Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper May 19th, 2022 by Hashilthsa

INTERESTING NEWS Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Canadian Publications Mail Product Vol. 49 - No. 10—May 19, 2022 haas^i>sa Sales Agreement No. 40047776

Photos by Denise Titian

Patrick Lucas attends a vigil at Port Alberni’s Victoria Quay for his son, Dontay, in March. The six year old died four years prior on March 22, 2018.

Two people charged in 2018 death of six-year-old Police announce ﬁrst-degree murder charges for Dontay Patrick Lucas’ mother Rykel Frank and Mitchell Frank By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Port Alberni, BC – Two people were arrested May 6 and are both charged with First Degree Murder in the March 13, 2018 death of six-year-old Don-Tay Patrick Lucas. In their public statement issued May 7, the Port Alberni RCMP said they arrested a local 29-year-old man and 28-year-old woman for the murder of six-year-old Dontay Lucas that occurred on March 13, 2018. “On May 7, 2022 Ms. Rykel Frank (Nee Charleson) and Mitchell Frank were charged with the First Degree Murder of Dontay Lucas. The investigation continues,” stated the RCMP. Rykel was Dontay’s mother, and Mitchell Frank is her husband, not related to Dontay. “It’s been a long four years coming, justice has been served…police have made two arrests this morning,” said Patrick Lucas, father of Don-Tay on Friday. The tragedy unfolded at a townhouse in

south Port Alberni on March 13, 2018. The following month Ha-Shilth-Sa reported that, at approximately 9:30 a.m. that morning, the RCMP responded to a report of a child in medical distress at a residence. The boy was transported to hospital, but sadly did not survive. Police and the BC Coroner’s Service began an investigation that continued over the following two weeks. “The child’s death is being treated as suspicious and the investigation is ongoing,” stated the Port Alberni RCMP in a news release on March 28, 2018. But on the fourth anniversary of the bubbly little boy’s death, no arrests had been made. Instead, Patrick Lucas joined friends and family at Victoria Quay in Port Alberni to take part in a candlelight vigil in memory of his son, and to call for justice. At the vigil, Lucas said he met with RCMP oﬃcers in December 2020 and was told the case was almost solved. The last meeting with police was March 2021, when he was told he would have answers in four to six weeks.

Inside this issue... Revitalization of Northwest Coast Hall..........................Page 2 Uchucklesaht’s real estate, seaweed and bottled water...Page 5 Culturally modiﬁed trees show history..................Pages 8 & 9 Walter’s Cove Resort reopens.......................................Page 10 New documentary in Ahousaht.....................................Page 15

“Today is a day that the family and supporters, who’ve been seeking justice for the late Don-Tay Patrick Lucas, have been waiting for. Four years is too long a time for family and loved ones of a 6-year-old victim of murder to wait for justice. We must push the justice system to work in a way that proves to us all that our lives are valued and cherished. Four

years is simply too long,” said NTC VicePresident Mariah Charleson. “My love and strength go to the family who did not sit silent as they continue to push for justice for Don-Tay.” “It is a real shame that it took four years to bring charges for the death of this young Nuu-chah-nulth child. Families have suffered knowing that no one was taking responsibility for his death,” said NTC President Judith Sayers. “We at the NTC have never let up in pushing RCMP and Crown counsel and the Attorney General to have charges laid. It was too important not to charge anyone in this precious one’s death.” Sayers vowed to continue to work with processes, policies and laws so another Nuu-chah-nulth family will not have to wait so long for justice. “These investigations are difficult for everyone involved, and we understand the length of time that it has taken to get to this point has been challenging for the community,” stated Inspector Eric Rochette, officer in charge of the Port Alberni RCMP.

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

Page 2— Ha-Shilth-Sa— May 19, 2022

Photo submitted by American Museum of Natural History

After a multi-year revitalization initiative, the American Museum of Natural History’s Northwest Coast Hall reopened to the public on May 13.

Hall aims to no longer be ‘colonial trophy collection’ Revitalized part of the American Museum of Natural History has a 63-foot canoe and octopus cleaning videos By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter New York, New York - Ron Hamilton first stepped into the Northwest Coast Hall inside New York City’s American Museum of Natural History 55 years ago, but as he walked through the gallery all he saw was “a massive trophy case.” “It’s the biggest colonial trophy collection in the world,” he said. The renowned Nuu-chah-nulth artist and cultural historian goes by his Indigenous name, Ḥaa’yuups. Despite his complicated relationship with the gallery, he has been working as its co-curator for five years – alongside Peter Whiteley, the museum’s curator of North American ethnology. It has been over 120 years since the Northwest Coast Hall has been revitalized and reopened to the public on May 13. The hall is the museum’s oldest gallery, which was installed in 1899 by anthropologist Franz Boas. At the time, it was standard for museums to place Indigenous people at the bottom of an evolutionary hierarchy – and place Europeans and Euro-Americans at the top, said Whiteley. Boas aimed to deliver a “much more equitable representation of Indigenous cultures” by highlighting individual communities within a specific region, instead of displaying items based on their function. Boats were no longer placed with other boats – rather, Nuu-chah-nulth objects were displayed with other Nuu-chahnulth objects. It was “absolutely revolutionary,” said Whiteley. Yet, it lacked a “full-bodied presence of Indigenous voices and perspectives,” he said. The updated hall aims to address this by collaborating with Ḥaa’yuups, and nine other consulting curators from First Nation communities across the northwest

coast. Over 1,000 works of art are displayed in the revitalized hall, including a Nuuchah-nulth ceremonial wolf curtain which stretched more than 37-feet, and a 63-foot-long Northwest coast canoe – the largest in existence. As Ḥaa’yuups reflects on the experience of updating the hall, one word comes to mind: “frustrating,” he said. “I felt that my role was more token than I had hoped,” Ḥaa’yuups said. “A curator is involved in planning, restoration [and] stabilization. My involvement in those areas was absolutely minor.” In some ways, Whiteley said he can empathize with Ḥaa’yuups’ frustrations. “We have a large exhibition department, there is an outside design firm, [and] there is the conservation department,” he said. “I’ve often felt as the curator that I should have some greater ability to contribute to this than I think I’ve been getting. And that’s been compounded by COVID-19.” In his role, Ḥaa’yuups said it was important to address the history of racism in North America. “Racism is what allows much of that material to be there,” he said. While the museum may “possess” the cultural items on display, Ḥaa’yuups said that everything in the gallery still belongs to the “groups [of people] they were taken from.” When the Indian Act was passed by Canada’s federal government in 1876, it aimed to eliminate Indigenous culture, with the goal of assimilating First Nations, Inuit, and Métis into a Eurocentric society. Many of the Northwest Coast Hall’s artifacts were acquired between 1880 and 1910 during the potlatch ban, which was legislated under an amendment to the act, said Whiteley. The law provided a framework for government officials, ethnologists and anthropologists to remove totem poles and other cultural items, such as longhouse

murals. Many of the confiscated items ended up in “these massive collections in institutions in the major cities of the world,” said Ḥaa’yuups. The full stories and the meaning behind each object will never be known until “they’re returned to their communities of origin,” he said. Whiteley said the museum’s priority for international repatriations has been human remains and funerary objects. Almost all of the human remains from Haida Gwaii were repatriated in 2002, along with some funerary objects. There was a follow-up repatriation in 2014 because some remains and funerary objects were missed, he said. The American Museum of Natural History is the largest metropolitan museum to have taken on such an initiative as early as 2002, Whiteley said “More recently, we’ve been inventorying all of the Northwest coast remains collections to see if they can be affiliated with individual nations,” he said. “That’s been the priority.” Cultural objects are more “complicated” because the museum has collections from across the world, Whiteley said. The museum’s administration has agreed to “a limited repatriation” of cultural objects for the consulting curators’ nations, said Whiteley. While Whiteley said it may be difficult for First Nations communities to appreciate, the hall has had “immeasurable influence” on social justice advancement. “My sense is that the hall has had an immense impact on global thinking about the meaning of culture,” he said. “Particularly about Indigenous cultures of the Northwest coast of North America.” Since 2011, Korianne Ignace has been video recording her daily life living in Usk tua, the traditional winter village of the Hesquiaht First Nation. Many of her most prized recordings are of her late-father, Dave, whom she filmed cleaning sea cucumbers, octopus and

grouse. Because they ate octopus so rarely, Ignace said her father was the only one who knew how to clean them. As he grew older, Ignace said she made the recordings so her family knew how to clean them if he was no longer able to. “It’s not exactly a well-known skill around here,” she said. “You have to get through the slimy part and get to [a] really big, white tendon, or the middle innards of the octopus.” Ignace’s videos are included in the new iteration of the Northwest Coast Hall as part of the digital kiosk. “It’s really nice to share his memory,” Ignace said. He may be gone, she said, but he lives on through those recordings. Ḥaa’yuups has yet to see the hall. “I’m waiting to be wowed by the exhibit,” he said. “I don’t want my grandchildren thinking that I behaved cowardly when they go through the exhibit … I want them to be proud of where they’re from, proud of who they are, proud of the history of their family and the achievements of our people.” Despite his frustrations, he said “I’m grateful for the opportunity – I can’t pretend that I’m not.” The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art has since asked Ḥaa’yuups to work with them to purchase Indigenous material for inclusion in their galleries. “I’m going out there to educate people,” he said. “There’s millions of things on the market from the various tribes in North America. Galleries are starting to collect those things [and] exhibit those things as art – as a high form of creative achievement.” As much as Ḥaa’yuups said he thinks the material should be put back in the hands of the people who created it, “I know that’s not going to happen anytime soon,” he said. “So, you try to do the best or make the most of whatever situation you ﬁnd yourself in,” he said. “That’s what I’m doing.”

May 19, 2022—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 3

Children are being sold vodka, says Ahousaht couple Reports state that 12 and 13-year-olds are pooling their money to buy bootleg vodka that comes from Tofino By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Maaqtusiis, BC – Qaamina and Ruth Sam are demanding that vodka be banned from the village, following disturbing incidents of pre-teens being found extremely intoxicated and the death of a young family member due to alcoholrelated liver damage. Two days before she died in 2020, Helen Frank, a young mother, called her aunt Ruth, asking them to keep working hard to ban “red cap” from the village. Not knowing what she meant, Ruth later learned that red cap meant a popular brand of vodka that comes in a bottle with a red lid. It was in October 2020 when Helen told her aunt, “I should have stopped when you told me to. I’m dying, now.” Helen died two days later, leaving a warning that vodka is a silent killer, and she wanted her family to continue to fight to have it banned from the village. The Sams have been vocal with their feelings about bootleggers and vodka, holding three marches in the village and helping as cultural supports at programs people go to for assistance withdrawing from alcohol. But it all came to a head when they came home to find their 12-year-old grandchild had been drinking vodka. The couple has fostered eight children. Their eldest granddaughter has aged out of foster care so now they have seven children in their care. “They always say teachings start at home, and we sit down at the table with our grandchildren and talk to them, but we never told them to buy booze,” said Qaamina. When they go out that door they become the children of the community, and when they go to school, they are the school’s children, he added. He said it’s been an emotional time for himself and his wife knowing that their grandchild has access to vodka. “It sparked our anger, knowing it’s got-

ten into our home,” said Qaamina. The couple has learned that the children, 12- and 13-year-olds, pool their money to buy bootleg vodka. “Five or six of them get together,” said Ruth, adding that they combine their money and buy several bottles. “It makes us not want to give them money anymore.”

“We gotta do something. We know who the bootleggers are, and we look to the authorities and are surprised to hear there’s nothing they can do – they say (bootleggers) can buy vodka in Tofino and sell it here” ~ Qaamina Sam Ahousaht’s acting Tyee Ha’wilth Hasheukumiss (Richard George) has said that he receives dozens of messages about bootlegging in Ahousaht. He recently told Ha-Shilth-Sa that someone sent him a video clip of a 12-year-old with a bottle of vodka. It is believed that the bottle was bought from a bootlegger in Ahousaht. Hasheukumiss said the child is seen taking about a six-second-long guzzle of straight vodka without flinching. Ruth said that a 12-year-old child was recently found passed out in front of the band office. “It’s still so cold outside, it’s so dangerous,” she added. Qaamina said that one bootlegger was heard saying it doesn’t matter how young they are, money is money. “They’re delivering bottles right to them, damaging their lives before it gets started,” he said. The Sams have led three awareness marches in Ahousaht over the past few years and each time, more and more

Submitted photo

Qaamina and Ruth Sam are demanding that vodka be banned from Ahousaht, following disturbing incidents of pre-teens being found extremely intoxicated. people join. They say that they get dozens of messages of support and are planning another awareness march very soon. “We gotta do something. We know who the bootleggers are, and we look to the authorities and are surprised to hear there’s nothing they can do – they say (bootleggers) can buy vodka in Toﬁno and sell it here,” he claimed. “We need to get a ban on vodka here, it’s a silent killer,” said Qaamina.

He suggested Ha’wiih need to push for change if they want their muschim to be strong and healthy. “Same with chief and council, they need to stand up with the hereditary chiefs and put their diﬀerences aside for the sake of the people,” said Qaamina. Both Ahousaht council and the Maaqtusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society have announced plans to build healing and recovery centres in Ahousaht territories.

Cause of child’s death not released, answers expected By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Port Alberni, BC - With Dontay Lucas’ father sitting next to them, Port Albenri RCMP announced they “turned every stone” while investigating the death of the six-year-old. The young boy died under suspicious circumstances on March 13, 2018, shortly after he was found in medical distress at a Port Alberni home. Four years later, police announced the arrest of two people with charges of first-degree murder. “Due to the tireless efforts of investigators, on Friday May 6 the Port Alberni RCMP arrested Dontay’s mother Rykel Frank nee Charleson and her now husband Mitchell Frank and charges were approved for the first-degree murder of Dontay Lucas,” said Const. Richard Johns of the Port Alberni RCMP. Police stated that the four-year delay in making arrests in the death of Dontay Patrick Lucas, a Hesquiaht boy, was due the care that was taken to prepare and present all evidence to Crown counsel. “In order to ensure that officers were ready to have this matter before the courts immediately, painstaking efforts were made to ensure every piece of

Photo by Denise Titian

Const. Richard Johns of the Port Alberni RCMP speaks at the police detachment on May 9, as Sergeant Clayton Weibe of the city’s General Investigative Services sits with the father of Dontay Lucas, Patrick Lucas. Wiebe described the investigation as evidence has been disclosed to the BC complex, noting there was a lot of eviProsecution Service and that the investigation is ready to stand trial,” said Johns, dence to process. the detachment’s media relations oﬃcer. “The volume of material was enormous, and it takes time to put it together,” At the media event on Monday, May Weibe stated. 9, Dontay’s father, Patrick Lucas, sat He went on to say that they waited for stoically beside Sergeant Clayton Weibe reports from various agencies including of Port Alberni General Investigative the BC Coroner and forensic sciences serServices as his grandmother and aunt sat vices. He mentioned cell phone records nearby, softly sobbing.

were part of the investigation. The RCMP waited for Crown counsel to approved charges before arresting the couple. Those charges were approved in the past couple of weeks, according to Wiebe. When asked what the cause of death was, Wiebe said that information couldn’t be released and would come out in the trial. He declined to say why the charges were first degree murder. “In order to explain that properly, I would have to get into the evidence, which I’m not prepared to do right now,” he said. Other children who were in the home at the time of Dontay’s death were immediately removed and placed in care, according to Wiebe. The couple are in custody and will appear before a judge for a bail hearing. According to Wiebe, this is scheduled for Port Alberni Law Courts on Wednesday, May 11. According to the Criminal Code of Canada, murder is first degree if the offence was “planned and deliberate.” A person’s death can also fall under this classification if the murder occurs while someone is attempting sexual assault or kidnapping and forcible confinement.

Page 4— Ha-Shilth-Sa— May 19, 2022 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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2020 Subscription rates: $35 per year in Canada and $40 per year in the U.S.A. and $45 per year in foreign countries. Payable to the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. Manager/Editor/Reporter Eric Plummer (Ext. 243) (250) 724-5757 Fax: (250) 723-0463 eric.plummer@nuuchahnulth.org Reporter Denise Titian (Ext. 240) (250) 724-5757 Fax: (250) 723-0463 denise.titian@nuuchahnulth.org Reporter Melissa Renwick (416) 436-4277 Fax: (250) 723-0463 melissa.renwick@nuuchahnulth.org Photo by Eric Plummer

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DEADLINE: Please note that the deadline for submissions for our next issue is May 27, 2022 After that date, material submitted and judged appropriate cannot be guaranteed placement but, if material is still relevant, will be included in the following issue. In an ideal world, submissions would be typed rather than hand-written. Articles can be sent by e-mail to holly.stocking@nuuchahnulth.org (Windows PC). Submitted pictures must include a brief description of subject(s) and a return address. Pictures with no return address will remain on ﬁle. Allow two - four weeks for return. Photocopied or faxed photographs cannot be accepted.

Chantel Moore’s mother Martha Martin speaks before a crowd outside the B.C. legislature in Victoria at a rally in 2020.

Inquest into police shooting begins Chantel Moore was fatally shot by a police officer during a wellness check in 2020 By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter New Brunswick – After two delays, the New Brunswick coroner’s inquest into the police shooting death of Tla-o-quiaht’s Chantel Moore began Monday May 16 near Edmundston, where the 26-yearold lost her life in June 2020. Chief Coroner Jérôme Ouellette first announced on July 7, 2021 that an inquest into the death of Moore had been scheduled to begin Dec. 6, 2021 in the Edmundston region. That was delayed until early 2022 and then again to May 16, 2022. Moore died on June 4, 2020, on the deck outside her residence following a wellness check by Edmundston Police officer Jeremy Sun, who shot her five times after alleging she approached him brandishing a knife. Sun was cleared of wrongdoing in a subsequent police watch-dog investigation conducted by Quebec’s BEI

Chantel Moore (Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes). According to the New Brunswick Coroner’s website, the inquest, the presiding coroner and a jury will publicly hear evidence from witnesses to determine the facts surrounding this death. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under

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similar circumstances in the future. Martha Martin, mother of Chantel Moore, took the stand on Monday, describing what happened the two times Edmundston Police officers came to her door in the early morning hours of June 4, 2020. “It’s very emotional and tiring. It’s day one and I am feeling exhausted already,” said Grace Frank, Moore’s grandmother. An inquest is a formal court proceeding that allows for the public presentation of all evidence relating to a death. The Coroner Service is an independent factfinding agency that does not make any determination of legal responsibility nor does it assign blame. Martha Martin will be supported by her mother Grace Frank, who flew in from British Columbia along with Martha’s brother to attend the inquest. The inquest is expected to take one week.

Ha-Shilth-Sa belongs to every Nuu-chah-nulth person including those who have passed on, and those who are not yet born. A community newspaper cannot exist without community involvement. If you have any great pictures you’ve taken, stories or poems you’ve written, or artwork you have done, please let us know so we can include it in your newspaper. E-mail holly.stocking@nuuchahnulth.org. This year is Ha-Shilth-Sa’s 48th year of serving the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. We look forward to your continued input and support. Kleco! Kleco!

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May 19, 2022—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 5

Real estate, seaweed and designer water part of plans Status with a modern-day treaty is helping Uchucklesaht progress initiatives faster through meetings with feds By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Barclay Sound, BC – The Uchucklesaht Tribe Government (UTG) has completed a review of their progress 10 years after the implementation of their treaty and now plan to diversify economic development ventures to better support approximately 300 citizens. UTG Economic Development Manager David McCormick was hired Nov. 15 to help guide the process. He secured funding from Indigenous Services Canada, which was used to leverage funding from the Island Coastal Economic Trust. On April 28 the nation announced it would develop a ﬁve-year plan for community sustainability and prosperity with funding support from ICET’s READY program. Most Uchucklesaht citizens live within the City of Port Alberni, with a dozen living full-time in 14 newly constructed homes in the traditional village of Ehthlateese, located about 40 kilometers down the inlet from Port Alberni. Chief Councillor Charlie Cootes said the older homes that were there were all condemned after failing inspection. They were all torn down and replaced. There are plans for more construction, including a longhouse, rental housing and healing centre. Cootes says that since they’ve signed their treaty 10 years ago, things are moving along much easier. Prior to treaty it would take eight months to more than a year to have funding applications approved through INAC. Today, the nation holds economic development meetings every two weeks, and it is not unusual to

Photos submitted by Uchucklesaht Tribe

Workers clean gear by a Uchucklesaht kelp farming site in the Alberni Inlet. get funding approval in one or two meetMore citizens would love to return home ings. if there were jobs to sustain them. Mc“We are no longer a nation with lands Cormick says the new economic developheld in trust by the feds. Now we have ment plan will explore diversification and fee-simple lands and that gives us better sustainability opportunities. opportunities for economic development In a media release issued by ICET, they planning,” said Cootes. stated that Uchucklesaht’s economic assets are based primarily on fisheries, aquaculture, forestry, residential real estate, and freshwater bottled beverage products. The existing economic development strategy was started 10 years ago, and no longer fully reflects the nation’s

restrictions are lifting. The Nuuci Building property includes an adjacent field that the nation hopes to develop into residential accommodations in the future. Cootes is proud to say that the Nuuci property won an award from the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board this spring. UTG are also the proud owners of Thunderbird Water which provides top-shelf premium water to high-end markets. But the COVID-19 pandemic affected the hospitality industry adversely. Cootes said the slow time at the water facility allowed them time to upgrade equipment so that they could fill large orders overseas. “We now have the capacity and machinery in place to meet demands and now we have two full-time employees plus a manager at the plant,” said Cootes. Another sustainable economic venture is the recent partnership Uchucklesaht formed with Cascadia Seaweed, which grows kelp at a farm in Alberni Inlet. The harvested kelp is made into food products. As Uchucklesaht leadership look to the future, they have hired a consultant to analyze their existing businesses and to engage with membership about their ideas for sustainable economic development ideas for the nation. According to ICET a comprehensive, community-led planning process will examine opportunities in tourism, value-added wood biomass, seafood processing, craft retailing, and rental housing, as well as explore new product lines for existing food and beverage activities, among other prospective opportunities. “Since the last strategy was developed, a lot has changed: UTG has leveraged its treaty nation status with an economic self-sufficiency mission, its business interests and opportunities have evolved significantly, and so too has the world

The First Nation’s bottling facility for Thunderbird Spirit Water in Port Alberni. current economic state or its business and community interests. Uchucklesaht owns the landmark Thunderbird Building on Argyle Street in Port Alberni. “It set a new standard for residential development in Port Alberni,” said McCormick, adding that its units are fully rented with a waiting list. With rentals in high demand in Port Alberni, UTG is exploring new investments in real estate. Chief Cootes says their Redford development, formerly Redford Elementary School and now called Nuuci, has been renovated and serves as office space for Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Teechuktl staff. With all offices occupied, the facility also has the former school gym which will be rented out as a gathering space now that pandemic

after two years of the global pandemic,” says McCormick. “Throughout, the UTG has demonstrated itself to be extremely resilient, progressive, forward thinking and active in its eﬀorts to grow its income streams.” ICET was created and funded by the Province of B.C. in 2006. Its mission is to create a more diverse and globally competitive island and coastal economy. Since inception, ICET has approved more than $54 million in funding for over 240 initiatives. “We are always looking for ways to create revenue for our nation,” said Chief Cootes. “We’re doing so much better – the treaty allows us to make our own decisions when it comes to purchasing (real estate) and leaving our footprint in the valley.”

Page 6— Ha-Shilth-Sa— May 19, 2022

Residential school survivors define reconciliation Former students speak of how past violence continues to cripple younger generations and affect foster system By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Port Alberni, BC – Members of the Alberni Valley United Church (AVUC) delegation have been holding monthly meetings with residential school survivors to discuss reconciliation and what that could look like for the group. Mary Heatherington is a member of AVUC and invited Ha-Shilth-Sa to a meeting called Road to Reconcili-Action that was held April 29 at the United Church in Port Alberni. The group started about 2019, according to Heatherington, when church members went to Tofino to meet with Tla-o-qui-aht leadership. At one of the early meetings Tla-o-quiaht elder Levi Martin came up with the name ?aps ciik cha chum Hiy Ap, which, he told the group, means ‘making things right’. The meetings had just gotten started but were brought to a halt due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Nora Martin said the first meetings in 2019 focused on healing and allowed the survivors to share their stories with the congregation, including the impacts of the harm that residential schools did not only on the individuals that attended them, but also the community. “It was different at first, letting people into our lives – it never will be easy,” said Nora, who is a residential school survivor from Tla-o-qui-aht. She went on to say that the group will continue to work on goals and objectives, and they will continue to explore what reconciliation means to everyone. Besides interim Minister Ed Lewis of the United Church, there were a few elder members of the congregation in attendance including a retired family physician joining about a dozen Nuu-chahnulth participants. Heatherington along with Nora Martin were there to welcome the people. The agenda for that morning included a discussion around what reconciliation means. Guests Julia Hunter and Michelle

Photo submitted by the United Church of Canada

Girls sit in assembly at the Alberni Indian Residential School, which was formerly run by the United Church. Dick from the NTC’s Usma were there to go by: “…being a good person, helping talk about the foster care program. one another,” he said. Minister Lewis told the people that it He recalled going to Sunday school was hard hearing their stories at first. because he liked it – it was fun. “As a white person, at first I felt guilty “But residential school was different. and ashamed,” he said. “But now my Some people were mean. Some can’t heart is healing because of this group, talk about what happened. Some are in and I thank you for that.” denial,” he said. One of the survivors said that she was Samuel has been involved with the Port diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Alberni Friendship Center since its incepDisorder (PTSD) late in life, due to her tion. experiences at residential school. “The Friendship Center is overwhelmed “When we’re strangers we make aswith people with social problems and sumptions about each other…people that’s what I’d like to see addressed,” might think I don’t like them because of he said, adding that he appreciates the how quiet I am, but that’s just a symptom United Church’s willingness to work with of PTSD,” she told the group. survivors. “I’d say the priorities are social The retired doctor recalled seeing many services, housing and counselling.” Indigenous patients who had illnesses not Nora shared stories she heard from othcommonly found in the non-Aboriginal ers who witnessed violence, beatings and population. He noted the children had a even death during their time at residenlot of ear infections, that he attributed to tial schools. The effects were crippling milk allergies. Many, he recalled, sufand continue to ripple through today’s fered from rheumatic fever or psychiatric generation as some families struggle with problems. parenting. Wally Samuel, Ahousaht elder, noted “There’s so many children in care and that the church operated by the same our families struggle to get them back,” principals that Nuu-chah-nulth families said Martin.

She pointed out that Indigenous people have the highest number of children in care in proportion to the rest of the population. Children and families, she said, need to be the top priority when it comes to reconciliation. Julia Hunter is a foster parent recruiter for Usma. She said they have 120 families caring for children made up of Nuu-chah-nulth families, kin, and nonIndigenous families. Usma, she said, has developed resources designed to help children in care stay connected to their culture and extended families. She said she’s heard the opinion that the foster care system in Canada has become the new residential school. “We’re trying not to be that,” she said, adding that Usma is also working on prevention. Michelle Dick of Usma brought up intergenerational trauma that stems from the residential school system. She noted that Ahousaht is building their own healing centers, adding that it is a step in the right direction. “We need to live our way, to take care of our own,” said Linda Martin of Tla-oqui-aht. “I think what’s lost is the way we used to raise our children.” Linda suggested Usma host an elders’ group to share their knowledge about family and raising children. Samuel said he would like to be an elder resource person, to take children in care out to events and sports, much like a grandparent would. Monthly ?aps ciik cha chum Hiy Ap meetings have resumed, and the United Church will welcome anyone that wishes to attend, including people who may have gone to Catholic Indian residential schools. “We hope to work on a vision statement sometime in the future, ﬁguring out what reconciliation is and what we need to do to be a part of that,” Heatherington said. The next meeting is scheduled for June 10th, beginning 9:30 a.m. at the United Church in Port Alberni.

Foster children gathered to reconnect with identity By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter Port Alberni, BC – A group of Hesquiaht children in foster care arrived at Usma oﬃces with their caregivers for an evening of cultural activities, socializing and dinner. The event, called Connections, took place May 16 in Port Alberni. Leisa Hassall, a connections worker with Usma Nuu-chah-nulth Family and Child Services, described Connections gatherings as a nation event that will be held for each of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations with children in Usma care. This recent gathering was the ﬁfth event since April. Previous events were held for children from Ahousaht, Uchucklesaht, Tseshaht and Huu-ay-aht. According to Hassall, Connections is about creating a safe and healthy space for children to connect with their culture and their First Nation. “It is an opportunity for First Nations representatives and communities to connect with their children in care,” she told Ha-Shilth-Sa. She went on to say that the event begins with a cultural activity chosen by the nation. On this day, Hesquiaht chose drum making, which was led by Usma

elder and cultural teacher Geraldine Tom. Other activities have included family mapping and cedar weaving. Hassall remembered seeing the children’s heads bobbing as Ahousahts sang their dinner song. “It’s familiar to the kids and it is good to see them proud of where they come from,” said Hassall. “It’s all about identity,” stressed Hassall, adding that Usma is trying hard to ensure the child knows who they are and where they come from – that they have an awareness of their cultural identity. Everyone connected to the child in care is allowed to come to the gathering, whether they be the foster parents, biological family, elected and hereditary leaders, grandparents, siblings – anyone connected, said Hassall. Usma plans to make Connections an annual event, according to Hassall. She said that this type of gathering supports the foundation of work they do with the children, to make sure they know where they come from. In addition to Connections gatherings, Usma has employees that do genealogy, building family trees for children in care. Usma will be hosting Connections events with northern region nations next.

Photo by Denise Titian

A group of Hesquiaht children in foster care arrived at Usma oﬃces with their caregivers on May 16 for an evening of cultural activities, socializing and dinner. The event, called Connections, was hosted by Usma Nuu-chah-nulth Family and Child Services in Port Alberni. provide safe homes for Hesquiaht chilHassall said the leaders of northern Nuuchah-nulth nations speciﬁed they want dren, adding that she is very appreciative for what they do. their children in urban foster homes to Kelly Edgar, Usma’s director, said there come home for their Connections event. are currently 96 Nuu-chah-nulth children Hesquiaht Councilor Joy Charleson in Usma care. came to the gathering from her home in Victoria. She thanked the caregivers who

May 19, 2022—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 7

Missing and murdered march sparks hope for change Crowds walk across Port Alberni on the National Day for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor Port Alberni, BC - Over a hundred walked through the pouring rain on May 5 in recognition of the many missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, gathering near a spot where an Aboriginal woman died under suspicious circumstances just a month ago in Port Alberni. Long considered a North American crisis that prompted a multi-million-dollar national inquiry in 2016, the issue has been prevalent in Nuu-chah-nulth families for generations, as many mourn the loss of their loved ones due to homicide or suspicious circumstances. Lisa Watts, a support worker with the Nuu-chahnulth Tribal Council, works with families affected by the issue. “In our Nuu-chah-nulth community alone, there are 53 women, girls, LGBTQ+, and we have two women missing, two. We don’t know what happened to them,” she said before the crowd that gathered at the totem pole by Port Alberni’s Victoria Quay. “This walk is to think of those ladies.” According to the national inquiry, between 1980 and 2012 Aboriginal females accounted for 16 per cent of homicide victims, while representing four per cent of Canada’s female population. Between 2001 and 2015 the rate of Indigenous women murdered was nearly six times that of the rest of the country’s female population, according to a Statistics Canada report. May 5 recognizes this phenomenon as national day of awareness. “We know that men and boys have been murdered as well,” said Watts on the rainy morning. “We ask that you remember. Put them in your heart and in your prayers as you walk.” As the rain continued Hesquiaht member Linus Lucas noted the healing benefits of the downpour. “Many of us see it as something that hinders our progress, but we see it as a way of our creator telling us we need to use it to wash away all the hurt that we’ve gone through,” he said. “Let us begin today by recognizing all those women that we’ve lost from unfortunate matters. Let us recognise those men who know and have been honest in telling us about how they inflicted pain on our women.” Before the walk began students from Haahuupayak Elementary School performed. Teacher Trevor Little explained why the boys crouched at one point between songs.

Photos by Eric Plummer

Students from Haahuupayak Elementary School perform before a walk for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Port Alberni on May 5, close to the location where Nicola-Cree Belcourt was killed under suspicious circumstances just a month before (below). The crowd walked three kilometres in the rain for the cause (bottom photo). “I like how the boys crouch today because there’s a new wave of learning here – a connection necessary for all men, for I have half of my mother inside me with that, a female spirit unacknowledged at times,” he said, referencing the many non-Nuu-chah-nulth who came for the walk. “It’s a lot easier to be heard when our neighbours, when the human beings here that share mother earth with us, acknowledge what we’ve been through.” Less than a block away a red dress hangs on a tree over Roger Street, the site where Nicola-Cree Belcourt was found in the early morning hours of April 2. According to police, the Lower Nicola Indian Band member appeared to be fatally injured from an incident with a vehicle that was not at the scene when emergency responders arrived. The vehicle was later seized by RCMP, but charges have not yet been laid in connection to the 30-year-old’s death. Belcourt had moved from her home of Merritt to Port Alberni in the last year. “This was over a month ago, Port Alberni, right here, and we have no answers,” said Watts. The three-kilometre walk ended at

Char’s Landing Hall, where family members of missing and murdered women spoke. Among the Nuu-chah-nulth females who have been missing are Edith Margaret Claver, who was last seen walking away from the Ukrainian Christian Center in Renton, Washington on Nov. 27, 2009. The next day a church employee

found her keys, wallet, union identification card and a small amount of cash stacked neatly near a dumpster alongside the building. On Vancouver Island Lisa Marie Young has been missing since June 30, 2002, when she was out with friends in Nanaimo. Young’s aunt, Carol Frank, spoke at the hall with other family members. “Today is Lisa’s birthday,” she said. “We’ve heard many stories, but still we have not found Lisa.” Grace Frank also spoke for her family, who lost Chantel Moore on June 4, 2020 when the young woman was fatally shot by a police officer during a wellness check in Edmunston, New Brunswick. Although the incident sparked Canadawide protests, the officer has been cleared of wrongdoing in the tragedy. Agnes Keitlah addressed the loss of her sister, Nadine Marshall, whose body was found outside in Victoria’s Esquimalt area on Aug. 3, 2012. Keitlah encouraged others to be open about encountering violence. “I come from a generation where we don’t talk about sexual abuse, we don’t talk about being beat up,” she said. “I think the more we bring this out, the more it’s to help our younger generation.”

Page 8— Ha-Shilth-Sa— May 19, 2022

The history is in the trees as Nuchatlaht trial un

The Nuchatlaht’s B.C. Supreme Court trial for Aboriginal title examines evidence of pre-contact life throughout northern Nootka I By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor Vancouver, BC - Unlike the empire that claimed sovereignty over Nuchatlaht territory and other parts of British Columbia in 1846, the Nuu-chah-nulth nation did not document its history with written records. Although the legacy of habitation on Nootka Island was transferred from one generation to the next orally, other evidence of ancient ties to the remote area can be seen in the forest, which archaeologists and Nuchatlaht members look to as proof their land was stolen when the Crown asserted authority 176 years ago. This point is currently being contested in the B.C. Supreme Court, where a trial is underway over the Nuchatlaht’s Aboriginal title claim to the northern half of Nootka Island. Although the 20,000-hectare area is considered part of the First Nation’s traditional territory – with several federally recognized Indian reserves by historical village sites – the provincial government is disputing the Nuchatlaht’s claim of continued historical habitation. The trial hinges on the legal test of proving uninterrupted occupation of the land since 1846, the date that Britain claimed sovereignty of the area, declaring all forest property of the Crown. In a statement ﬁled to the court, the province disputes the Nuchatlaht continued use of inland areas, stressing the First Nation’s reliance on ﬁshing. “The Nuchatlaht at the date of sovereignty and at all material times relied mostly on marine resources and used upland areas to a limited extent,” stated the province. “The claim area includes pervasive geographic features, which historically and at the date of sovereignty and at all material times, limited or prevented access, use and occupation by the Nuchatlaht, such as areas of high elevation, steep and densely forested upland areas, and steep, rocky, exposed shorelines.”

Cedar used from birth to burial The examination of pre-contact forestry practices has become a central part of the Nuchatlaht’s argument in court. Or particular interest is the prevalence of culturally modiﬁed trees – known as CMTs within archaeology circles - which are stands altered by Indigenous people employing pre-industrial harvesting practices. Most CMTs had a long strip of cedar bark peeled oﬀ the trunk, showing healing lobes of continued growth on either side of the recessed portion where the piece was peeled generations ago. This pliable, tough material was woven into fabric for clothing, napkins or hats, and the bark also provided rope for

A surveyor with a archaeological team (above) examines a fallen cedar tree on Nootka Island that had its bark peeled oﬀ using a traditional Indigeno ﬁshing tools as well as surfaces on roofs. Philip Drucker documented the versatility of the material in his book, The Northern

“Products of red cedar bark and yellow cedar bark were used in almost all aspects of Nootkan life. One could almost describe the culture in terms of them” ~ Philip Drucker and Central Nootkan Tribes, published in 1951 from excursions he made to Nuuchah-nulth communities in 1935 and 1936. “Products of red cedar bark and yellow cedar bark were used in almost all aspects of Nootkan life. One could almost describe the culture in terms of them,” he wrote. “From the time the newborn infant’s body was dried with wisps of shredded cedar bark, and he was laid in a cradle padded with the same material and his head was flattened by a roll of it, he used articles of these materials every day of his life, until he was finally rolled up in an old cedarbark mat for burial.” At least 8,400 culturally modified cedar trees have been identified throughout the

Photo by Eric Plummer

People gather outside the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver on the ﬁrst day of the Nuchatlaht trial on March 21.

claim area, but archaeologist Jacob Earnshaw believes there are many more that are hidden in the forests of Nootka Island or have been logged since the mid-20th century. In his expert witness report provided for the Nuchatlaht trial Earnshaw notes that, although clearcutting was conducted in the claim area from 1957-2017, archaeological surveys weren’t conducted in cutblocks until 1999. “Of great concern to archaeological visibility, large areas of the Nuchatlaht claim area were industrially logged prior to the existence of provincial protections for CMT sites,” he wrote. “The majority of Nuchatlaht coastline and forested areas have not been systematically inventoried for archaeological sites. In the few areas that were assessed, dense sites of human occupation and utilization were identiﬁed.” Another issue facing the identiﬁcation of the Nuchatlaht’s pre-contact forestry practices is the elusiveness of how the trees were harvested. Unlike the industrial standard of clearcutting large blocks of forest, in the past Nootka Island’s residents only took what they needed from the trees, leaving the stands to continue growing. Cedar trees that had their bark stripped hundreds of years ago have continued by producing multiple layers of healing lobes on either side of the harvested portion. Sometimes

these trees grow to the point that the bare strip is covered by the lobes completely, making a cedar’s existence as a CMT unrecognizable to many archaeologists performing impact assessment that are currently required under provincial regulations. Other CMTs had a section of the trunk removed for a plank or canoe. A few found on northern Nootka Island were

Photo submitted by Jacob Ea

South of the Nuchatlaht claim area, in the part of Nootka Is Mowachaht/Muchalaht territory, two abourglyths wer centre), a mark often associated with territorial ownership

May 19, 2022—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 9

ht trial unfolds

ughout northern Nootka Island’s forests

“Therefore, the usual procedure was to split a large slab off a standing tree,” he wrote. “This was done by making two cuts, one above the other, the lower narrow, the upper one a high, open notch. The distance between them was that desired for the length of the boards or canoe.” Using scaffolding to access the upper parts of the tree, each of these cuts were deeply made nearly to the centre of the trunk. “Then wedges were driven in, downward, in the upper cut until a good-sized pole could be inserted in the split,” continued Drucker. “The logger then went home. After some time the action of the wind rocked the tree and the weight of the cross pole combined to extend the split till it reached the lower notch, and the slab fell off.”

‘Standard practice’ of logging cultural forests

Jacob Earnshaw expert witness report photo

peeled oﬀ using a traditional Indigenous method.

By the 1990s the provincial government began requiring assessments of cutblocks to identify any evidence of these ancient practices. Now the Forest Practices Code of B.C. stipulates the reporting of CMTs and other cultural heritage sites in locations where logging or road building will take place. The Heritage Conservation Act prohibits damage to CMT sites if they show evidence of human occupation before 1846, but logging can continue if a Site Alteration Permit is granted, which requires the documentation of the pre-contact forestry practices. Earnshaw reported that several Site Alternation Permits were granted for northern

“We feel ourancestors there, because there is no better place to go...The kids today, they want to be connected to Nuchatlaht. We want them to be happy, normal, loved kids, and that’s a good place to be to do that.”

Photo submitted by Jacob Earnshaw expert witness report

A logged culturally modified tree shows the extent of healing lobes that grew on either side of the section where cedar bark was stripped off. Below is a drawing illustrating the healing process after a cedar tree’s bark is peeled off.

~ Archie Little, Nuchatlaht house speaker

Photo submitted by Sierra Club BC

completely cut high above the base, a logging method that allowed Indigenous people to avoid the wide ﬂares around the roots, a practice sometimes called a “barber chair” that leaves an elevated stump. Drucker observed that the desirable cedar with knotless trunks often grew back in the woods, where falling an entire tree would “foul those of the forest giants clustered around it.”

Photo submitted by Jacob Earnshaw expert witness report

t claim area, in the part of Nootka Island that is t territory, two abourglyths were found in trees (bottom ssociated with territorial ownership.

Nootka Island - apparently with little resistance from provincial regulators. “I have not yet come across a Site Alterations Permit, requesting the destruction of a CMT site, having been refused, regardless of the scientific/heritage value of the site identified in accompanying [archaeological impact assessments],” he wrote. “This state of affairs, I would suggest, diminishes the strength of cultural protections for CMTs. The regular felling of cultural forests, including some of the largest on Vancouver Island, appears to have been standard practice in Nuchatlaht Territory.” John Dewhirst, an archaeologist who has studies coastal First Nations for more than 40 years, also gave a report for the Nuchatlaht trial. Some of the CMTs he lists are dated, usually from the 1800s with one as old as 1543. But Dewhirst states that Nuchatlaht people have been harvesting cedar in the claim area for far longer, as logging and inherent forest processes have made older culturally modified stands unidentifiable. “Undoubtedly, CMTs have been made in the claim area for thousands of years,” he wrote. “The natural healing process of standing trees has concealed many ancient CMTs from recognition by archaeologists and foresters. The natural forest mortality and industrial harvesting have removed numerous standing CMTs in the claim area.” Dewhirst cites evidence from Yuquot, an ancient Mowachaht village 20 kilometres south of the claim area, where excavations in 1966 found deposits dating back 4,280 years. “Cultural deposits” were found deeper than where this radiocarbon dating

was conducted, suggesting even earlier occupation on southern Nootka Island. Dewhirst reports that the widespread distribution of CMTs across northern Nootka Island shows “that a body of knowledge based on intimate familiarity of the forest resources in the claim area must have been shared and passed on in the long-standing resident groups there.” “The only collective group known to have occupied the claim area when the CMTs were made is the Nuchatlaht,” he wrote.

‘We feel our ancestors there’ Culturally modified trees are not the only evidence of pre-contact habitation in the area. Over a dozen burial sites have been identified, half in caves where remains and bentwood boxes were found by surveyors. Earnshaw’s examinations of the island found sites where houses once stood, their depressions still evident on the forest floor. And multiple shell middens have been documented, thick deposits of garbage indicating the residue to daily life once lived by people in the remote area. Nuchatlaht house speaker Archie Little will always consider the island home. He spent his childhood in the coastal village of Nuchatlitz before being taken to Christie

Indian Residential School at age 6. “Every square inch of Nuchatlaht Ḥahahuułi was used. Every square inch had a purpose,” said Little. “It’s part of our identity. It’s part of our Ḥahahuułi. It’s part of our lifestyle, it’s our garden, our medicine place.” He recalls watching the abundantly available herring drying on racks. “It was our job as kids to keep the crows away with our slingshots,” said Little, who returned to Nuchatlitz during the summer break from residential school. “We were in heaven, we were free. We were Indian kids again, we were Nuchatlaht kids. We had nobody hoarding over us telling us what to do,” he continued. “We stopped being beaten up for two months.” Aboriginal title entails the right of a First Nation to use, enjoy and proﬁt from its territory, a legal recognition of ownership that the 167-member First Nation sees as a critical part of its future concerning northern Nootka Island. “We feel our ancestors there, because there is no better place to go,” said Little. “The kids today, they want to be connected to Nuchatlaht. We want them to be happy, normal, loved kids, and that’s a good place to be to do that.”

Page 10— Ha-Shilth-Sa— May 19, 2022

Photo submitted by KCFN Group of Businesses

Walter’s Cove Resort is scheduled to reopen June 23, with a new ﬂoating facility in Kyuquot Sound that is expected to be towed from Vancouver at the end of May.

Walter’s Cove Resort reopens this June in Kyuquot Floating facility brought into Kyuquot Sound, with future plans to offer more for visitors beyond sports fishing By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor Kyuquot, BC - After being closed for two years over the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nation’s resort is reopening this summer with a larger facility and future plans to become more than a fishing lodge. Walter’s Cove Resort is expected to welcome its first guests of the year on June 23, in a new floating facility anchored one kilometre south the First Nation’s village of Houpsitas in Kyuquot Sound. Recently leased by Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/ Che:k’tles7et’h’ from Vancouver Island Forest and Marine, the Englefield Lodge is currently sitting under the Alex Fraser bridge in Vancouver, but by the end of the month is expected to begin its journey across the Salish Sea and up the west coast of Vancouver Island to its new home in Kyuquot Sound. The resort’s new barge facility offers 15,000 square feet of accommodation, with 23 rooms, 50 beds, a dining room, lounge, kitchen and gym. The Englefield was most recently used as an accommodation barge for forestry workers operat-

ing in remote locations of the West Coast, but since it was built in 2000, it has mostly served as a fishing lodge. It was previously owned by Haida Enterprise Corporation, which operated the facility in Haida Gwaii until 2017. The Englefield has more than double the capacity of the old Water’s Cove facility, a nine-room building on stilts that still sits on Walter’s Island. Structural problems forced the initial closure of the resort in early 2020, then the COVID-19 pandemic stretched the shutdown to two years. But with travel opening up in the province as most pandemic restrictions have been lifted, the larger facility brings big hopes for the First Nation to reclaim its stake in the tourism industry, said the resort’s general manager Terry Schultz. “We’re excited to get back into the game,” he said. “It’s been a tough couple of years with COVID.” For this season, less than half of the Englefield will be used, due to number of boats the resort has available for guests. But until the facility is expected to close on Sept. 4, 85 per cent of the rooms designated for used are already booked, putting the resort on target for over $1

million in proceeds. “We’ve already hit our revenue target that we had for our budget for this year,” said Schultz. Despite the two-year shutdown, all but five of the 18 staff are returning from when Walter’s Cove was last open, 11 of whom are Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ members. Although Walter’s Cove Resort serves primarily as a fishing lodge, with the new facility the First Nation hopes to bring more of an authentic cultural and environmental experience that could only be offered in Kyuquot Sound. “Fishing will be one of many experiences in the Kyuquot Sound,” said Gary Wilson, chief executive and economic development officer with the KCFN Group of Businesses. “Whether it’s kayaking or hiking or just travelling the coast to see the history, mother nature and all the other parts of the area - rather than just going on the water and throwing a hook in ocean and hoping to catch a fish - there’s more to [Kyuquot] Sound and Che:k’tles7et’h’ territory than fishing. We want to give the visitors a much broader experience.” “We want concentrate on eco and

cultural tourism, and just having fishing as one of the activities you can do while you’re there,” added Schultz. “With that we can expand our season. Right now our season is limited by when the fishing is at it’s best, because we’re operating strictly as a fishing lodge.” Schultz estimates the resort’s guests are split evenly between Canadians and Americans. Approximately 70 per cent of the Canadian guests come from B.C., with the remainder usually from Alberta and Ontario, he said. Many visitors are flown in via Sea Air from Vancouver, and boats also pick up guests from Fair Harbour. “We get corporate business of companies that want to reward employees or important clients,”’ said Schultz. “We also get families, we get groups of fishing buddies, we get some couples.” “It’s an opportunity to be on the water, close to the elements,” said Wilson. “The challenge of catching the salmon or other fish in the territory and have that experience, it’s certainly a contrast going from a busy life to that lifestyle for a little while.”

Phrase of the week: %ayapa>%a>%iš kuukuh=wisa h=aa%um it%iš %a> huu%ak%a>qun Pronounced ‘Aaa ya palth ish alth koo koo whir sa haa um it ish alth haa ook’, it means, ‘There is lots of seals around in the waters, they were so food to eat! ’. Supplied by ciisma.

Illustration by Ivy Cargill-Martin

May 19, 2022—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 11

First Nation buys tour company with 50-year legacy Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ hopes that West Coast Expeditions will expand its ‘conservation-based’ economy By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor Kyuquot, BC - With the aim of developing a more “sustainable, conservationbased economy”, the Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/ Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations have bought a tourism business with 50 years of operating in its territory. On May 10 the First Nation’s KCFN Marina and Campground Limited Partnership announced the acquisition of West Coast Expeditions, a company that has been oﬀering guided wilderness retreats in Kyuquot Sound since 1972. With its base camp on Spring Island southwest of the village of Houpsitas, West Coast Expeditions oﬀers kayaking tours ranging in duration from four to an eight-day journey to the Brooks Peninsula, which is northwest of Kyuquot. Guests stay in tents with raised beds in a camp equipped with showers, a dining area and a chef-run kitchen. “There’s a network of trails that we maintain on the island, as well as the incredible coastal hiking and shoreline exploring, including intertidal life,” said Dave Pinel, a past co-owner of the company with Caroline Fisher and Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ member Beverly Michel, who currently manage the operation as the First Nation undergoes the ownership transition.

“There’s a network of trails that we maintain on the island, as well as the incredible coastal hiking and shoreline exploring, including intertidal life,” ~ Dave Pinel, former co-owner of West Coast Expeditions “A big raft of up to 200 sea otters has been slowly increasing in the area,” said Fisher. “That’s a big draw for folks as well.” Many guests are from various parts of British Columbia, but visitors also venture from the northwestern United States as well as Germany, Britain and the Netherlands, with some groups coming from as far away as Australia and Japan. “Part of the attraction is to be unplugged from the internet and cell phones,” added Pinel. “It helps people reset in what seems to be a more entangled and confusing world.”

Photos submitted by West Coast Expeditions

West Coast Expeditions oﬀers guided tours through Kyuquot Sound, some venturing as far north as Brooks Peninsula. The former owner noted that guests are always introduced to the cultural importance of the territory they will be exploring, and connections with locals continue throughout their stay, including the weekly salmon dinners hosted by the Jules family. “It’s unscripted, it’s conversations, it’s learning about life in the remote location,” said Pinel. “Last summer we started doing some language and cultural conversations with Tessie Smith, who is one of the Nuu-chah-nulth language instructors.” The First Nation’s ownership of the company serves as a progressive localizing of the operation, as West Coast Expeditions looks to be run by more Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ members in the future. It was started in 1972 by the late Jerry Lang, an Okanagan College biology teacher who oﬀered excursions with a marine biology theme to areas that were not impacted by the last ice age. Although the tourism company only operates for three and a half months of the year, the First Nation hopes that the acquisition will lead to a more diverse economy beyond resource extraction industries. “KCFN leadership was in full support of

the acquisition, recognizing the long-term success of WCE and the opportunities it could provide to the nation and citizens in terms of economic development and employment,” said the nation’s Legislative Chief Tony Hansen in a statement. “Forestry deﬁnitely provides the most revenue for the businesses at this point,” said Gary Wilson, CEO and economic development oﬃcer for the KCFN Group of Businesses. “The nation’s vision is to have a sustainable, conservation-based economy. So we’ve got to start the balance there and make sure that those extractive businesses are done in a fashion that’s going to be respectful of the values of the nation.” Tours are almost completely booked for the summer, and more than 80 per cent of West Coast Expeditions’ guests this year are returning customers, noted Wilson. “We recognise that tourism in itself is not going to be able to sustain all of operations or the economy, but it certainly will be a means to other opportunities and partnerships with respect to the group of businesses and the citizens,” said Wilson, who is looking to the potential of West Coast Expeditions to grow its following. “For protocol purposes and out of respect

for the nations, we want to make sure that what we’re oﬀering is authentic to Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’. That’s something that will unfold over the next couple of years.” A few years ago WCE guests experienced a particularly authentic stay when it was discovered they were sharing Spring Island with a pack of 11 wolves. “They were amazing neighbours,” recalled Pinel. “The wolves don’t look to humans as a food item or food source unless we train them to do so. Let them forage successfully, if they’re clearly circulating [let them] harvest from the intertidal area or the forest.” “We were very careful. We never left anything out that would appeal to them in any way,” said Fisher. “Toiletries were put away in Rubbermaid containers so there was nothing they could smell.” Pinel added that the group discouraged the wolves from coming too close to the camp. “Our seven-year-old son used to chase away the alpha female and the young pups and they would respond to that,” he said. “I think the wolves are more stressed out by us being there than us by them.”

Page 12— Ha-Shilth-Sa— May 19, 2022

President’s message to Nuu-chah-nulth-aht Another month has passed very quickly with so much going on all over Nuuchah-nulth territories. May 5th marked the day to mark Murdered, Missing Indigenous Women and girls (MMIWG). Every year a day is set aside to do something significant to remember the MMIWG and to raise awareness that the issue has not been resolved and the governments are not doing much, if anything, to implement the recommendation of the MMIWG inquiry. All across Canada, there were marches and gatherings and ceremonies to commemorate this day. In Nuu-chah-nulth territories there was a walk in Port Alberni and then a gathering at Char’s Landing. Many families shared their stories of loved ones gone missing, what happened and whether anything was being done to find them or what injustices still continue. MMIWG negatively impacts families, communities and all of Nuu-chah-nulth. In some cases, their loved one has been missing for years and still the families look for them and bring awareness to their years of not knowing. Such loss is hard to describe and it is heartbreaking to hear the stories. Mariah Charleson spoke and said that as Indigenous women, we are 12 times more likely to go missing or murdered. That is a harsh statistic. Prevention is the best possible thing for us and teaching our girls and women how to be safe and practicing safety to reduce the risk is one possible way to stop this. When I spoke, I talked about how regardless, we must all speak out and keeping telling the governments and police we want and need better. As Nuu-chah-nulth we must also do whatever we can to talk about the injustices that continue. Another important event this month was that two people were charged in relation to the death of Dontay Lucas, who was 6 at the time. It took the justice system four years to charge two people with first-degree murder. Four years is far too long for this to have happened. The vice president and I have done a lot of politicking and lobbying to move this process. The police investigation took around two years and then it had to go to the local Crown counsel to recommend charges that had to be approved at the regional Crown. Why it took so long going through these processes is unknown and unjust. The police have to have all their evidence in place before charging people because if it takes too long to get to court, then charges can be dropped. They did not want that to happen in this case involving a young child and did everything they could to ensure all the evidence they needed was gathered. Through the years, we have pushed and inquired as to the status of this file. In fact in January, we had a meeting with the Attorney General of B.C. and brought his attention to the slowness of this case. Many are relieved that charges have gone through, but now there may be a long wait for a trial if those charged do not plead guilty. This could still take some time to be resolved. The legislative committee on police reform tabled their report in early May. It took two years to go around the province and make recommendations on how policing should be done. Their biggest recommendation was to do away with the RCMP and bring in a new provincial force that would be non-racist, better trained and have a mental health component to deal with incidences involving mental health. They plan to talk to

every First Nation and ask them how they want policing done in their community. They are open to Indigenous police forces within our communities. This kind of thing, bringing in a new police force, could take up to 10 years and lots of money. B.C. has an agreement with the RCMP for another 10 years. My comment on this new police force is the police are the police are the police. We need positive changes now and not to wait for 10 years. We are working with the RCMP and will continue to work with the RCMP to make changes we need. As Nuu-chah-nulth, we can discuss how we want policing done now and into the future. The province wants to make changes but I question whether they will make the radical changes including racism, policing mental health issues, etc. The province also tabled Bill 24, the anti racism data legislation. They want to be able to allow public bodies to collect date to help eliminate systemic racism and advance racial equality. People do not have to give their consent to providing this kind of information. They plan to put in place culturally safe collection and use of disclosure information. There will be systems put in place to monitor how public bodies gather information and give guidance to the minister. I participated in one session where we were able to react to the ideas and then to review the legislation and make comments. Still do not think B.C. is doing enough to work with First Nations prior to tabling legislation and there needs to be more opportunities to help develop laws that would be beneﬁcial for First Nations. I was able to speak on two panels through Zoom at a Rural and Remote Communities Clean Energy Conference that was happening in Whitehorse, Yukon. Several of our communities are still on diesel and eﬀorts need to be made to provide them with the resources they need to build clean energy projects and to build capacity in order to develop these projects. People attended from all over Canada and there were many great conversations on what people are doing, what they still need to do and how to involve youth. Looking forward to more projects being built in Nuu-chah-nulth communities. We are doing a one-day dialogue on how Nuu-chah-nulth can get involved in UNDRIP on May 25th. Tune in on Zoom, check on the links on our website and the Ha-shilth-sa Facebook page. -Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers

Obituaries

Are you facing a diﬃcult situation, is life hard? Call us now. 24 Hour Crisis Line - KUU-US Crisis Line Society

Adult/Elder Crisis Line: 250-723-4050 Child/Youth Crisis Line: 250-723-2040

May 19, 2022—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 13

Employment Opportunities Tseshaht First Nation Employment Opportunity CHILD & FAMILY SUPPORT WORKER (TEMPORARY FULL-TIME) The Tseshaht First Nation Administration Oﬃce is now accepting applications for a temporary full-time Child & Family Support Worker position. ……………………………………………………………………………………… POSITION SUMMARY Reporting to the Social Development & Health Services Manager, this position supports members on and oﬀ reserve requiring Child & Family support services. This position supports prevention services for Child & Family Services matters. As a community-based resource, this position supports children & families, with navigating the child and family serving systems, with all matters pertaining to Tseshaht Children in Care, Family Service plans, and referrals to child & family support services. This position interacts regularly with the USMA Child & Family Services, Ministry of Children & Family Development, Court Services, and other agencies relevant to CFS matters. HOW TO APPLY Submit a cover letter, resume and three (3) current references to: Tseshaht First Nation, Attention: Victoria White, Executive Director by mail: 5091 Tsuma-as Drive, Port Alberni BC, V9Y 8X9; or by email: vshrimpton@tseshaht.com CLOSING DATE: June 8, 2022

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 Tseshaht First Nation Employment Opportunity YOUTH & RECREATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR The Tseshaht First Nation Administration Oﬃce is now accepting applications for the position of Recreation & Youth Programs Coordinator. This is a full-time position at 75 hours bi-weekly (37.5 hours per week) with some weekend and holiday hours required. ……………………………………………………………………………………… RESPONSIBILITIES The Recreation & Youth Programs Coordinator reports to the Education Coordinator and is responsible to develop, schedule, and coordinate the delivery of a comprehensive range of Youth Programs and Community Recreation services with a primary focus on enhancing the health, wellbeing and development of Tseshaht Youth, including seasonal sports and recreational activities, delivery of before and after school and youth programs, monitoring and operation of the day to day operations of the Youth Centre facility; planning, scheduling, and supervising the use of the Gym and Fitness Centre; and planning, scheduling, and participating in the delivery of community recreational events. HOW TO APPLY Submit a cover letter, resume and three (3) current references to: Tseshaht First Nation, Attention: Victoria White, Executive Director by mail: 5091 Tsuma-as Drive, Port Alberni BC, V9Y 8X9; or by email: vshrimpton@tseshaht.com CLOSING DATE: June 8, 2022

Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper May 19th, 2022

Articles inside

New documentary in Ahousaht

Walter’s Cove Resort reopens

Culturally modifi ed trees show history..................Pages 8

Revitalization of Northwest Coast Hall

Uchucklesaht’s real estate, seaweed and bottled water