful and reflective on how that business operates.

And really display the talent and ingenuity of Indigenous communities across the island.”

Episode one features Kiixin tour company located on the traditional territory of Huu-ay-aht First Nations.

Kiixin Tours is named after Huu-ayahts ancient capital. It’s known for the ‘journey of the ancestors,’tour through the only First Nation village in southern British Columbia with a known standing ancient architecture. The area has been occupied for 3,000 years.

Wisqii, a cultural tour guide, spoke with Leo on the podcast, saying the tour

$216K grant given to the Kuu-us Crisis Line Society

Kuu-us, meaning ‘people’ in Nuu-chah-nulth, saw demand for their services increase during the pandemic

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

PortAlberni, BC - Kuu-us Crisis Line Society is one of 22 Indigenous-led nonprofits awarded $216, 000 over the course of three years from a provincial program.

Cindy McAnerin, associate director at Kuu-us Crisis Line Society, said a need that they have is to upgrade their vehicles for outreach.

“The vehicles we have now are fairly old, [and have] high kilometers. So we’ve been really in need of a new vehicle,” said McAnerin. “Without a dependable vehicle, it essentially prevents us from being able to do our outreach.”

includes elements such as language and songs.

“One of the things that I really hope that they feel is that deep connection,” said Wisqii, in the podcast. “That they can feel like they’ve done, you know, maybe their small part in reconciliation.”

Another Nuu-chah-nulth travel company included in the episode is West Coast Expeditions, owned by Kyuquot/Cheklesaht since May of 2022. The kayaking company guides guests through the pristine marine life of Kyuquot sound while incorporating Indigenous culture on their tours.

“There’s no greater way to be intimate with the territory than being in a kayak on their waters, in their territory,” said Gary Wilson, a Kimsquit First Nation member and CEO of the KCFN Group of Business, in the podcast.

“It’s the person who comes from that land [who] is going to explain to you why that land is important,” said Leo to HaShilth-Sa. “I think that’s what’s so unique and valuable about this podcast is that you’re getting it from the source.”

The podcast highlights communities in hopes that Canadians and visitors from around the world listen and learn about the culture and history of particular Indigenous groups across Vancouver Island, said Leo.

“The importance is just really making these communities feel welcome, making them feel like they have a voice to really show the world what they’ve done, and to share it with people and to welcome them into their territory,” he said.

Their outreach team often drives out to remote communities on the West Coast delivering food hampers and hygiene kits. The vehicles also function as transportation for clients.

Five million dollars from the Indigenous Resilience and Recovery Grant Initiative is to be distributed among 23 Indigenousled non-profits throughout the country, part of a $34-million-dollar funding initiative. Twenty-two organizations have been selected to each receive $216, 000 over a period of three years and one has been selected to receive $150, 000 over two years. The administrators of the grant are the Vancouver Foundation, United Way B.C., and New Relationship Trust. During the pandemic the demand for services for Kuu-us Crisis Line Society increased, said McAnerin.

“I think it was a lot to do with people being isolated and not being able to access services as they normally would in the community,” she said.

“Indigenous non-profits work hard to empower people, advance reconciliation, and change lives, but they need resources in order to do that work,” said Josie Osborne, MLAfor Mid Island-Pacific Rim. “The Kuu-us Crisis Line Society is a critical service that supports people in PortAlberni, as well as Indigenous people across BC, and this grant will help ensure they can continue their operations and help people in need.”

New fast charging station put in for electric vehicles

By Konnar Oliver Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Ucluelet, BC - BC Hydro has announced the installation of a second fast-charging electric vehicle (EV) unit at the Pacific Rim Visitor Centre. The centre was originally built in 2018 with one charging unit. The second was installed in December of 2022.

The site, which was funded as part of a collaboration between BC Hydro, the provincial government, and Natural Resources Canada, is one of 81 sites with 133 units across British Columbia, operated by BC Hydro. Including privately operated charging sites, there are now nearly 20 in the Tofino-Ucluelet area alone.

According to BC Hydro, each unit can add 50 kilometres of range to an electric vehicle in approximately 10 minutes.

In a press release, their President and CEO Chris O’Riley pledged to continue expanding the network of fast chargers across the province.

“As the primary fuel supplier for electric vehicles, we are building out charging infrastructure to ensure we can accommodate the volume and variety of electric vehicles that will be on B.C. roads in the coming years. BC Hydro will add 325 charging units to its network at 145 sites within the next five years.”

Acommon criticism of electric vehicles is that they may struggle to reach places like Tofino and Ucluelet. This could be due to a lower range than gas-powered vehicles, or because they have a tendency

to lose range in colder weather, as the battery powering the vehicle also has to create heat for the passengers.A2022 study by ConsumerReports.com found that cold weather can sap as much as 25 per cent of an electric vehicle’s range. Just hearing that could scare off a consumer, but for Vancouver Islanders it may not need to.According to that same study, the greatest losses were seen at temperatures below -8 degrees Celsius. Discover Vancouver Island lists an average coldest temperature for the entire island as -3. And the technology behind powering electric vehicles is improving greatly year after year. The average range of EVs has grown from 219 kilometres in 2013 to 386 in 2019, according to a report by the Canada Energy Regulator.

Combined with the ever-expanding network of fast chargers being installed by BC Hydro, the utility hopes it will not be an issue for most drivers.

“We’re putting in chargers throughout the province. They are fast chargers so people can utilize the fast-charging network. There’s a myriad of level two chargers in communities,” says Ted Olynyk for BC Hydro.

The thing to remember is that like everything, it’s important to plan ahead, says Olynyk.

“You can go from Tofino toAlberta with little problem. Of course, like everything, you want to make sure that you plan your trip properly. Why you’d want to leave Tofino and go toAlberta, that’s another issue.”

Kuu-us outreach workers in Tofino

Employment and Training

Employment and Training

Employment and Training

Nuu-chah-nulth businesses take home two awards

Owners of Naas Foods and Čims Guest House recognized at the Vancouver Island Business Excellence awards

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Vancouver Island, BC - On Jan. 26 businesses across Vancouver Island gathered at the Nanaimo conference center to celebrate excellence in their respective industries.Among them were Nuu-chahnulth owned Naas Foods and Čims Guest House.

Stevie Dennis, a member ofAhousaht First Nation, co-founder and owner of Naas Foods, was shocked when he found out they won in the Food and Beverage Category.

“I’d say it is a result and proof of all our hard work,” said Dennis. “We’ve been working pretty hard out here on the coast, and working with kelp for about four and a half years now.”

Naas Foods opened its doors in 2020, offering organic kelp products harvested from Clayoquot Sound.

“If it’s Tofino, the community that I’m living in, or if it’sAhousaht, in the territory that we’re harvesting in, you know, people are pretty happy to support us,” said Dennis.

Dennis explains that one of the reasons not a lot of young people are getting into the seafood industry is due to a trend encouraging people to their earn income digitally. But with Naas foods, Dennis explains, they work on the water, getting their hands dirty, and processing.

“In our experience marketing has been challenging, getting people to be comfortable with eating kelp,” explained Dennis. “The easiest way is just to get people to try it… you can see their culinary imagination starting to run.”

Naomi Nicholson, Tseshaht member and owner of Čims Guest House, said that her goal of the evening was to network with at least five people at the event.

“I can tell you that I absolutely convinced myself that we were just not going to win,” said Nicholson. “I was quite stunned, and it took me a couple of seconds for [it] to actually compute that they

Submitted photos

Above: Tseshaht-owned Čims Guest House was recently recognized at the Vancouver Island Business Excellence awards. Ed and Noami Nicholson are pictured in 2018, when they opened Čims Guest House on the Tseshaht First Nation reserve.

Below:Ahousaht member Stevie Dennis (right) and Jordan White are the co-founders of Naas Foods, an Indigenous-led business that specializes in creating kelp products. On Jan. 26 the operation also received an award at the event. said our name.”

Čims Guest House, operating since 2018, won in the Hospitality and Tourism category.

With Nicholson’s background as a certified First Host Indigenous Customer Service Trainer, she was inspired to Indigenize Čims Guest House by teaching people Nuu-chah-nulth words, wearing and becoming their brand.

“Now that we have tiny homes, our marketing is definitely changing to corporate clientele,” said Nicholson. “And people from Germany and Europe, because they absolutely love Indigenous-designed experiences.”

Nicholson explains that some of the biggest challenges she faced was operating her business on the reserve. Due to

the location, financing is only obtainable from anAboriginal financial institution or a Nuu-chah-nulth economic cooperation, explained Nicholson.

“I owe my bankers, Nuu-chah-nulth Economic Development Corporation (NEDC), everything that we have, because they are the only place that we

can get financing,” said Nicholson in her acceptance speech.

“It’s harder, [as] Indigenous, to prove that ‘my business is worthy,’unless I can be the most flawless business I can be,” she added. “We’re under a different microscope.”