Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper January 25, 2024 by Hashilthsa

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From Port Alberni to a career in international airspace Wallace Wa!s, among the first Indigenous pilots hired by a commercial airline, spends 38 years travelling globe By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Wallace Watts of Tseshaht spent his 38-year career as a commercial pilot for United Airlines traveling the globe visiting countless places every week. He received two awards for preventing a plane crash on two different occasions and was one of the first Indigenous pilots to get hired by a commercial airline. From hiking Mount HuaShan in China, the world’s deadliest hike, to biking in the jungles of Singapore, to his countless visits to Paris and Rome, exploring different streets, restaurants, and art galleries, the combination of Watts’ love for aviation and a passion for travel made for a memorable career. “It’s pretty much allowed me to do everything I’ve ever wanted to do, see everything I’ve wanted to see, [and] taste everything I wanted to eat,” said Watts. “Looking back, I was really thoroughly blessed to be able to fly that much and see the entire world.” Watts was only 15 years old when he started learning to fly at an old airport down the road from Tseshaht’s main reserve in Port Alberni. He recalls the impacts and horrors of the Alberni Indian Residential School (AIRS) in his home community back when he was a teenager in 1974, a year after the school’s closure. “When I grew up… there was a lot of drinking and I could see myself going down that path,” recalled Watts. One day Watts was watching James Bond, who was dressed in a tuxedo, drinking a martini, surrounded by beautiful women. “I need to see the world and get the heck out of here,” Watts recalled telling himself. At the time he had read about panAmerican pilots and decided to bike to the old airport. That was when he started to work towards his flying license, learning to operate a Cessna 150, a two-seat tricycle configured airplane used for training. “I got really addicted to flying,” said Watts. “I was just amazed at aviation and how you can go up and fly with the birds.” Watts flew every day, eager to finish his flying license so he could move on to the next level. He recalls when him and his instructor watched a Boeing 747 airplane, known as the queen of the skies, fly overhead. “I said, ‘One day I want to be a captain of that plane’,” said Watts. “[His instructor] said, ‘You’ll never do it because they

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Wallace Watts, a career pilot with United Airlines, sits in the cockpit with his son Gianni. Watts has flown commercially for 38 years, combining his pilot duties with international travel. with the problem solving that was needed in,” recalled Watts. don’t hire brown people’.” in the moment. Unlike the excitement of Dispatch directed them to land at Pago But Watts was determined and ultimately proved his instructor wrong by becom- Pago International Airport in the Samoan navigating emergencies, Watts also enjoyed calm moments in his career during ing one of the first Aboriginal pilots to be Islands. Their avionics began to overheat as they lost instruments, radios, and even- layovers in different cities. hired by an airline. “For a long time, my favorite city was “I walked into a room of our flight plan- tually lost contact to dispatch, he said. When they eventually landed, Watts Paris,” said Watts. “When I kept going ning, it was all white men,” said Watts. recalls the head of the Samoan army, who to the same place that I liked, I just keep “They all stopped and looked at me and going down different streets, and going to had a couple drinks and was in possesI thought I forgot to put my clothes on different art galleries and eating at differsion of a machine gun, ordered everyone because they were all staring at me.” ent places.” off the plane. “I just walked right in,” he said. “I just Watts said he would get up in the morn“One of my co-pilots [said] ‘Hey, we’re didn’t care.” ing to watch sunrises, and stay up at night just [going to] be here a couple hours The pilot reflects on the need for deto watch the sunset. then we’re [going to] leave,” recalled termination in not letting “anything stop Watts. “He pushed my co-pilot [and] he His most memorable layover was in what you want to do.” 2020 in Amsterdam, after flying a cargo “When I started flying nobody wanted to [said], ‘This is my country, you don’t flight. He rented an electric boat and come to my country and talk to me that hire a brown person,” said Watts. drove it down all the canals that weave way’.” The highlight of his career was accept“’This is my airplane now’,” Watts through the city. ing two awards for preventing a hull loss, “It was dead quiet,” he shared. “It was recalled him saying. an aviation term for plane crash. But the drunk officer eventually fell a clear sunny day and you could hear the “One was a cargo fire… and the other asleep, said Watts. The crew and passenbirds chirping; normally in big cities all one, we were accidentally overloaded,” gers boarded the plane and departed for you hear is cars driving.” recalled Watts. “The planes almost According to the Airline Pilots AssociaHonolulu. crashed, but due to the actions of myself In another instance, a DC-10 Freighter tion (ALPA), the upper age limit for a and my crew members, we were able to commercial pilot is 65, which has forced departing from Los Angeles was oversave the airplanes.” loaded by almost 40,000 pounds over the Watts into retirement, though he is certain Watts shared that every nine months, as he will be flying again. a pilot, he is required to go through train- maximum take off weight. In an attempt to weigh asparagus, the “The US government is going to ining and testing. Most pilots never actually system was switched from pounds to crease the age of retirement from 65 to face in real life situations what they are kilograms. For the remainder of the 67, and I’m just sitting at home waiting trained and tested for. for the government to sign the bill to do cargo, they weighed items to be boarded “When that situation comes [and] when it,” said Watts. “I might be able to go in kilograms. it all works out, it’s really rewarding,” “We barely took off,” said Watts, sharback to work.” said Watts. But, since his age does not limit him ing that at the time they had no idea why. Four hours into a flight from Sydney, “We rotated [and] we almost crashed at from operating private jets, he plans to Australia to San Francisco, the cargo the end of the runway.” continue to fly regardless. fire light went off. Watts was trained in “We started burning a lot of gas, and “I never think everything is ever over,” handling a cargo fire, but when he and his said Watts, whose last commercial flight crew followed procedure to extinguish it, when we landed we still didn’t know why,” he continued. “We found out later was to Tahiti on Dec. 15. “I know I’m the fire kept burning. that day that we were heavily over[going to] keep flying; I’m never going to Next, they contacted their dispatch. give up.” weight.” “We were right beside a runway, but it In these two most unusual events from was too short for us to land so we had a his career, training and experience helped choice of three other countries to land

Inside this issue... Over 1,600 unhoused in Victoria....................................Page 3 Repairs ordered for Port Alberni hotel......... .................Page 5 Boys and girls teams shine at Totem........................Pages 8&9 Restaurant serves west coast food................................Page 11 Lily Gladstone makes history.......................................Page 15

If undeliverable, please return to: Ha-Shilth-Sa P.O. Box 1383, Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 7M2

Page 2— Ha-Shilth-Sa—January 25, 2024

Tofino addresses crisis, funds to streamline housing As the province funds $51M to boost local capacity across B.C., Tofino plans for an ambitious zoning review By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter On Jan. 18, the provincial government announced funding allocated to midVancouver Island communities to help “implement new provincial legislation” to streamline the delivery of homes. Of the communities throughout Nuuchah-nulth territory, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District is to receive $142,686, Ucluelet, $160,031, Port Alberni, $237,804, and Tofino gets $161,467. The funding is intended to improve the back-end process with planning, development and reporting, hiring staff and consultants, to help local governments streamline housing approvals, the press release reads. “Affordable housing is one of the issues I hear about most often from community members, and one of our government’s biggest areas of collaboration with local government partners,” said Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, in the press release. “This funding will help support local governments in our region to continue working hard to improve approvals processes, update policies and bylaws, and help create more homes faster for people.” For the District of Tofino, the struggle for affordable housing has been a priority for decades, shared Mayor Dan Law. According to the 2023 Vital Signs Report, the value of homes and strata properties in the area increased by over 20 per cent in recent years, while affordable rental units have only become more sparse. “We’re seeing big changes to short-term

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For many years housing has been in short supply in Tofino, but provincial funding is assisting the municipality to streamline the approval and development of critically needed homes. rental regulations, big changes to housfront zoning,” reads a 2023 press release fund, which will directly produce homes. ing, changes to zoning for many commu- announcing the proposed changes. Tofino has already been working toward nities,” said Law. “It’s one small help in “The legislation will require local govproviding more housing in the area. In a larger goal of providing attainable and ernments to shift their planning process the spring many residents will be able to affordable housing.” to an up-front framework, pre-zone land move into two new apartment buildings. The district’s staff will be bringing opto meet their housing needs and reduce With the addition of 72 new units, Law tions, such as a housing needs assessment the use of current rezoning processes,” it shared that Tofino Housing Corporation and zoning bylaw reviews, to Tofino continued. (THC) and Catalyst are now responsible council soon, shared Law. The provincial government has allofor housing 10 per cent of the town’s “We’re embarking on a very ambitious cated $51 million from the 2023 Budget population. zoning review and rewrite at the moto 188 municipalities and districts across “I think [this funding] is a demonstrament,” said Law, adding that the district’s the province to meet the new legislation tion of a really careful, effective, and zoning needs to be updated to accommorequirements. directed government policy and funding,” date housing needs in the area. Law shares that Tofino has also applied said Law. The provincial legislation allows “upfor the provincial Housing Accelerator

January 25, 2024—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 3

‘Where do people go?’: 1,600 unhoused in Victoria Victoria’s shelters were filled during January cold snap, leaving many homeless to face dangerous conditions By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Victoria, BC - When the cold weather snap brought record breaking temperatures through British Columbia, Victoria’s dropped to as low as -10 with a wind chill of -20 - a cold front that the unhoused population was not prepared for. “Nobody was prepared,” said Karen Mills, co-founder and lead coordinator for the Peer2Peer Indigenous Society, of Victoria’s homeless. She added that the unhoused are often not aware of extreme conditions unless pre-warned by outreach workers since they usually don’t have phones and computers. Both Peer2Peer Indigenous Society and Qom Qem Coastal were on the ground doing outreach during the cold spell, she said. With funds raised by the organization, Peer2Peer handed out 64 survival bags filled with hand warmers, scarves, hoodies, candy, and hygiene products while informing people of shelter options available to them. This year, Our Place Society was able to launch a seasonal winter shelter with an additional 20 mats, alongside their nightly emergency shelter of 35 beds. SOLID Outreach was also able to open a seasonal winter shelter with 30 mats in partnership with St. John the Divine. Leah Young, director of Housing and Shelter for Our Place Society, shared that their shelter had a waitlist that reached up to 28 people through the cold weather event, even with the addition of 20 mats. Despite additional mats across organizations in the district, according to the 2023 Point-In-Time survey for Greater Victoria, the single-day snapshot shows 1,665 people are experiencing homelessness in the area, far outnumbering shelter spaces available. “We know that that’s an underestimation of the individuals who are living on the street,” said Brenda Wadey, manager of Housing and Social Supports for the Salvation Army. “If you look at it logistically, no, there’s not enough spaces to make sure that people are okay when we have extreme weather,” said Wadey, reflecting on the availability of beds in Victoria. Wadey, who oversees their Extreme Weather Response (EWR) Program at Salvation Army’s Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre in Victoria, shared that they opened the service on Jan. 6, the first night the temperatures dropped below zero. “Our numbers were really low to begin

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Tents ﬁlled Pandora Avenue in Victoria in January, a sign of the continued prevalence of homelessness in the city.

with, and they have been climbing as people were aware that the EWR was open,” said Wadey. “Our max numbers are supposed to be 30, but we were at 41, on our highest night.” The Salvation Army didn’t turn anyone away, she said. They began shuttling people to one of the City of Victoria’s warming centers to ensure everyone had a warm place to stay. “A lot of people don’t want to enter a shelter, [and] there’s a lot of reasons

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why,” said Mills. For some, shared Mills, their partner may be banned from the shelter, which would limit the options available to them. Restrictions in some shelters like not allowing pets or certain belongings may also deter people, she continued. “Who wants to go to a shelter, and maybe ﬁnally fall asleep at ﬁve in the morning, and at 6:15 a.m., you’re being told to pack it up?” said Mills. Though the City of Victoria ran two warming centers’ during the cold spell, Mills sees a need for a permanent day-

time facility; a place where people can go for referrals, to speak with outreach workers, relax and get warm during the hours that shelters are closed. “That’s been the big conversation these last few days… where do people go?” she said. But with January’s dropping temperatures, hypothermia and frostbite became a concern for those who remained on the streets through the cold spell. “From the information that comes from the medical community, people can get frostbite at about four degrees Celsius,” said Wadey. “It’s critical that we have places that are open for individuals to come in and get warm.” A concern for Mills is for those who are using opioids while in the cold weather. “You’re going to be on the nod,” said Mills, a term used to describe when opioid users drift in and out of consciousness, which can be a sign of overdose. “You’re not going to feel your body temperature, and your body temperature goes down anyways. You’re not going to feel that you’ve got frostbite or you’re going into hypothermia.” Because of this Mills and her team, who don’t normally do evening outreach, were on the streets throughout the cold nights. “It’s really scary, because we care about these people,” said Mills. “Some of them we’ve known for many years, they’re like family.”

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Page 4— Ha-Shilth-Sa—January 25, 2024 Ha-Shilth-Sa newspaper is published by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council for distribution to the members of the NTC-member First Nations, as well as other interested groups and individuals. Information and original work contained in this newspaper is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without written permission from: Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council P.O. Box 1383, Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 7M2. Telephone: (250) 724-5757 Fax: (250) 723-0463 Web page: www.hashilthsa.com facebook: Hashilthsa Ntc

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By 7 p.m. on Jan. 11 Port Alberni’s warming centres were oﬀering hot drinks and a place to get out of the cold, but people were still milling around on the street with the temperature at minus 3 C. By morning, the temperature dropped to -10 C.

Record cold brings risks for unsheltered Weather forecasters said Jan. 12 was the coldest day ever for Vancouver Islanders in some locations, with a wind chill that felt like minus 21 Celsius in Port Alberni By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Port Alberni, BC – Vancouver Island is facing record-setting freezing temperatures, raising concerns for the safety of the homeless population. On Thursday, Jan. 11, the ﬁrst night of the cold snap, bone chilling temperatures began dropping before sunset. By 7 p.m. Port Alberni’s warming centres were oﬀering hot drinks and a place to get out of the bitter cold, but people were still milling around on the streets with the temperature at minus 3 C. By morning, the temperature dropped to minus 10 C with wind chill factoring in at minus 19 C, according to local weather reports. Weather forecasters said Jan. 12 was expected to be the coldest day ever for Vancouver Islanders, with temperatures falling well below freezing levels along with wind chill that will make it feel like minus 21 C. The Port Alberni Shelter Society (PASS) provides food, housing, clothing, recovery programs and employment opportuni-

ties to individuals experiencing homelessness. It operates The Bread of Life warming centre at 3130 Third Avenue. They are now open 24 hours as an Extreme Weather Response Centre. On Jan. 11, the Bread of Life remained open past their usual closing time of 9 p.m. They offered hot drinks and light snacks and a warm place to sit down. They opened their 24 emergency shelter beds and a spokesperson said they had a few more mats that could be used should the beds fill up. Jacquie Dennis of Huu-ay-aht lives in Anacla, but that doesn’t stop her from doing what she can to help the unhoused people of Port Alberni. “We have a free store here at home (Bamfield) and I pick through it for sweaters, jackets, blankets, scarves,” Dennis told Ha-Shilth-Sa. “I take it home, wash it and bag it up.” On cold nights like Jan. 11, Dennis travels the 90 kilometres from Bamfield to Port Alberni, at her own expense, and distributes the items she’s collected. On the evening of the 11th, Dennis and

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her cousin Mary Lou arrived at the parking lot behind the Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) where they offered bowls of soup, hot chocolate and warm clothing. “We had 32 bowls of soup and it all went,” said Dennis. She was sad to say that they ran out of warm jackets so the team, joined by Rita Watts of Tseshaht, launched a clothing drive to collect more jackets to distribute on Friday. Dennis also posted on social media that she would head to the dollar store to buy gloves, socks and scarves. Some people offered cash donations to support the effort. PASS thanks Jacquie and her teammates for the volunteer work they do. Both Dennis and PASS are asking for donations of gently used blankets, jackets, sweaters, socks, toques, and scarves. Go to the Port Alberni Shelter Society website to learn more. Donations are being accepted at the Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) located at 3699 3rd Ave. The OPS is open seven days a week from 8 am – 8 pm.

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January 25, 2024—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 5

City orders owner of dilapidated hotel to upgrade RCMP reports ‘deplorable conditions’ for tenants after calls of assault with weapons and even murder in 2023 By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Port Alberni, BC – A downtown Port Alberni hotel-turned-rooming house has fallen into disrepair and is being ordered by the city to make necessary repairs within 30 days - or the local government will do the necessary work and bill the owner. Port Alberni city council discussed the matter at their January 22nd meeting, ordering the owner of the Port Pub, Peter Wang, to complete an extensive list of repairs and cleaning to make the space safe for the upstairs tenants. Council imposed a remedial action order for the property located at 5170 Argyle Street. “The city put forth a recommendation of remedial action for 5180 Argyle Street, location of the Port Pub, which was approved by council at the January 22nd council meeting,” said Port Alberni Mayor Shari Minions in an email to Ha-Shilth-Sa. “This order compels the owner to bring the property back into compliance with city bylaws and provincial building legislation within a specific timeframe.” City staff provided council with reports and photos on the condition of the property from an inspection that took place Jan. 11. There were multiple violations noted by the fire inspector, building inspector and bylaw officer. The report to city council listed several instances of combustible trash and other materials blocking hallways and emergency entrances. Some smoke detectors, alarms and other emergency devices were either inoperable or completely missing. There are broken exterior doors that cannot be secured, several extension cords running from living units to hallway outlets – one running from a suite out the window and onto the roof. The PAFD indicates that there is water running from upper floors, seeping through the ceilings onto the lower floors,

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The 75-year-old Port Pub building at 5170 Argyle St. in Port Alberni has fallen into a dangerous condition, according to the city’s fire department and police. The city has ordered the owner to make repairs in 30 days. have received complaints from tenants, including the restaurant. The water damadded that the building is infested with age has caused ceiling collapse in some “little guys”, not naming what type of places, including in living units. vermin it was, only that it hatches. Built in 1949, the 75-year-old Port “As recent as yesterday, the rear fire Pub, originally named the King Edward escape was overloaded with garbage, Hotel, was a high-end hotel for its time rendering it inoperable,” Hamlyn wrote. and a popular watering hole for locals. It “There are extension cords running from replaced the original King Edward Hotel room to room and the ceilings in several which burned down in November 1947, units have collapsed due to moisture 40 years after it was built. The rebuilt holevels and flooding. The building is in a tel offered 30 rooms, a lobby, pub, lounge general state of disrepair and no longer and restaurant. possesses the basic amenities required While it was a popular pub in its early to provide a safe living environment for years, it lost its shine with the locals over tenants.” the decades. In 2004 the building sold Mayor Shari Minions said living condiand underwent $1 million in renovations tions at Port Pub were unacceptable and according to the Alberni Historical SociCharles Mealey unsafe and should be remediated. ety. It was renamed Port Pub. “We can’t let it be acceptable for people It is not clear when the hotel rooms went to low-barrier tenants, maintenance and to be living like this,” she said. from short-term to long-term rentals. repairs to the building have been neAcutely aware of the housing shortWhat is known is since it became home glected. In an email to city council, Corp. Jordan age in Port Alberni and concerned that residents of Port Pub may perceive action Hamlyn of Port Alberni RCMP wrote, “The RCMP have had 88 calls for service from City Hall as an attempt to evict them, city council said their staff would to 5170 Argyle Street between January work with housing resources in town, 2023 and December 31, 2023.” including BC Housing, should remedial That is nearly double the service calls from the previous year. Hamlyn indicated action require any evictions. Councillor Todd Patola said the action that the RCMP have responded to calls at is to improve the site for people living on Port Pub for incidents like, “murder, asthe premises. saults with weapons, sexual assaults, as“This is not an eviction. We are acting to saults, missing persons, mental health and reduce stress levels,” he said. a plethora of other property offences.” In September 2020 Port Pub was handed Hamlyn went on to say that the Port a 30-day remediation order by the City Alberni RCMP “spend a considerable of Port Alberni for similar reasons. The amount of time at this particular buildowner complied and had completed most ing.” of the repairs within 30 days. A city staff “During routine patrols and while attending calls, police have observed ten- member reported that since that time, the ants of the building to be living in deplor- owner has responded to warnings from inspectors but not so much over the past able conditions, which include excessive six months. accumulation of human waste and refuse “The city does not take this order in the hallway. Police routinely observe lightly,” said Mayor Minions. “We acpersons in their open rooms, or common hallways/stairwells under the influence of knowledge this property is home to city residents, and we share concerns over opiates and other illicit drugs,” he stated. possible temporary displacement of these One tenant told Ha-Shilth-Sa that they residents while the building undergoes want to get out of there because any renovations to bring it back to a livable personal property of value gets stolen standard. We will take every measure routinely. Guns have been fired in the to ensure any displaced individual is living units and the tenant worries that connected with proper supports in the a bullet could come through the walls at community, including shelter, while these any time. renovations are underway,” she added. Besides general trash in community “This is where people live – they have areas, inspectors saw pet food, broken appliances, broken down furniture and even to have a good living condition,” said the bumper cover of a vehicle littering the Councilor Charles Mealey. halls. One city councillor, who said they

Page 6— Ha-Shilth-Sa—January 25, 2024

Low snow pack levels reported on Vancouver Island On January 1 the region recorded 39 per cent of normal levels, raising chances of another drought this summer By Karly Blats Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor Vancouver Island’s snow pack is extremely low, averaging just 39 per cent of normal as of Jan. 1, but hydrologists with the River Forecast Centre (RFC) say there’s still lots of time in the season for conditions to improve. The provincial snow pack is also low, averaging 56 per cent of normal across British Columbia, according to a snow survey and water bulletin by the RFC. Last year, the provincial average was 82 per cent on Jan. 1 and 62 per cent for Vancouver Island. Fifteen snow stations measured all-time record low snow packs with five occurring in the Lower Fraser and four within the Upper Columbia snow basins. The low snow pack could significantly affect ongoing drought concerns into summer 2024, according to the RFC. Jonathan Bord, a hydrologist with the RFC, said there is a possibility of Vancouver Island seeing drought conditions this summer, but he believes weather patterns for the next week or so could bump the snow pack up. “Usually we continue to build snow even into potentially late April or sometimes it will still be snowing in May, which happened in 2022,” Bord said. “Typically when we get snowfall…in Port Alberni or Victoria, Nanaimo, Duncan, it really doesn’t result in that much snow in the headwaters like up in the mountains. It tends to be the heavy rainfall…when it’s maybe five or six degrees that’s when we just get pounded up in the mountain tops, so the hope is that there’s going to be some recovery.” If Vancouver Island sees a drought in 2024, it will make it the third year in a row for the Island. With drought conditions also comes the risk of wildfire, says Bord. “Vancouver Island is primarily a rainforest and we just get so much rain we really haven’t seen the wildfire seasons that the interior has…but the ongoing risk of climate change, we could end up in a situation where Vancouver Island starts to dry out just like areas further south and the US,” Bord says. “We may be more susceptible to longer dry spells, drought conditions and then the associated wildfire that can come along with that.” Bord said in the last 20 years, the snow pack on Vancouver Island has been lower than this year three times. In 2005 it was 36 per cent of normal, 2014 was just seven per cent of normal and 2015 it was 28 per cent of normal. Over the last 40 years, Bord sees 2015

Karly Blats photo

Vancouver Island mountains are experiencing a lower-than-normal snow pack this year. As of Jan. 1, the snow pack levels are 39 per cent of normal. Photos taken Jan. 16, 2024. snow melt component, then for sure that as being “epic” for drought conditions. snow so it’s not going to be as big of a will have an impact.” That summer saw Dog Mountain burn for deal,” Bord said. “But of course some of The next snow report from the RFC will weeks at Sproat Lake, spreading wildfire the areas that are potentially bigger river be released Feb. 8 on their website. smoke through the Alberni Valley. systems or have a little bit more of that “In 2015 the drought was really kick started because there wasn’t much of any snowpack and there was considerable challenges in 2015,” Bord said. “It lasted until maybe the last week of August, first week of September when rains finally arrived on the Island. So if we don’t get snow than we’re going to be in a similar situation as 2015, but I do think it would be really rare for us to end up in a situation where the snow levels stay as low as they did.” Bord said there are different ways to measure the snowpack. One way is where an aluminum tube is stuck into the ground to measure the depth and the weight of the snow, which is done once a month. There’s also four automated stations on Vancouver Island that record, measure and transmit data on an hourly basis. Salmon runs can also become affected by low snow pack levels, but Bord said it’s still too early to tell what that could look like this year and it also depends on the river itself. “Some of the smaller watersheds, particularly in the southern parts of the Island, aren’t going to be fed as much with the

January 25, 2024—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 7

New justice centres opening in Nanaimo and Victoria Legal support facilities are spreading across province to change the tide of B.C. justice system for First Nations By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter With the hope of reversing the effects of a “broken system” that has resulted in a growing wave of incarcerations for B.C.’s Indigenous people, two justice centres will soon be opening on Vancouver Island. Equipped with eight or nine lawyers each as well as other support staff, in the coming weeks the B.C. First Nations Justice Council will be opening regional centres in Victoria and Nanaimo. The justice centres are designed to help Aboriginal clients with criminal and child protection matters through legal advice as well as offering assistance in housing, employment, addictions and mental health. Besides the Vancouver Island locations, justice centres are also opening this winter in Vancouver, Surrey, and Kelowna. “The [Indigenous Justice Centres] aim to help Indigenous people involved in the justice system address the causes of their involvement and offer supports to help prevent future interactions with police and the justice system,” stated the BCFNJC in a press release issued Jan. 11. Four other justice centres have already been opened by the BCFNJC in Chilliwack, Prince Rupert, Prince George and Merritt, with an online centre for all the province that opened during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Kory Wilson, chair of the First Nations Justice Council, the centres address “the dire need to correct the harms inflicted by a broken system”. The burning issue within law enforcement and the courts is the vast overrepresentation of Indigenous people who continue to be charged and incarcerated. Despite comprising 5.9 per cent of British Columbia’s population, Aboriginal people make up 35 per cent of those who are incarcerated provincially, according to BC Corrections. Released in March 2020 by the justice council and the province, the B.C. First Nations Justice Strategy aimed to change this trend with a list of 43 recommendations. Among the first orders of business were the establishment of 15 justice centres across the province by 2025. Judith Sayers is president of the Nuuchah-nulth Tribal Council and serves on the BCFNJC board of directors. She hopes that the new Vancouver Island justice centres will help Nuu-chah-nulth-aht navigate through a system that - for many - has worked against them. “We’re trying to make them a wraparound kind of service where Nuu-chahnulth can go and seek legal advice,” said Sayers. “We’re trying to build a police accountability unit, so if someone has a complaint against the police, there’s certain staff that can deal with that.” “The number of people incarcerated in B.C. is one of the driving forces of the justice council,” she added. When the justice strategy was released nearly four years ago, it cited that Aboriginal people comprised 32 per cent of B.C.’s custody admissions in 2018 - with youth making up 43 per cent of those in custody or under community supervision. This indicated an increasingly severe trend from the previous decade, when Indigenous people accounted for 22 per cent of those in custody. Amanda Carling, CEO of the B.C. First Nations Justice Council, sees the cause stretching back to the introduction of Canada’s Indian Act in 1876. This resulted in a host of assimilationist policies

Eric Plummer photo

Family members Colin Frank (left), Mamie Lucas, Matthew Lucas and April Lucas stand outside Port Alberni’s Capital Theatre holding pictures of Jocelyn George on June 21, 2021. This was the first day of a coroners inquest into the circumstances surrounding her death after a night in police custody five years prior. that bred a system that fosters “racism, poverty, homelessness, dislocation from community, loss of language and culture, and the disruption of traditional family roles and customs,” she said. “Until true rights recognition becomes the gold standard and First Nations are empowered to revitalize their inherent legal system and reclaim their languages and cultures, we will continue to face these challenges,” continued Carling. “There’s still so much healing that needs to take place with people. There’s obviously racism and discrimination with the RCMP,” added Sayers. “We really need a lot more cultural training with the RCMP, getting them to understand better the issues and problems.” Province of B.C. photo In recent years a handful of interactions Premier David Eby speaks at the opening of an Indigenous Justice Centre in between Nuu-chah-nulth people and the Chilliwack June 12, 2023. police have grabbed headlines, including the case of Jocelyn George, who died in “The new regional IJCs that we are just “I think there’s room for cases to be the summer of 2016 after spending most opening were placed in locations where made to have them in smaller centres, as of the previous day and night in a Port Indigenous people navigate pre-trial and long as it serves a large area,” said Sayers Alberni jail cell. The 18-year-old Hestrial processes,” explained Carling. “The of the next group of justice centres. quiaht women was initially picked up by factors that played into the decision for “BCFNJC is currently exploring the police early morning on June 23, 2016, each regional IJC location include court needs on the north island, recognizing when she was found barefoot, behavcatchment area, concentration of crisis that many Indigenous people are appearing erratically and delusional, according and concentration of Indigenous people.” ing in court in Port Hardy and Campbell to RCMP testimony from a coroner’s Over the second half of 2023 the jusRiver and that more services may be inquest into her death. George was kept tice council held an open invitation for needed further north,” she said, adding in a cell for most of that day and returned expressions of interest into where the that the justice council is exploring how there for the night after it appeared there next five centres will be set up. None to support programs run by First Nations was nowhere else for her to safely go. were received by Nuu-chah-nulth, said that deal with sentencing diversion, healBut early in the morning on June 24 it Carling, who is looking farther north on ing and post-incarceration support. appeared that George’s condition had not Vancouver Island. improved, and was transported to hospital before dying that evening from “drug induced myocarditis” caused by cocaine and methamphetamine, according to the inquest. The coroner’s inquest concluded with a list of recommendations after assessing the circumstances surrounding George’s death, including the establishment of a “justice centre in Nuu-chah-nulth territory to address the overrepresentation of First Nations people in custody”. Although Nuu-chah-nulth members were consulted while planning the new regional centres, larger population areas appeared to be more appropriate for the justice council.

Page 8— Ha-Shilth-Sa—January 25, 2024

‘This is our school f

The Alberni District Secondary team, wh By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Alexandra Mehl photos

Brooklyn Doiron, who is from Tseshaht and Ahousaht, plays with the Alberni District Secondary’s boys against Ballenas from Parksville during their ﬁnal game in Totem 68 on Jan. 13 in Port Alberni.

‘I know we have the heart to win’: ADSS boys place third in Totem 68 On their home court, Port Alberni’s senior boys team edges Ballenas in a close ba•le By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Port Alberni, BC - The whole gymnasium of Alberni District Secondary School (ADSS) was filled shoulder to shoulder erupting in cheer as ADSS Sr Boys Basketball team fought for third place in Totem 68. Both teams played as though every second counted, battling to the very last, but ADSS stole the win 76-71 against Ballenas. “Our focus has been on point this week, I can see by how everyone’s more focused because it’s such a big event that’s happening,” said Thomas Morris, an Ahousaht and Tse’khene player on the team, before going into his final game of the tournament. “Our whole team wants to win, and they’ve just been super excited for this opportunity.” “I know we have the heart to win,” said Morris before stepping on the court. On Thursday night, Jan. 11 the ADSS senior boys played in their first game against

Edward Milne, losing 71-64. “We lost the first game but we still brought a lot of energy and played with some heart,” said Brooklyn Doiron, a Tseshaht and Ahousaht player on the team. Going into Thursday’s game the team had stress, anxiety and jitters, shared their coach, Steve Sperger. “Edward Milne had a big player that we just didn’t match up very well against,” Sperger added. “They were able to play more their style of play in that second game.” ADSS won its second game of the tournament 70-53, which was against Reynolds. “They were a pretty quick team, but we were pretty quick as well,” added Doiron. “[It was] pretty evenly matched and we came out with the win.” Morris shared that winning the final match would be a team effort. “We have to have everyone willing to win,” he said. “We have to pick up our team-

mates when they’re down, keep our heads up, and just play hard.” But when ADSS Sr Boys Basketball plays a game, they support one another. “When a player hits the floor, there’s three guys jumping off the bench or guys… on the floor helping them get up,” said Sperger. “They’re supporting each other when someone misses a shot to keep shooting, keep going after it [and] guys are speaking up to each other, giving direction, trying to help each other out, so they know where they’re on the court.” Sperger added that the team is taking his feedback positively, utilizing his instruction on the court. “Everyone’s playing hard, [and] they’re doing their best,” said Sperger. “When you have a crowd behind you, like they do at Totem, it’s pretty tough not to give it your best.”

Port Alberni, BC – The Alberni District Secondary’s Sr Girls basketball team placed second to Pacific Christian School (PCS) 41-73 at Totem 68 after a fast-paced game of battling up and down the court, using their sense of teamwork and communication to their advantage. “I was hoping we were [going to] get to this spot,” said Hayleigh Watts of Tseshaht, before going on court for her final game on Saturday, Jan. 13. Going into the game Watts, who was awarded All Star for Totem 68 alongside her teammate Ella McDougal, knew it would be tough playing PCS. “This team is good,” she added. “But we both deserve to be here.” Watts and Mary Robinson, also of Tseshaht, both agreed working as a team and communication would help them throughout the game. “We know this team, probably as good as any team in the tournament,” said Freethy of Pacific Christian School. “They’re a strong team [with a] strong program.” PCS has played in the finals in Totem over the last fours, winning the tournament in 2020. But placing second to ADSS in 2022. “This will be their fourth year in a row where they’ve been in the final,” said Freethy of the ADSS squad. “They lost to Belmont last year, and now we’re back, so it’s kind of like a little tiebreaker.” For this group of girls, they have been playing together on and off for almost three years. “I think it’s extra help for us [because] we know each other and we know how to play with each other,” said Robinson. “We play as a team, we hype each other up, we know when somebody’s down, we can just tell even if they don’t [want to] tell us,” said Watts. “We’re all very straight up with each other, which is really good for a very fast, physical, contact sport like this,” added Jaidin Knighton, a Ditidaht and Ahousaht player on the team. “Most of us have kind of grown from… Grade 9 year, together,” said Kura Rorick, a Hesquiaht and Haida player. On Friday’s game against Dover Bay, Knighton noted that it was an ‘off day’ for the team. Though, they took the win 41-34. “We were all tired, so we… all weren’t in it,” said Knighton, adding that half of her teammates were focused on ‘pumping’ one

January 25, 2024—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 9

our school family’: Alberni Senior Girls take second at Totem

strict Secondary team, who have been playing together for almost three years, come second to Paciﬁc Christian School on Jan. 13

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Alexandra Mehl photos

Hayleigh Watts drives to the net during the final game against Pacific Christian School on Jan. 13. Pacific Christian won the game 73-41 in the final contest in the girls division at Alberni District Secondary’s 68th annual Totem basketball tournament. another up. “It was a really great demonstration of how close we are,” said Knighton. “We’re actually a team, this is our family, this is our school family.” “Totem has really showed that to us,” Knighton added. From cheering with her team on the bench, to celebrating at the end of the games, to pep talks on the court, Knighton shared that the team has had “so much fun” through Totem 68. “This is the first really big tournament for most of us, and we’re all super excited that the crowd is on our side,” said Knighton. “And that we’re all doing it together, and we’re all super proud of each other.”

Hayleigh Watts passes the ball to Mary Robinson in the ﬁnal game, a contest that was energized by performances from Alberni District Secondary’s cheer team (left)..

Page 10— Ha-Shilth-Sa—January 25, 2024

Nuu-chah-nulth players pumped for All Native event The 64th event takes place Feb. 11-18 in Prince Rupert, with two Ahousaht teams and Hesquiaht squad playing By Nora O’Malley Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor It’s the final countdown to the 64th annual All Native Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert, B.C. on Feb. 11 to Feb. 18, and three Nuu-chah-nulth teams are fired up to take to the court this year. Ahousaht is sending the Kakawin Cheelth, an intermediate boys team coached by Devin Robinson, and the Maaqtusiis Ravens senior women’s squad managed by Courtenay Louie. The mighty Hesquiaht Descendants women’s team, captained by Mariah Charleson, will also vie to best their sixth-place finish from 2023. Coach Robinson, a high-post player with 30 years of ANBT experience to draw from, is pushing for his team of 11 Ahousaht players to make the final. Since the boys are pretty spread out all over the Island — Ahousaht, Ucluelet, Ty-histanis, and Port Alberni — Robinson says they rented an athletic hall in Port once a week to practice and bond as a team. “We don’t have the height, but I know we are fast and we can go quite a ways into the tournament if they play to their capabilities,” said Robinson over a call from his home in Nanaimo. He went on to note that one of the most important things with young, fast teams like the Kakawin Cheelth is communication. “It’s not only about physical conditioning, it’s about smarts on the court; running your plays and defense. You have to learn how to defend a bigger player, so I’m trying to get them accustomed to different zones on three-point shooters and the big men that play inside,” he said. The 2024 ANBT will showcase 110 games, 60 teams, and about 700 Indigenous athletes from all over British Columbia and southeast Alaska, according to tournament organizer and longtime volunteer Peter Haugan. “We’ve got two teams from Hydaburg and one team for Metlakatla in Alaska. The Gitxsan Thunders will be opening the tournament this year,” said Haugan, who started as a scorekeeper when he was 13 and turns 72 this summer. Louie told the Ha-Shilth-Sa she’s looking forward to just being with the team

Submitted photos

Three Nuu-chah-nulth teams are heading to Prince Rupert for the 64th annual All Native Basketball Tournament on Feb. 11 to 18: Hesquiaht Descendants women’s (pictured), Ahousaht Ravens women’s, and Ahousaht’s Kakawin Cheelth intermediate boys. and having fun on the court. She said the seasonal jobs. I think mental health also the All Native, you either represent a fundraising began back in September, so plays a big role in it for some players. It’s village or a club, and we represent our this time around, they don’t have to pay a huge endeavour to go to All Native. But nation of Hesquiaht. It’s just that pride in for much out-of-pocket. eight (players) are just enough.” representing who we are, where we come “We have enough for rooms, to cover Charleson says her team of 11 Hesquiaht from and just knowing that our family a portion of the ferry, for fuel expenses, Descendants is their strongest group yet; back home is cheering for us. It’s the way and most of our food. It’s been a lot they’ve had the opportunity to scrimmage to bring together our Hesquiaht people of selling Sunday dinners and Sunday against collegiate-level teams and played for a positive purpose.” breakfasts and draws and cleaning up together at the Ahousaht Christmas tourThe ANBT isn’t just about basketball — after Christmas dinners,” she said. nament. She thanked all the supporters the sporting event brings together IndigAlthough some of the Ravens played in and expressed her excitement to journey enous culture from all over the province, Ahousaht’s December tournament, Louie to the ANBT as it provides a very special and it’s also one of the only tournaments says they have yet to play together as a forum to re-connect with family. that pays players per diems. team. “The big challenge is that so many of “The tournament pays out $20 per “The team isn’t a core group of ladies our Hesquiaht people live in different player, per day that they are in the tournaanymore. There used to be,” Louie said. places, so it’s always been a challenge ment. Last year that total was $54,000. “We started the year off with around 30 of just keeping a team together,” said We’ve had a per diem in this tournament ladies interested and now we’re down Charleson. right from day one. It’s part of its histo about eight. Some people are going “We’re all blood family, every single tory,” Haugan notes. through grief and some people just finan- one of us,” she said. “Every village has Fans can listen to live ANBT action at cially can’t commit because they have that sense of pride, of course. Going to www.cfnrfm.ca/anbt/.

Phrase of the week: Q’wiiyas%a+quu nuuc^i +u>%iš%a> huupi suuḥaa ḥi>i c^a%ak Pronounced ‘que yas alt koo new gee clu alth ish alt who pii sue hat hilt ee caa ugk ii’, it means ‘Snow on the mountains are good for the salmon in the rivers’. Supplied by ciisma.

Illustration by Koyah Morgan-Banke

January 25, 2024—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 11

Restaurant serves west coast food, supports charity New café’s profits contribute to the Kuu-us Crisis Line Society, which offers a hotline for mental health support By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Port Alberni, BC – “There’s lots of Indigenous restaurants but none really capture the west coast,” says Kuu-us Café’s head chef Brandy Robinson. Kuu-us Café & Gifts opened to the public on Jan. 15 in Port Alberni, offering up a menu filled with fish and game meats typical of a traditional Nuu-chah-nulth diet. “We want to showcase west coast Indigenous food,” Robinson told Ha-Shilth-Sa. “So, we feature seafood, natural meats instead of just bannock tacos.” Bannock is, however, heavily featured on the menu from bannock ‘fries’ to large, 12-inch slabs of bannock used in the uncle-sized sasquatch sandwiches. The restaurant and gift shop were a long time in the making, starting with the purchase and renovation of an 85-yearold house on Gertrude Street. According to Kuu-us Café & Gifts manager Todd Flaro, Shawn McAnerin of Hupacasath bought the property, which started out as a residential home converted to business use. The original plan was to open a gift shop and gallery to support the work of the Kuu-us Crisis Line Society. But Flaro said that executive director of the society Colin Minions came up with the idea of adding a café. After writing funding proposals and a year of renovations, the café opened as a Class 2 kitchen, meaning nothing can be fried with grease, according to Flaro. Brandy Robinson from Ahousaht said she interviewed at first, just for work. But when she heard of the concepts behind the café and what the profits would be used for, she was excited. Having grown up with her grandmother, Elsie Robinson, Brandy was immersed in a traditional Vancouver Island west coast-style diet, from cooking with her grandmother at home to helping out at the restaurant where the elder worked. When Brandy was hired at Kuu-us Café, she was allowed to create a west coastthemed menu. “They let me run with it,” she shared. Growing up, Brandy cooked a lot of fresh fish, seafood and game meat. “We ate a lot of deer, elk and moose meat,” she added. “We did our own butchering and we used everything.” So where does all this good, healthy

Denise Titian photo

Colby with his uncle sized sasquatch sandwich at the newly opened Kuu-us Café and Gifts in Port Alberni. Kuu-us Café and Gifts is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday at 4473 Gertrude Street across from J&L Drive-In. protein come from? According to Flaro, Kuu-us Café sources as much local food products as possible. Most of the meat comes from local butchers and smoked seafood comes from Flurer Smokery, which is also Port Alberni based and Indigenous owned. “Everything ethically sourced,” said Flaro. “We are a for-profit business, but we use our profits to support non-profit Kuu-us Crisis Line Society.” The society not only offers a crisis line for suicide prevention but also has a host of other services and programs. They work with the Salvation Army and Bread of Life to deliver food to those that need it. They offer outreach support, food hampers, housing programs and much more.

For Robinson, the purpose behind this place is most important. “People that are on the streets are our own people – it’s good to be part of something that provides them help,” she told Ha-Shilth-Sa. Kuu-us Café and Gifts is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday at 4473 Gertrude Street across from J&L Drive-In. Flaro hopes the restaurant can open on Saturdays, starting in the spring of 2024. Game meats like deer, elk and moose can be diﬃcult to source, so one or more

items may not be available on any given day. What is always available is seafood chowder, chili and bannock. According to Flaro, the ﬁrst couple of days of business were beyond his expectations. “Lunch hours last about 2.5 hours,” he said, adding that his team of six work non-stop during the lunch rush. “We’re so thankful to be accepted by the community,” said Flaro. He invites people to come and try their famous uncle or aunty-sized sasquatch sandwiches made with bannock.

Looking for...... Usma Nuu-chah-nulth Family and Child Services are looking for individual/s or families who are interested in caregiving for teens with high-risk behaviors. The Caregiver(s) would provide 24-hour care in a culturally safe and suppor•ve environment, responding effec•vely to challenging behaviours. Compensa•on would be built around the specific needs of the youth and the Caregiver, and could include both direct services and financial support to allow Caregivers to meet the needs of the youth. For more informa•on, please call Joni or Julia at 250-724-3232.

henna artist By Aleesha Sharma Book your henna session for community events, weddings, birthday parties, school events or any special event.

Phone: 250-730-1262 or 250-720-3096 E-mail: aleesha_sharma1@hotmail.com

Page 12— Ha-Shilth-Sa—January 25, 2024 Non-Insured Health Beneﬁts - NIHB Coverage – Travelling Out Side Of Country General Principles 1.

Community&Beyond Alberni Valley Toxic Poisoned Drug Crisis Strategy

Prior approval is required.

2. The client must: a. Be eligible for the NIHB Program; and b. Be currently enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in a provincial or territorial health insurance plan and continue to meet residency requirements for provincial/territorial health coverage. 3. For Transportation to Medical Services: For transportation to medical services outside of the country the client must be referred for provincially/territorially insured medical services by a provincial or territorial health care plan for treatment Shaganappi Plaza: wage change for Building Maintenance and Superintendent Windspeaker.com http://www.windspeaker.com/news/sweetgrass-news/building-maintenanceand-superintendent/ ammsa.com http://www.ammsa.com/content/careers/shaganappi-plaza-ltd-calgary outside of Canada. 4. For Supplemental Health Insurance Premiums: Full-time students enrolled in a post-secondary institution to study outside of Canada must provide a letter of conﬁrmation that tuition, which is not an eligible beneﬁt under the NIHB Program, has been paid. What is covered? For Supplemental Health Insurance Premiums: -

CYS - 4841 Redford Street

January 31 Maht Mahs Gym Tseshaht First Nation invites you as we proudly present the draft Alberni Valley Toxic Poisoned Drug Crisis Strategy. Open to all those individuals and organizations combating this crisis, front line workers supporting the crisis, local, regional and First Nations governments. Lunch provided. For more information call Gail Gus 250.731.6622

February 2 Glenwood Sports Centre 6pm to 8pm. Disco rollerblading, snacks and beverages, games and activities, lounge corner, music videos and just dance. Free to attend.

PAFC

Maht Mahs Gym

1:00pm – 3:00pm. Participants work together to make a meal, discuss health and food related topics. Participants who work (cook and clean) with the group will receive a $10.00 grocery coupon that can be used at either Quality Foods or Buy-Low Foods. Childminder on premises. A drop-in group, no registration required. For more information about our program, please call and ask for Amber – 250-735-6276 ext. 233. A part of the ASI Early Years program.

February 17

We advise you to buy additional health insurance to supplement your basic coverage before you leave the province, regardless of whether you’ll be in another part of Canada or outside the country – even if your company or travel agency can advise you about extra coverage to pay for any diﬀerence in fees and to provide beneﬁts not covered by the Ministry. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you must mention this when purchasing additional insurance as most policies will not cover treatment of that condition outside the province. In some cases you may purchase an insurance policy where the insurance company has a signed agreement with the Ministry. This permits the company to pay physician and hospital claims and receive reimbursement on your behalf thus eliminating the need for you to handle your own claims. NOTE: Ambulance – If you require ambulance service while in another province or outside Canada, you will need to obtain service from an ambulance company in that jurisdiction and will be charged the fee established by the-out-of-province service provider. Fees range from several hundred to several thousand dollars. When purchasing additional out-of-province health insurance you are advised to obtain insurance that will cover emergency transportation while you are away and, if necessary the cost of transportation back to BC. MSP Contact @ 1-250-386-7171 or fax 1-250-952-3427 – In case the number s have changed the web site is: www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/msp

Port Alberni Friendship Center – Eating in Balance

Every Wednesday

Transportation beneﬁts when eligible clients are medically referred and approved for treatment outside of Canada by a provincial or territorial health care plan.

In addition, some items/services that may be a beneﬁt in BC are not covered outside the province; for example, prescription drugs and optometric services. Further, the Ministry does not subsidize fees charged for ambulance service obtained outside BC.

5:00pm-7:00pm Girls ages 13-18. Need a safe space? Want to express yourself? Looking to learn to bake and cook? Do you enjoy doing crafts? Come join us for fun activities with food and refreshments every Tuesday!

February 16

Tseshaht Sober Dance

Health services provided outside Canada often cost more than the amount paid by the Ministry of Health Services. Sometimes the diﬀerence is substantial; for example, the amount we pay for emergency inpatient hospital care will not exceed $75 (Canadian) a day for United States of exceeds $1,000 (US) per day and can be as high as $10,000 a day for intensive care.

Every Tuesday

Vancouver Island Pro Wrestling

For Transportation to Medical Services: -

If you are leaving the province, you should be aware that your coverage may not pay all health care costs.

Girls Group

Port Alberni – Usma culture space

Hosted by Tseshaht First Nation. For tickets call Gail Gus at 250.731.6622

What You Should Know- “Before” Leaving British Columbia

10am-12pm. We oﬀer Prenatal and infant development information, special guests, snacks provide and $20.00 food voucher per family. Referrals when needed. NTC Nursing and Doula’s 250-724-3939. Enter from 4th avenue side, building with orange stripe.

Youth Night

The cost of privately acquired health insurance premiums for approved students or migrant workers and their legal dependents will be reimbursed.

For further information on coverage outside of Country you are encouraged to call First Nations & Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB), Vancouver BC toll free @ 1-800-317-7878

Every Monday

Maht Mahs Gym Everyone welcome! Neon/glow in the dark items on hand. At Maht mahs Gym.No drugs or alcohol. For more information call Gail Gus at 250.731.6622 Connect Your Mind Body Spirit

Westcoast Community Resources Society Community Lunch

Every Thursday Westcoast Community Services hub – 500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet

February 26-29

11:30am – 1:00pm. 250-726-2343, admin@wccrs.ca, www.wccrs.ca

Coast Bastion Wellness and self care. Hair cuts, massage, nails, key note speaker and much more. Open to all PES and IAFNYS clients. Accomidation provided, onsite child care, meals provided each day. Connect with your case manager to sign up. Northern region 250-720-1362. Central region 250-266-0275. Southern region 250-720-1132. IAFNYES 250735-1633 Nuu-chah-nulth Baby Group

Cultural Brushings with Quu asa

Every Friday Administration Building 9:00am-12:00pm Cultural Brushings in support of the Tseshaht Community. If you have any questions, please call Leanne Harding, Administrative Assistant 250-724-1225

In memory In Loving memory of Nessie (Mama) Watts A very special person, a very special face Someone we all loved, and can’t replace Never was she selﬁsh, she was always kind These are the memories, you left behind Your family always remembers. Lovingly remembered by, All her children

January 25, 2024—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 13

Employment and Training Port Alberni Friendship Centre Volunteers Needed Need work experience? The Port Alberni Friendship Centre is looking for interested applicants for various positions. Call 250-723-8281

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Page 14— Ha-Shilth-Sa—January 25, 2024

Emergency funding benefits cultural preservation Tseshaht, Pacheedaht, Ditidaht and Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ among those supported for local initiatives By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor This month First Nations across B.C. received funding to support the preservation of their distinct cultures, with the money coming from a ministry that specializes in emergencies. On Friday, Jan. 19 British Columbia’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness announced approximately $580,000 for 22 projects, including several initiatives being launched by Nuu-chah-nulth nations. Intended as cultural support in responding to emergencies, the grants come from the ministry’s Community Emergency and Preparedness Fund, which is being administered to the successful First Nations and local governments through the Union of B.C. Municipalities. Among those approved are the Pacheedaht First Nation, which received $30,000 to improve emergency response efforts in Port Renfrew. The Tseshaht was granted almost $21,000 for the development of a two-day training session for emergency response staff on the history of residential schools and “how to create culturally safe spaces in emergency reception centres,” stated the Ministry of Emergency Management. “This will help emergency and first responders to gain a deeper understanding of Tseshaht traditional and cultural teachings and how those should transfer into an Emergency Support Services (ESS) setting,” added the ministry in an email to Ha-Shilth-Sa. Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations received $17,800 for its Salvaging Sacred Belongings project. This initiative is aimed to educate emergency management personnel on how to save important artifacts after a disaster strikes. A “cultural and sacred item salvage strike team” will be assembled and trained, according to the ministry. Mindy Ogden, Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/ Che:k’tles7et’h’s heritage place specialist, said precious belongings would include

Eric Plummer photo

Ditidaht members dance during a community gathering at Nitinaht on April 25, 2023. This year monthly gatherings are being held as part of a cultural preservation project. regalia, drums and masks. “In the event of an emergency, we need locals who have these skills, as we are a very remote community,” stated Ogden in a press release. “We are looking forward to equipping more community members, including the youth, in the future.” The Ditidaht First Nation received almost $30,000 for what the ministry calls “cultural exploration and record keeping”. This entails the restoration and remastering of recordings documenting songs and stories, much of which is in the Ditidaht dialect. A little-known collection of approximately 40 audio tapes currently holds this material, recordings that date back to the mid 1970s. “It’s mostly audio recordings on cassette

tapes. I have uncovered some real-toreels as well,” said James FothergillBrown, Ditidaht’s emergency services coordinator. “Doing it sooner than later would be a good idea. It seems like the tapes have by and large been stored quite well.” The intention of this work is for the recordings to be catalogued and digitized so they can be available to Ditidaht members. Fothergill-Brown said that the recordings are so obscure that even a language group that is active in preserving Ditidaht culture wasn’t aware that the tapes existed. “The language group has been doing quite a bit of work to this end to try to preserve the culture,” he said. “They’re

doing events as well, like dance practice, to try and keep the culture alive. This project is more meant to support their work.” As part of this initiative in cultural preservation, the grant funding will also support monthly gatherings in the Ditidaht’s community on Nitinaht Lake. Each of these meetings are planned to showcase an elder, with periods of an open microphone allowing members to share stories or perform. It’s also an opportunity to share emergency planning with many people in the community, “as explicit emergency meetings tend to draw only a segment of membership”, according to the ministry. “The intention of the monthly parties is to bring people together and provide a space where families, individuals will be comfortable once again sharing songs,” said James Fothergill-Brown. The ﬁrst such event is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 27, from 5 p.m. to midnight at the Ditidaht Community Hall. Arnold Shaw will be sharing stories, with training notices and an update from Ditidaht’s emergency services, as well as guest artist Nokturnal Funk. The project also aims to record a new series of stories and songs from elders. The importance of connecting younger generations with traditional ways was highlighted during a community gathering held in Nitinaht on April 25. At that event Esther Edgar reﬂected on the societal transformation over her lifetime, after she spent her childhood in a coastal village at Nitinaht Narrows. Her family moved to the current village at Nitinaht Lake when several tribes amalgamated in 1967. “It hurts me that my grandchildren will never know what it was like how I grew up. The sense of community is getting lost. Technology is taking over,” she said. “It’s not their fault, it’s the way of the world. Technology, cell phones, iPads, tablets. I do my best when they come to my house. I sit them down and tell them how it was when I was their age.”

Regular trips to Ethlateese set to begin this spring By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor Vancouver Island, BC - To improve connections to its traditional territory, the Uchucklesaht Tribe plans to introduce more regular trips to Ethlateese this year. Using the First Nation’s Ehthlatese I vessel that is normally docked at Port Alberni’s Harbour Quay, the Uchucklesaht aim to have three weekly trips to the remote village this year, according to the Island Coast Economic Trust. This month ICET and the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance announced $20,000 in funding for the First Nation, which will cover a portion of the shuttle service to the village located in Uchucklesaht Inlet, near Barkley Sound. This funding is provided by B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. “The project will provide the ﬁrst eﬃcient, reliable and timely method to travel to the territory while increasing overall quality of life for citizens, both in the territory and in the Port Alberni area,” stated ICET in a press release. Approximately two dozen people live in Ethlateese, where the Uchucklesaht Tribe has built 14 new homes after removing all

the pre-existing housing in 2019. A year ago the First Nation received a $174,475 provincial grant to build a 25 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system, which is designed to lessen the village’s dependence on diesel fuel for electricity. David McCormick, Uchucklesaht’s economic development manager, says the regular shuttle service will improve access to the territory while helping Ethlateese residents travel to Port Alberni for errands and appointments. “The funding will go a long way to enabling us to operate this service on a regular basis through this spring, summer and fall and look to, hopefully, be able to source funds for a potential expansion after that,” he wrote in an email to HaShilth-Sa. The Uchucklesaht are among several of the latest recipients of the $230,000 Community Passenger Transportation Fund. This provincial funding is being dispersed by ICET and the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance to 13 projects in 2024, based on engagement sessions with 96 local governments, First Nations and organizations. Ditidaht is another Nuu-chah-nulth nation approved for funding, with $19,500

David A. McCormick awarded for bus trips from its Nitinaht Lake village to Port Alberni every other week. With the Nitinaht store currently closed, this service is intended to help residents access things like grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments and medication pick ups, according to ICET. The bi-weekly bus trips are intended to run this winter, although the service has yet to be ﬁnalized by the First Nation.

In Clayoquot Sound, the District of Tofino was granted $10,000 to increase its free bus service in the summer. The district has operated this service in recent years, and from June 24-Sept. 2 trips will become more frequent. The service operates between Tofino, Esowista, Ty-histanis and a new stop at Long Beach. “It’s for tourists to be able to travel around in Tofino a little bit more sustainably with getting vehicles off the road, but it’s also for community members to be able to travel freely for those that don’t have a car,” said Todd Staley, the District of Tofino’s project manager for community services. Last year Tofino introduced new parking restrictions in the downtown area over the summer tourist season, as residents of the town as well as those living in Tla-oqui-aht, Ahousaht and Hesquiaht communities have had difficulty finding places to leave their vehicles. The bus also offers a safer transportation option outside of the town for those who don’t have a car, said Staley. “There still is a lot of hitchhiking on the side of the road there, so this is a safe alternative for them to be able to get into Tofino,” he said.

January 25, 2024—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 15

‘She won for all of us’: Lily Gladstone makes history The Blackfeet actress’s role in Killers of the Flower Moon inspires Nuu-chah-nulth actors and drama students By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The new year started off making a mark in history when Lily Gladstone, who grew up on the Blackfeet reservation, became the first Indigenous woman to win a Golden Globe as Best Female Actor in a Drama for her performance in Killers of the Flower Moon. “We all cried,” recalled Chad Charlie, an Ahousaht writer and producer, who was watching the Golden Globes with his fiancée and daughter. “We all cried because it’s a historic moment.” On Tuesday, Jan. 23, Gladstone made history once again, with her nomination for the Oscar’s Best Actress in a Leading Role making her the First Native American to be nominated in the category. “This is something that… opens up a lot of doors, not only for Lily, but everything that she touches,” said Charlie. “I know that Lily has a lot of things that she wants to do, and I know that the moment she gets an opportunity, she’s going to be bringing other people with her.” With a budget of $200 million, the three-and-a half-hour Killers of the Flower Moon was directed and produced by Martin Scorsese. It tells the story of the Osage Nation after the First World War, who had become wealthy from the discovery of oil within their land in Oklahoma. Gladstone plays Mollie Kyle, an Osage whose family owns vast oil headrights. Kyle marries war veteran Ernest Burkhart, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and a series of murders occur on Osage land as a result of the oil rights. Gladstone is also known for her role on the Reservation Dogs TV series as Hokti Sampson. She’s in season two and three, the same two seasons Charlie worked on as a writer and actor. “Everybody’s extremely excited for her,” said Charlie, recalling the reaction of the Reservation Dogs cast and crew in their group chat. “I think everybody just knows that a win for her is a win for all of us,” added Charlie. “When it comes to other natives in film and projects, we hope to see ourselves, and when she won, she won for all of us… she represents a lot.” Whoopi Goldberg was the first woman of color to win a Golden Globe in the same category for her performance in The Color Purple in 1986. Thirty-five years later, Andra Day won in the category for her role in The United States vs. Billie Holiday in 2021. “I don’t know the exact number but a large percentage of it is white women within that specific category,” said Charlie. In Gladstone’s acceptance speech she spoke in her Blackfeet language. Gladstone shared that in the past movies have depicted Indigenous languages by playing a recording of English lines in reverse, dubbed over an Aboriginal actor speaking on screen. “I’m so grateful that I can speak even a little bit of my language, which I’m not fluent in, up here,” said Gladstone. “When it comes to Lily winning, that’s a breakthrough the glass ceilings that we’ve been trying to get through,” said Charlie. Within storytelling in the industry, executives push for a “proven formula” which limits the creative abilities of Indigenous writers and producers in telling meaningful stories, added Charlie. “A lot of the difficulties in Hollywood is moving past the idea of what the world

Golden Globes photo

In January Lily Gladstone became the ﬁrst Indigenous woman to win a Golden Globe as Best Female Actor in a Drama

thinks native people live like,” said Charlie. “We can be badass, we can be superheroes, we can be just little kids trying to get by on the rez, we [can] be anybody that we choose to be.” Aboriginal writers and producers are constantly being rejected by executives who claim they “can’t have multiple native” TV shows or movies on streaming sites, shared Charlie. “Theres multiple producers out there that are constantly getting shut down because executives are telling them ‘No, we already have a native project’,” he said, adding that authentic Indigenous storytelling that allows Aboriginal artists to control parts of their stories is popular now. “I think we’re just at a time where we’re tired of the way that we’ve been treated in Hollywood.” “I think that in order for us to continue to be storytellers, the way that we’ve been doing it for centuries and millennia, we just [have to] keep on doing it the way that we need to [and] the way that we want to,” continued Charlie. Gladstone dedicated her award to “every little rez kid, every little urban kid, and every little native kid out there who has a dream, who is seeing themselves repre-

sented and our stories told by ourselves, in our own words.” “I don’t think the ﬁlm industry has always been a friendly place for Indigenous folks so I think to see someone like Lily Gladstone be recognized for her professional contributions to the industry is likely to be very inspiring for youth,” said Kirsten Vesterback, a photography, digital technology, and drama teacher at Alberni District Secondary School (ADSS). Vesterback shared that she’s unsure how closely the youth follow award shows and she believes that the continued lack of representation of those winning may be a contribution. “Sometimes kids may struggle to be inspired if they don’t see people that share their experiences reﬂected in those award shows,” she said. “I think more so here, at least at the high school level, kids join drama and want to be involved in… our yearly productions that we put on because it’s a bonding experience,” added Vesterback. “It really brings people together. They end [as] a tight group and it’s always a very diverse group.” This year ADSS is putting on a production called: She Kills Monsters.

For Charlie, he dreams to one day accept an award for his work as a writer or director. “The fact that I’m able to see her do that, and Indian country is able to see her do that, this gives us hope to keep on going,” said Charlie. “When it comes to Nuu-chah-nulth kids, I would constantly remind them to just keep on going, put yourself out there; act, direct, write your stories, try and ﬁnd ways to do it.” Charlie shared that there will be opportunities in the industry, “as long as we continue to push our people and inspire our people to keep on moving forward.” Among opportunities, Charlie is currently developing an Ahousaht story that will be ﬁlmed on Vancouver Island. At the Golden Globes, Gladstone wore a Valentino dress, alongside earrings by a Cree and Blackfeet designer, Lenise Omeasoo. “I think that if Lily’s able to go in front of these cameras, and as a successful actress, wearing native-designed beadwork… it sparks an idea that we are able to succeed and create something so beautiful in a world that makes it hard to believe that it’s possible,” said Charlie.

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