Ha Shilth Sa Newspaper October 5, 2023

Orange Shirt Day marks 50 years since AIRS closure

Over 1,000 particpate in walk through Port Alberni to Maht Mahs on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC - The streets of Port Alberni once again turned orange today, marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, but this year brought a particularly significant occasion for the community.

This Sept. 30, on what has been called Orange Shirt Day by First Nations people for several years, marked 50 years since theAlberni Indian Residential School closed. The institution was first established as a day school for local First Nations children on the Tseshaht reserve in 1892, taking students into residential quarters the following year. The institution went through multiple buildings over the following years, and was transferred from the federal government to the United Church of Canada in 1925. The Government of Canada took back control in 1969, and theAlberni Indian Residential School closed for good in 1973, amid urging from the West Coast District Council of Indian Chiefs.

Well over 1,000 people participated in the Orange Shirt Day walk this year, which began at the Barclay Hotel at about 11 a.m., progressing down to the Victoria Quay and along River Road. The procession ended at Maht Mahs, whereAIRS once stood. Speeches, food and cultural performances followed for those present, into the evening.

Eric Plummer photos

Streets in PortAlberni filled with orange on Sept. 30 for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Tofino/Ucluelet grassroots press for clean up measures

Businesses offer water dispensers to encourage use of reuseable water boÅles, cigareÅe buÅs are recycled

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Coastal British Columbia – Ocean Wise Canada, a conservation group that works to clean and protect the world’s oceans, has released their 2022 Dirty Dozen list.

“Each year, Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup identifies the 12 most found items on Canada’s freshwater and marine shorelines,” they stated.

Topping the list for 2022 was the 164,995 cigarette butts that were cleaned up by volunteers on Canadian shorelines. Why are cigarette butts bad for the ocean? Cigarettes, when wet, can leach toxic chemicals, such as lead and arsenic, into the environment, contaminating water and harming animals and, potentially, the food chain. Rather than toss your cigarette onto the beach or into the water, Ocean Wise advises smokers to place cigarette butts in a can and dispose of it in the trash. Or they can ship it to Terracycle’s free UNSMOKE Cigarette Waste Recycling Program. https://www. terracycle.com

Surfrider Foundation volunteers have launched the Hold On To Your Butt program to encourage recycling of cigarette waste in Tofino and Ucluelet. They set up several drop-off locations in both communities. Surfrider volunteers collect the waste once a month and ship it to Terracycle where it is recycled into plastic plywood.

Individuals can collect their own cigarette waste including cigar/cigarette butts, inner foil liners and ash for recycling. Outer cardboard packaging can go in

WikimediaCommons photo

Fighting ocean polution, Ocean Wise gathers volunteers to do regular beach cleanups. Cigarette butts top the list of trash collected on Canadian shorelines in 2022 on banning disposable plastic beverage bottles.

your municipality’s blue bin for recycling. The materials should be stored in a sturdy container and shipped to Terracycle. Shipping labels can be printed from the website.

According to Surfrider, the Hold On To Your Butt Program has recycled 1.4 million cigarette butts between Tofino and Ucluelet in partnership with TerraCycle Canada since 2017.

The District of Tofino has been a leader in taking reusable plastics out of circulation with their ban on plastic shopping bags, eating utensils and drinking straws. And now, the village has set their sights

Plastic bottles placed 9th on the 2022 Dirty Dozen list with 13,388 bottles picked up in 2022. Plastic bags and straws placed 10th and 12th, respectively. Surfrider Foundation has taken the lead with their Take Back the Tap program, with the goal of banning all single-use one-litre and smaller water bottles from the Pacific Rim.

Tofino’s fresh water is sourced from the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation’s Tribal Park where it is filtered, then pours freely from the taps. The Take Back the Tap cam-

paign encourages businesses refill their customer’s reusable water bottles rather than sell bottled water.

Local businesses are getting on board with the campaign. Rather than bottled water, they offer water from the tap, fountain or dispenser. Water dispensers have been installed around Tofino and Ucluelet.

Surfrider plans to lobby local districts to add single-use water bottles to the SingleUse Plastic Regulation.

‘Bomb cyclone’ ends fire danger, drought effects remain

The West Coast saw the first storm of the fall in late September, a welcome downpour amid a severe drought

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Vancouver Island, BC -After a summer of severe drought, Vancouver Island went from one extreme to another this week with the first storm of the autumn.

But despite the late September downour that hit the West Coast - brought by what meteorologists called a ‘bomb cyclone’after a year of lower-than-normal precipitation some are reluctant to say the drought is over.

Heavy rain and strong wind hit the West Coast on Sunday evening (Sept. 24), soaking Vancouver Island’s parched land until Tuesday, Sept. 26. This put all of Vancouver Island and the southern B.C. coast under a “high streamflow advisory” according to the River Forecast Centre, which advised people to avoid fishing, using boats or hiking near high flowing rivers.As much as 150 millimetres of rain was expected to hit some parts of western Vancouver Island.

“Current river levels are extremely low in most areas,” read a notice from B.C.’s Ministry of Forests. “Conditions are expected to be dynamic with periods of rapid river rises. Being near these riverbanks, creeks and fast-flowing bodies of water is dangerous.”

This was brought on by what meteorologists called a ‘bomb cyclone’: the rapid intensification of a low-pressure system in a short period of time.

Winds had peaked by Monday afternoon (Sept. 25), reaching 70 kilometres an hour in Tofino, while north of Kyuquot the Solander Island Lightstation at Brooks Peninsula recorded 161-kilometre gusts. Environment Canada reported a “gale warning in effect” and a “waterspout watch” for the island’s northwest coast.

At the northern end of Clayoquot Sound

In Hesquiaht Harbour, the much-needed rain finally enabled the Ignace family to get enough water in their well to automatically gravity feed into the household tank. But the family’s boats needed multiple lines tied to them to ensure the vessels didn’t get dislodged from the harbour, said Dianne Ignace.

“The boats have five bow lines and four stern lines tied to them and the wall,” she wrote in an online message to Ha-ShilthSa. “The tide doesn’t seem to want to go out. The boats hardly stop floating long enough to bail them out.”

Ignace expected more rough weather the following weekend, with 12-foot tides at

the coastal settlement.

“It is extremely rough with really lots of much needed rain,” she wrote. “The river is huge and the cohoes are streaming up by the hundreds. I’m filling my 13th jar today.”

Meanwhile pictures had surfaced on social media of strong winds inAhousaht, where Nate Charlie posted a photo of the First Nation’s flag almost completely blown off its mast in the community’s newer subdivision.

In theAlberni Valley the highest number of chinook salmon were expected to pass through the Stamp River, said Graham Murrell, fisheries manager for the Hupacasath First Nation.

“They started marching at 1,000 per day back in the end ofAugust,” said Murrell of the daily passage of chinook along the Somass and Stamp River system. “Around the 23rd ofAugust it’s pretty much been a conveyor belt of fish.”

As the sudden rain persisted, the First Nation’s fisheries team closely watched river levels.

“We’re kind of on river watch right now on the Stamp River making sure our tunnels aren’t going to be flooded out,” said Murrell as he observed the area’s rivers

on Sept. 26. “Just this morning they shot up 15 centimetres. But it’s got the fish moving, though.”

As is often the case during storms, coastal communities suffered power outages. In Tofino 317 homes and businesses lost power from 4:30 p.m. Sunday until noon the next day, an outage that also affectedAhousaht. In Ucluelet over 500 homes and businesses were without electricity from 10 p.m. Sunday until 5 o’clock the next morning.

These outages were caused by trees and branches falling on power lines, said Ted Olynyk, BC Hydro’s manger of community relations.

“It’s the first storm, luckily it wasn’t as bad as it was forecast, so we should take that as a blessing and a reminder that we always need to be prepared for outages,” he said. “From my experience people on the west coast are quite hardy and are able to deal with outages much better than other parts of the island.”

He noted that repairs cannot always be immediate during heavy storms.

“There are times when we bring crews in and tell them just wait until the intense part of the storm has passed,” said Olynyk. “We don’t want to put anybody in harm’s way.”

Heavy rain is characteristic for western Vancouver Island, particularly Hucuktlis Lake, formerly known as Henderson Lake in Uchucklesaht territory. From Sept. 23-26 Hucuktlis Lake received over 370 millimetres of rain, a large volume but not an abnormal event for the rainiest place in NorthAmerica, which saw a record precipitation of over 9,300 millimetres in 1997.

For many, the first storm of autumn brought a welcome change from the driest summer in recent memory. Since July 13 the province had Vancouver Island under drought level five, resulting in low water flows later that month in the region’s rivers. The District of Tofino reported 75 per cent less rain than the average summer, resulting in a ban on all outdoor watering since early July, with notices for homes and businesses to take other measures to conserve water.

But after much of the island was under a “extreme fire danger rating” over

August, the Coastal Fire Centre had this downgraded to “very low” for most of Vancouver Island and the southern B.C. coast. On Sept. 26 a ban on campfires and outdoor burning was also lifted, prohibition that had been in place since early June.

Despite the overnight transformation in weather, Natasha Cowie, a hydrologist with the Ministry of Forests, was reluctant to conclude that Vancouver Island’s drought conditions are over.

“It’s preliminary to say the drought has been ended because it was such a profound drought,” she said. “We need repeated events like this, repeatedly for weeks, to catch up to more normal conditions.”

This summer’s drought had been a year in the making, explained Cowie, after the West Coast had been experiencing lowerthan-normal precipitation since last fall. Over the past 12 months this has created precipitation deficits below the median volume in coastal locations. PortAlberni’s weather station currently has a deficit of 650 millimetres, while the Estevan Point station near Hesquiaht Harbour has a shortfall of over one metre of rain over the past year.

“It’s at the lowest precipitation ever recorded, and that’s for a period of record going back to 1909,” said Cowie of the coastal weather station, noting that other Vancouver Island locations are also behind in cumulative precipitation. “Really there was not meaningful recharge to groundwater and to streams through the winter.”

Although the change brought by the ‘bomb cyclone’was abrupt, storms of this magnitude are seasonally typical for the West Coast, said Cowie. Stream beds and other areas are accustomed to the heavy rain.

“This is going to be very different on the west coast of Vancouver Island than a proportionally similar storm in the Interior,” explained Cowie. “This is not an atypical amount of rain for the area, so the streams’geomorphology has adapted to heavy rainfall, and also adapted to really abrupt increases in stream flow because all of these systems are essentially dominated by rainfall.”

Eric Plummer photo

By late September wet weather had returned to theAlberni Inlet and Somass River. Over the past year a PortAlberni weather station has recorded a precipitation deficit of 650 millimetres.

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Huu-ay-aht explore tourism fee program

The one-per-cent fee would help mitigate the future impacts of increased visitation

By Karly Blats Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Bamfield, BC -Anew tourism fee program is being investigated by the Huu-ay-aht First Nations that would support the development of ecological and cultural stewardship in the Bamfield and Anacla area.

The potential project is in collaboration with the Island Coast Economic Trust and inspired by the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation’s successful Tribal ParksAllies program launched in 2018.

This strategy invites businesses and organizations to sign a protocol agreement that commits them to contribute a one-per-cent Ecosystem Service Fee to fund action items defined in community plans, such as environmental and cultural stewardship initiatives.

With new road infrastructure improving access to Bamfield and the Huu-ay-aht’s traditional territory, the First Nation is expecting a major influx of tourism. The development of new partnerships with local businesses and tourism operators aims to create a revenue stream that will be directly reinvested in long-term stewardship of Huu-ay-aht territories, enabling sustainable tourism development.

“We’re hoping to have theseAllies fees linked to ecology and stewardship, so some of the environmental stewardship programs that we would be contributing to would have to do with things that are very important to our community on a cultural resource perspective as well as a tourism and hospitality perspective,” said Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor John Jack. “The usage of the monies would be for watershed renewal and restoration, so ensuring that that money could be channeled in a productive way to ensure that…rivers and streams as well as our oceans are taken care of.”

Jack said popular tourist attractions in the Bamfield andAnacla area continue to be the northern trail head of the West Coast Trail, Pachena Bay Campground and music festival and touring Kiixin, an ancient village site and fortress that dates back 5,500 years.

“We do have opportunities to work with Parks Canada on creating a more trailbased experience in the local area as well which may mean that we would have…

people who are going to hike five to 10 kilometres for a couple of days throughout a week’s stay,” Jack said.

TheAllies Tourism Fee Development program will work with participating businesses, recognized as ‘Allies,’and be identified as such through the display of theAllies logo. Together, allied members and the First Nation would work in a mutually beneficial way that is respectful of Indigenous rights while helping to mitigate the impacts of tourism.

“Part of what we want to do is reiterate this is an exploration of an idea,” Jack said. “We’re looking at having meaningful conversations with local businesses as well as residents who may be entrepreneurs themselves and making sure that it’s well understood that what we’re looking to do here is all work together… on preserving the very reason why our territory, our land and our experiences are valuable.”

The project includes a strategic planning and visioning phase, which will determine the specifications of the Huu-ay-aht Allies program, as well as the initiative’s development and launch. During the second phase, the program will invite Bamfield businesses and other operators utilizing Huu-ay-aht traditional territory

to voluntarily participate.

“Bamfield and Huu-ay-aht territories continue to attract visitors who are looking for stunning beauty and adventures in nature,” said Josie Osborne, MLAfor Mid Island-Pacific Rim in a press release. “This innovative program will help ensure more of the profits from tourism go back to the Huu-ay-aht Nation and create partnerships that will support the region’s ongoing prosperity.”

Island Coastal Economic Trust is investing with Huu-ay-aht First Nations in the Allies Tourism Fee Development project through the Capital and Innovation Program. The trust will contribute $45,500 to a total project budget of $95,500. The project will be underway imminently.

“This initiative is a special one for the trust to invest in with Huu-ay-aht who are leading the way in developing a sustainable local economy along with an innovative approach to stewardship finance as the owners and stewards of their traditional territory,” saidAaron Stone, chair of Island Coastal Economic Trust, in a press release. “This new initiative will create new partnerships and revenues for Huu-ay-aht First Nations that benefit local businesses, citizens, and visitors in the years ahead.”

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Karly Blats photo Visitors walk along Brady’s Beach on the west side of Bamfield.

Division around SOGI-inclusive education in schools

Division among students, parents, and school districts at Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity education

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Schools across British Columbia have been making changes with the addition of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) education.Although many students and families have welcomed SOGI as a needed change in the school system, others have expressed concerns about what is being taught to their children.

On Sept. 20, rallies against and for SOGI were held across Canada, where the highly contested conversation surrounding the implementation of the education program amounted to arrests in cities, including Victoria and Vancouver. Victoria police even announced that the legislature had become unsafe when the rallies were being held, asking people to avoid the area.

In PortAlberni, the division was evident when Roger Street was split in two with LGBTQ2S+ advocates taking up the sidewalk in front of School District 70’s office and anti-SOGI attendees filling the sidewalk directly across the street.

SOGI was introduced into British Columbia six years ago after amendments were made to the Canadian Human RightsAct to include gender identity and expression, shared Scout Gray, who uses the pronouns they/them and is the national program manager of SOGI 123.

“In school districts across British Columbia, all schools are required to have codes of conduct and anti-bullying policies that address the protected grounds of discrimination under the B.C. Human Rights Code,” said Tim Davie, superintendent of SD 70. “This includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.”

“In School District 70, we’re committed to creating safe and inclusive environments for all individuals and this commitment is reflected in our policy and our everyday practice,” added Davie.

To date all of B.C.’s 60 school districts are formally participating. Gray explained that the needs of each community and the implementation of SOGI 123 will differ from school to school.

Overall, SOGI education is “an initiative that helps educators make schools safer and more inclusive for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities,” said Gray.

“Unfortunately, we know that schools have not always been a safe space for all students, especially 2SLGBTQ students,”

It’s heartwarming for Honey Johnson of Huu-ay-aht, a former student atADSS, to see how far things have come for LGBTQ2S+, though “we’re still far from where I say that equality would stand,” she said.

Gray continued. “While that has changed a lot in recent years, there’s still work to be done and a lot of educators who need support and guidance on how to do that. That’s where we come in.”

For Stacie Johnston, she expressed that she has no hate in her heart for anybody. Through stories she heard and research she did, Johnston noted concerns she has with SOGI-inclusive education, such as what is being taught to young children, confidentiality, and gender-neutral washrooms.

“It seems like things are starting too early for young children to be talking about sexual identities [and] pronouns,” said Johnston. Johnston noted that as children are being introduced to pronouns some have been getting bullied to choose a pronoun, which she feels is not inclusion.

“I also know some young women that were going into the bathrooms up at the high school, they’re gender neutral, and then boys were coming in, [and] they

don’t feel comfortable,” added Johnston.

Another friend shared a story with Johnston of her grandson who was in the washroom when a group of girls came in laughing. When his parents went to the school they were told that the boy was not being inclusive.

For Honey Johnson of Huu-ay-aht, it’s heartwarming to see the support for LGBTQ2S+ youth in schools now.

“As a trans individual growing up in this school here, it wasn’t easy,” said Honey, who had previously been a student at ADSS. “I didn’t have a lot of support.”

When it came to bathrooms, they were one of Honey’s biggest struggles as a student.

“It came down to a point where I couldn’t even use public bathrooms at school,” said Honey. “So seeing that has changed where they do have bathrooms that are for any gender. It’s amazing.”

Gray explained that the types of genderneutral bathrooms that are going into schools now have a universal design.

While the entrance to the bathrooms are open, each individual stall has an enclosed room with a door.

“Agirl’s bathroom or a boy’s bathroom have typically been places where a lot of bullying happens [and] a lot of getting into trouble happens like smoking and vaping,” said Gray, “because it’s very difficult to supervise these environments.”

“They are better for all sorts of kids for all sorts of reasons,” Gray added.

When asked for examples of what SOGI-inclusive education looks like for younger children in elementary, an example Gray used was including broader language when addressing families.

“One example is just encouraging and reminding teachers to not always say ‘your mom and dad’when they’re talking to kids about their parents with their family, because that can exclude kids who only have a mom or only have a dad, as well as kids who have different family structures - like two moms or two dads at home or who live with aunties, uncles and grandparents and foster families,” said Gray.

Another example that Gray provided was introducing a picture book about colors.

“Looking at a picture book that talks about colors and how all kids can enjoy all colors,” said Gray. “It’s not just pink is for girls, and blue is for boys, and that’s the end.”

Older classes may discuss topics such as human rights legislation that could include the history of discrimination against LGBTQ2S+, said Gray.

“Teachers use age-appropriate and developmentally-appropriate lessons for their students in each grade,” said Davie. “[SOGI] is not a course, it’s a resource, and it’s embedded throughout the curriculum.”

Both Davie and Gray expressed the importance of the parents’involvement in their child’s education. Parents are encouraged to reach out to teachers and principals when seeking clarity on SOGI.

“There is so much misinformation circulating right now about what SOGI inclusive education is,” said Gray. “I really empathize with parents who are hearing some of this and… some of it sounds scary.”

“SOGI 123, is not an additional requirement of the curriculum or specific class, but it’s just tools and resources and to help create safe and inclusive school environments,” added Gray.

CYPRESS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

Alexandra Mehl photo

‘Transfer of Knowledge’: Survivors flag flies in SD70

Flag recognizing former residential school students is raised across SD 70 to mark Truth and Reconciliation Day

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

PortAlberni, BC - Roughly six hundred students gathered outsideADSS on Sept. 28, where the residential school survivors’flag flew for the first time, while the Canadian flag rose from half mast to full. For School District 70 (SD 70), the survivors flag now has a permanent home among their schools.

“This flag will be here for eternity,” said Tim Davie, SD 70 superintendent, “recognizing the work that’s also taking place in terms of moving forward and reconciliation across the district.”

According to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, in response to the discoveries of unmarked graves on residential schools grounds in 2021, the bright orange survivors flag was designed in consultation with former residential school students across Canada, including Nuu-chah-nulth survivors.

Jeff Cook, a former student at the Alberni Indian Residential School, and his granddaughter Saryta Dick, a Grade 8 student atADSS, were asked to raise the survivors flag.

“For me it was an honor,” said Cook.

“It’s nice that they finally are starting to recognize survivors, as who we are [and] what we’ve been through and learn from the culture and history of what we went through.”

“I raised the flag halfway, and then she took over - that’s to signify the transferring of knowledge and power to the younger generation and learning experience,” he added.

For Dick, she said it was an honor to raise the survivor’s flag with her grandfather.

The Canadian flag, which had been at half mast since 2021 in recognition of the 215 unmarked graves discovered at Kamloops Indian Residential School, was raised by Wally Samuel, his niece and grandson.

In May of 2022 the elder’s council wrote to SD 70 to request that the Cana-

dian flag remain at half mast in recognition of the research and scanning that Tseshaht First Nation was to start atAlberni Indian Residential School (AIRS), said Davie.

It was also important to the elder’s council that these events be led by survivors and their family, said Davie.

“This is a painful time, a painful day for a lot of our survivors, and a lot of the children of survivors [and] grandchildren.

They see that change in their parents and their grandparents as this day starts coming up,” said Brandi Lauder, elected chief councillor of Hupačasath First Nation.

“We stand with them, we walk with them, and we help carry the weight that they have had to burden their whole lives.”

“Some of you along here will eventually sit on these councils and be making these

decisions,” said Lauder as she spoke of the high school students. “You will be going forward to make a better life for everyone.”

“I still get emotional about it,” said

Cook. “Alot of people still don’t want to talk about it… because it was so traumatic, but I survived it and I can talk about it now.”

Orange flags rise to honor truth and reconciliation

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

PortAlberni, BC -As the rain poured down on Sept. 25, Wally Samuel, Tom Watts, and Geraldine Edgar-Tom, residential school survivors, raised the bright orange flag of reconciliation to half mast in front of the PortAlberni City Hall. This is one of many flag raising ceremonies happening this week in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.

“I’m really proud to be part of this,” said Samuel. “I’m proud that people are listening and believing us and willing to work together for [the] future of our community and our people.”

Brandi Lauder, elected chief councilor of Hupačasath First Nation, reflected on the impact of residential schools in her nation.

“One of our own members passed at that school,” said Lauder, speaking aboutAlberni Indian Residential School (AIRS), which was on the main reserve of their neighboring First Nation, Tseshaht. “Although we were able to bring him home at the time, it still hurts.”

“Many children died at that school,” added Lauder. “They were beaten, they were raped, they were tortured.”

“They had no parents to turn to and they weren’t allowed to go home,” said Lauder. “That’s what we’re remembering.”

Though for years the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Memorial Register noted the death of 29 students while atAIRS, in phase one of Tseshaht’s investigation they uncovered that there was a minimum of 67 children who had died while attending the institution.

“This will be a day for national truth about the past and not hiding it anymore, and reconciliation between all of us that were and are still a part of it,” said Todd Patola, PortAlberni city councillor, to a crowd of orange. “It honors the people, the individuals who didn’t come back from [the] schools, and it also honors those who survived and were affected by the schools.”

Throughout this week orange flags will rise in front of schools throughout School District 70, encompassing PortAlberni, Bamfield, Tofino, and Ucluelet.

“I keep telling people the world is changing,” said Watts. “Because this wouldn’t have happened 20 years ago.”

On Sept. 30, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, orange will flood the streets of PortAlberni starting at the Barclay Hotel at 10 a.m., where art from the

survivors can be viewed. The walk will begin at 11 a.m. and end at Maht Maht’s, the former site ofAIRS, where a celebration will be held to recognize the 50th anniversary of the school’s closure.

“It isn’t just governments, it isn’t just

school districts, it’s actually the citizens in our communities that have a responsibility as well, not just to educate themselves about what happened but to change your attitudes moving forward,” said Watts.

Alexandra Mehl photos

The students that wore orange were invited to the front, where Tseshaht thanked them, shaking the hands of each student.

Alexandra Mehl photo Wally Samuel, Tom Watts, and Geraldine Edgar-Tom, residential school survivors, raise the ‘Every Child Matters’flag in front of PortAlberni’s City Hall.

Ucluelet Secondary hosts ‘youth led reconciliation’

High school hosts exhibit highlighting student projects, partnering with Clayoquot Biosphere, Legacy of Hope

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Ucluelet, BC - Ucluelet Secondary students jumped right into the school year to learn about residential schools, preparing interdisciplinary projects for the third annual Legacy of Hope exhibit in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30. When Jason Sam, program coordinator for Clayoquot Biosphere Trust, first started coordinating the exhibit three years ago there were roughly three classes involved in the exhibit. Now there are closer to nine classes involved with students spending the month of September learning about residential schools from survivors, researching and preparing projects of a multitude of disciplines. Sam refers to the students’participation in the exhibit as “youth-led reconciliation.”

The exhibit is broken down into three components: truth, honor, and a way forward.

For Nuu-chah-nulth students Lee Manson and Calianna McCarthy, their English 11 class researched the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls toAction and contributed a detailed account of their chosen Call toAction.

Manson chose Call toAction 49, which calls for churches and faith groups to rescind concepts that affirm colonization such as the Doctrine of Discovery and Terra Nullius.

“It goes in depth about how and what the faith groups and churches did to NativeAmerican land and people when they first got here,” she said. “With my call to action it’s very important to learn about it and spread awareness about what happened.”

McCarthy chose Call toAction 41, which deals with missing and murdered

From left to right, Nuu-chah-nulth students, Calianna McCarthy and Lee Manson, with teacher Jess

Secondary’s third annual Truth and Reconciliation Exhibit. truth and reconciliation and residential school,” said Manson. “It wasn’t brought up in schooling, it wasn’t mandatory.” Manson and McCarthy’s teacher, Jess Bennett, who uses the pronouns they/ them, chimed in to add that they are learning alongside their students.

Indigenous women and girls.

“Together through educating each other we can really make a difference,” she said. “We have to work together to help others heal.Alot of stereotyping gets in the way of people’s cases being solved and finding the answers to people’s questions.”

“They’re left with nothing,” added McCarthy. “They don’t know what happened to their family members.”

Prior to working on this project McCarthy said that she knew very little on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, while Manson chimed in to add that she did not have much prior knowledge on the 94 Calls toAction.

“I’m glad it’s being taught in schools,” said McCarthy. “Because if we didn’t have this being taught at school, I don’t think I would ever pick up a book and read the Calls toAction.”

“Adults now, they weren’t taught about

“Us adults, we don’t have a lot of background, ‘cause it was swept under the rug and not taught,” said Bennett. “It’s nice to see young people pushing us forward.”

“It’s nice to grow together,” added Bennett. “In a generational way.”

Alongside these Calls toAction, the USS multipurpose room is dressed in Nuu-chah-nulth language, poetry inspired by residential school stories, as well as student-designed and printed orange shirts. Cedar-woven pieces also adorn the room, and which presents information about residential schools, the impacts of trauma on the body, and information about nourishment and health atAlberni

Indian Residential School.

Among the student projects is an Indian Day School exhibit provided by the Legacy of Hope, an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to providing education on the history and intergenerational impacts of residential schools.

“One of my big focuses is to teach these kids because I was never taught it in high school or university,” said Sam, who prior to organizing the exhibit helped teach about residential schools in classes at USS. “I learn new things every year I go through this.”

“I’m just trying to foster that next generation to grow up and already have that understanding and empathy built into them so when they go out into the world they take it with them,” added Sam.

On Truth and Reconciliation Day, Sept. 30, the community was invited to view the Truth and Reconciliation exhibit from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

ADSS newcomers get traditional welcoming and meal

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC - With a gathering emphasizing Nuu-chah-nulth culture, this year an annual welcome dinner for Grade 8 students was opened up to all newcomers to theAlberni District Secondary School.

On Sept. 28 hundreds filled theADSS’s lower atrium, as a circle began the event by singing Nuu-chah-nulth songs under one of the school’s totem poles.As hot dogs were barbequed outside, all present were also treated to a full dinner of potato salad, bannock, salmon and halibut.

“Traditionally it’s been for Grade 8 students and this year we opened it up to anyone who’s new to the school,” said Jeannette Badovinac, a vice-principal at ADSS. “There’s something about sharing a meal with somebody that brings in that connectedness, which is why we’re not just doing hot dogs. We’re actually doing a full traditional meal.”

Aspecial invitation also went to the school’s international students, who come from places like Germany, Italy, Taiwan, Turkey and Ukraine.

“Germany, Italy are the two biggest groupings,” saidADSS Principal Rob Souther of the international students. “A steady rotation of kids come through. Some stay for only half the year, some stay for the full year.”

Many newcomers to the school also came from remote First Nations com-

munities, such as Nitinaht Lake, Kyuquot andAhousaht, staying with grandparents or aunts and uncles during their high school years. Stepping intoADSS, which has a student population of over 1,000, can be difficult for those from small coastal villages, but focusing on a student’s family roots can help to foster a sense of belonging, said Shelley Frank, a Nuu-chah-nulth education worker at ADSS.

“My biggest hurdle is finding their roots. Sometimes they can’t say where they’re from or who they’re from, but we’ll dig deep,” she said. “We’ll break down to how we’re related because it’s a part of our culture.”

Developing trust with students is critical, said Frank, but this can take time.

Introducing “sharing circles” into the classroom has helped.

“We wait until they’re ready to say something,” she said. “Sometimes it will take them eight months to say something, sometimes it will take eight seconds.”

Aboriginal content has become ingrained intoADSS, where 32 per cent of its students are First Nations. But events like the welcoming gathering aren’t only to focus on the Indigenous students, explained Souther.

“I think it benefits everybody, I don’t think we need to break it down by whether you’re First Nations or otherwise,” he said. “It’s not so much about who you are or where you’re from, it’s that you’re part of our family now.”

Eric Plummer photo

Hundreds came to theAlberni District Secondary School’s lower atrium on Sept. 28 for a welcoming dinner.

Alexandra Mehl photo

Bennett at Ucluelet

Healing wounds 50 years later: Feds commit to funding Caldw

The Tseshaht First Nation assesses the future of Maht Mahs, as former Alberni Indian Residential School buildings continue to leav

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC -Astructure that still reminds former students of painful memories from theAlberni Indian Residential School could be torn down as soon as next year, with a commitment from the federal government to fund its demolition.

At a Sept. 30 event celebrating 50 years since the closure of the institution, Tseshaht Chief Councillor Ken Watts announced receiving a letter from the feds the day before, a document stating that the Government of Canada is “fully prepared and committed” to fund the tear down of the AIRS building that was once known as Caldwell Hall. The commitment comes from the Residential School Infrastructure Fund, a $100 million reserve set aside for First Nations across Canada that had the institutions on their territory.

“We’ve been lobbying for it for a long time,” said Watts of the demolition.

At an event that drew over 1,300 to the formerAIRS site, Watts explained that removing the lasting reminder of the residential school is part of the First Nation’s responsibility to look after its hahoultheeparticularly for those who attendedAIRS.

“We don’t like the open wound it has for you when you come up here, we don’t want that to be a trigger for you every time you see that building,” he said, addressing residential school survivors on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. “We want this place to be a place of healing, a place to help you all move forward and heal from all the atrocities that happened.”

The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council currently uses the building, and Tseshaht is preparing temporary space to accommodate workers after the demolition, thanks to the federal funding.

“They’ve actually provided us with some interim support to help move the people that are out of there now into a new space,” said Watts.

This year Tseshaht demolished the old Sproat Lake school, a tear down that cost nearly $1 million. With more lead and asbestos in a much older building, the Caldwell Hall demolition is expected to be significantly more.

On the Caldwell Hall site the Tseshaht had planned to build a multi-purpose community building, but studies have recently shown this to be unviable at the location.

“We’ve already done feasibility; we can’t do it here because it’s in the tsunami zone,” explained Watts. “We’ve got options of where it could go, we’re just finalizing the studies and where it’s feasible. The intent is to hopefully tear this down, build a multiplex that’s a gym, fitness gym, a kitchen and office space. It would be in a different location.”

In October the First Nation plans to discuss the future of Maht Mahs, a gymnasium originally built forAIRS that has since become a central gathering place, hosting generations of cultural celebrations, funerals and sporting events. Maht Mahs could either be torn down or undergo extensive renovations, said Watts.

“Most of our people received their names

here, some of the most important meetings happened here,” noted the chief councillor. “But as you can see, it’s falling apart too.”

From Kitwanga toAlberni

Ottawa has also committed to fund a Tseshaht request for a celebration marking the tear down of Caldwell Hall. Watts expects to see something similar to the 2009 demolition of Peake Hall, a formerAIRS student residence that was next to Caldwell Hall. On that occasion former students took part in removing pieces of the building to throw into a fire.

“There’s going to be survivors from all over the province that want to come,” said Watts. “So our commitment is to really help with some of that travel too, some of Alice George

Tseshaht members perform a paddle dance in front of Maht Mahs on Sept. 30, part of an event marking 50 years since the closure of the School. Tseshaht Chief Councillor Ken Watts, below left, speaks at the event with Ha’wiih behind him.

funding Caldwell Hall demolition

buildings continue to leave a mark on generations that yearn to heal

Crae, who remained in the Tseshaht community for 30 years after finishing at the school. “One day I peeked around, and there was lots of valuable stuff there. He trusted me.”

But not allAIRS students were so fortunate, and as stories gradually emerged after its closure the institution gained a notorious reputation for the predatory behavior of adults working atAIRS. In the 1990s former staff were criminally convicted, and evidence from theAlberni school led BC Supreme Court Justice Douglas Hogarth to declare in his ruling that “the Indian residential school system was nothing more than institutionalized pedophilia.”

Healing is a daily job

Reconciliation with the past is a deeply personal matter forAlice George, who started attending theAlberni Indian Residential School at the age of 15, while the institution was in the twilight of its operations in the late 1960s. Over time she became aware that several faculty members at the school were preying on children there, and for many years she was silent about the abuse she suffered atAIRS – a repression that caused her to drink heavily between the ages of 20 and 30.

“I was so scared of people,” recalls George. “I couldn’t speak to people, I couldn’t communicate, so I had to have a drink to do that.”

Tseshaht teach Bulldogs the First Nation’s history

Ahead of Orange Shirt Day, Junior hockey teams learn about Tseshaht history, as well as residential schools

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

important meetings the chief councillor. falling apart too.”

committed to fund a Tsecelebration marking the Watts expects to the 2009 demoAIRS student to Caldwell Hall. students took part the building to throw survivors from all want to come,” said commitment is to really travel too, some of

those people are going to be coming a long way.”

Although it was originally established for local Indigenous people,AIRS eventually took in children from over 70 First Nations across the province. Dolly McRae came from Hazelton in westcentral B.C., where she was at a tuberculosis hospital for three years before attending theAlberni residential school for several years over her childhood and adolescence. McCrae came from Kitwanga and is the daughter of a Gitxsan chief, an honour that was fortunately impressed upon the residential school staff during her time at the institution.

“The principal used to invite me to babysit his grandchildren,” said Mc-

No one spoke about the abuses that occurred atAIRS, but George stresses that this wasn’t limited to residential schools. Domestic abuse was prevalent while she grew up in Opitsaht, a foundational breakdown within families that she attributes to generations of assimilation through the residential school system. George’s parents both went to the Christie Indian Residential School on Meares Island.

“Everything comes from the residential school. Molesters, incest molesters, pedophiles, rapists,” she said. “It’s hard to talk about. That’s why our people are so messed up. We’re all against each other.”

George sees these problems continuing in First Nations communities, as the pain and abuse has been transferred through generations to the great grandchildren of residential school survivors.

“I wasn’t taught how to be a parent. My parents weren’t either,” she reflected. “I understand that now, but it’s still hard to live through every day, trying to be a better person and just be happy.”

George didn’t even become aware of childhood abuse she suffered from a family member until decades later.

“I never remembered that until I was in my late 40s or early 50s,” she said. “I started to have dreams, I started to have the knowledge that something is wrong, and I got mad at myself. I blamed myself for everything bad that happened in my life.”

Now in her 60s, healing is a daily job for theAIRS survivor, recognizing what happened to her all those years ago.Acritical part of this process is being open about the abuse.

“I do a lot of writing…I used to go out and speak at women’s groups,” said George. “We were trained to shut up, don’t tell, so everything is stuck in here. I live it, but I work every day to try and be better.”

Amemorial is being planned by the Tseshaht First Nation, listing all students who attended theAlberni Indian Residential School, including those who died there. So far over $100,000 has been raised for this project through private and business donations.

PortAlberni, BC -As Sept. 30, Orange Shirt Day approaches, Tseshaht First Nation hosted theAlberni Valley Bulldogs and Junior B PortAlberni Bombers Hockey Club to teach them about their territory, values, principles, and the history of the Alberni Indian Residential School.

When Wacey Rabbitt of Kainai First Nation in Treaty Seven territory moved to PortAlberni three years ago, it was to start his career as he joined the JuniorAAlberni Valley Bulldogs as assistant coach.

Roughly two weeks after the season started, Rabbitt told club President David Michaud and Joe Martin, head coach, that he would not be at practice, as he planned to participate in the Orange Shirt Day walk. He extended an invitation to the team to join him at the event.

“I showed up in the morning and our entire team was there,” said Rabbitt. “Every single player was there.”

For Rabbitt, who is the son and grandson of residential school survivors, it was emotional to feel the support of the entire team.

“I realized… what it was to be a Bulldog,” said Rabbitt. “I never have to be alone.”

Since then, Rabbitt moved on from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs to continue to pursue his coaching career, while the JuniorA team has carried on the legacy that Rabbitt shared with them.

Over the last year the Bulldogs and Tseshaht have built a relationship and continue to work together, shared Ken Watts, Tseshaht’s elected chief councillor, in an email with Ha-Shilth-Sa.

Upon meetings with Watts, Michaud shared that it was proposed that the team come learn about the history of the First Nation and theAlberni Indian Residential School (AIRS) so they can learn more about “why” they are walking.

“We spent the morning up there and it was just an incredible experience for our guys,” said Michaud.

“[It was] an eye-opening experience, just to hear their experience,” said Nicholas Beneteau, captain for theAlberni Valley Bulldogs, who is originally from Windsor Ontario. “And even first, second-hand, just [what] some of their parents have gone through and grandparents.”

Watts said that some of the teachings shared were of Tseshaht’s history, such

their creation story, values and principles, as well as the IndianAct and of the residential school. It was also shared with the players the work that Tseshaht continues to do as they move forward.

“I think it was really important for most of the guys on the team because a lot of them didn’t know anything about any of it,” said Beneteau. “It was only a few hours, but we covered a lot of information.”

“It is important they understand the territories of the local nations where they play as not only a sign of respect, but also to understand why we gather on September 30th,” wrote Watts. “[W]hile it’s a dark chapter in the history of Canada we need to continue to educate all Canadians including athletes on this history.”

The team was taken to the grounds of the formerAlberni Indian Residential School, and then down to the river, where they were lucky enough to see a black bear snatch up a salmon.

“It was interesting to hear Ken talk about the history of the land, and how it’s evolved over the years and trying to understand colonization and what that meant to the Tseshaht people,” said Michaud. “And help our guys sort of understand that a little bit too.”

For Michaud, he hopes that when the team participates in the Orange Shirt Day Walk “they have a deeper appreciation for the symbolism behind that walk, what it means for them to be a part of it and an understanding of the pain that’s associated with it.”

“I hope they feel that they’re a part of a healing journey as well,” he added.”[And] appreciate that they’re a part of a much bigger community than maybe they understood they were before they decided they wanted to be a Bulldog.”

The players that make up theAlberni Valley Bulldogs are youth from “all over NorthAmerica”, shared Michaud.And this year, the team has players from Ukraine and Finland.

“They all come here and play hockey and are a part of the community,” said Michaud. “We thought this would be a really neat way for them to learn about the community.”

“Once you learn this education, now, it’s on you to tell the stories,” said Rabbitt, reflecting on the teachings of his own culture.

“Our stories are getting out there and that’s part of reconciliation…in Canada.”

Eric Plummer photos years since the closure of theAlberni Indian Residential

Submitted photo

Tseshaht Chief Councillor Ken Watts talks to members of theAlberni Valley Bulldogs and PortAlberni Bombers hockey teams, informing them about the First Nation’s history in the area and values. The teams met in mid September, leading up to National Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30.

Contemporary canoe: Hupacasath artist shows at VIU

Piece incorporates wood, fiberglass cloth, epoxy resin, brass, stainless steel and automotive paint

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Nanaimo, BC – Vancouver Island University is featuring the works of Hupacasath artist Rodney Sayers in their VIU Faculty Exhibition. The exhibit features a Nuu-chah-nulth-style ocean-going canoe with a modern twist.

“Many years ago, I began gazing at the Nuu-chah-nulth canoes, studying them as sculptural forms. I became fascinated with how they could be so elegant to move through the water so seemingly effortlessly, yet be so incredibly strong and seaworthy,” Sayers wrote.

Also interested in conservation, Sayers paid homage to the traditional dugout canoe by making one in the same style

by using a different method and different materials.

“Xwa xwašqi čiƛuusaḥ is my homage to the Nuu-chah-nulth pinwaał (oceangoing canoe),” continued Sayers. “It also embodies different facets of my work that address the evolution of traditional materials, sustainability, popular culture, and hot rodding.”

While Sayers was growing up, hotrod cars were popular among young adults.

“The high metallic finish, the painted flames, they were beautiful objects,” he added.

The strikingly beautiful canoe is made of western red cedar, yew wood, yellow cedar, maple, fiberglass cloth, epoxy resin, brass, stainless steel and automotive paint.

There is very little cedar in the canoe and it is not a dugout, nor is it carved, but it is made with a wood strip method. Sayers has a friend that does custom car painting and so the canoe was finished with autobody paint.

“I hope that this object gives you reason to pause and to contemplate that the art of the Nuu-chah-nulth people is alive and well and adapting and it is a living history,” Sayers said.

Rodney Sayers teaches an Indigenous Art History course at VIU and is considered faculty there. He was invited to participate in VIU’s biannual faculty exhibition, according to Chai Duncan, VIEW Gallery curator at Vancouver Island University.

“The work he offered to bring, the cedar

strip canoe fashioned after the Nuu-chahnulth ocean-going whaling canoe, is a stunning work of art and an amazing feat of craftsmanship,” Duncan wrote in an email to Ha-Shilth-Sa.

Xwa xwašqi Čiƛuusaḥ is the name of the canoe and translates to ‘I might turn into a blue jay’. Sayers says the name came from a Hupacasath language group he attends and is an inside joke.

The F23N14 is VIU’s biennial faculty exhibition and features the works of more than a dozen faculty members including Sayers and Chai Duncan.

The exhibition runs from September 5 to October 6 at The View Gallery at 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, BC.

Phrase†of†the†week:†c^u%ic^h=c^a>quu†matš†i+iš†%a>†h=uq’sum†@uuu†tuu+aatsu

Pronounced ‘Cuu ich shay alt goo mut shilt ish alth hoo k som hooo tuuchaat sue’, it means, ‘This is the time of year when the geese fly south!’Supplied by ciisma.

Illustration by Koyah Morgan-Banke

VIU photo

Xwa xwašqi čiƛuusaḥ incorporates western red cedar, yew wood, yellow cedar, maple, fiberglass cloth, epoxy resin, brass, stainless steel and automotive paint.

Chaputs project incorporates culture into curriculum

New program gets students away from computer screens by carving canoes, paddles and navigating a chaputs

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC – Anew, 10-week program has been launched at Eighth Avenue Learning Centre in PortAlberni that will give students hands-on learning opportunities that blend Nuuchah-nulth culture with typical school lessons. The Chaputs Learning project brought together several partners, who each contributed to an exciting learning module that will see students learn about chaputs, or canoe.

Dave Maher, principal at EighthAvenue Learning Centre, said the Chaputs Learning project will allow the school, students, and partners to move forward in a good way, by doing things differently. The Chaputs program’s intention is to center the learnings of our children and youth on Nuu-Chah-Nulth language and culture and to help students move forward through their high school curriculum with learning that is from a NuuChah-Nulth lens.

Starting in 2021, the Chaputs program was co-developed by Usma and SD70. According to principal Maher, the program specifically creates Nuu-chah-nulth learning opportunities for children and youth that also meet school curriculum or course content.

“Participating children and youth will receive partial credit for foods, sciences, language arts, graphic arts, and active living for successfully participating in the Chaputs program. Students will learn Nuu-chah-nulth language, canoe culture, carving basics, and how to work effectively as a team, problem solve, how to be safe and comfortable in all types of weather, and how to work hard to reach a goal,” said Maher. The program will run under the guidance of Usma and SD70 staff and Nuu-chah-nulth elders and knowledge keepers.

According to Usma Director, Kelly Edgar, she began working SD70 and the NTC Education Manager, Ian Caplette a few years ago. They were looking for opportunities to expand their collaboration and, “create truly meaningful educational programming for not only our children in care, but all Nuu-chah-nulth children,” said Edgar.

Usma has been involved with the development of the community garden and barbecue area. They supported the construction of the EighthAvenue Learning Center smokehouse and canoe carving space.

The celebration on Friday, September 29th was about the official launch of the Chaputs program and to honor the work that Usma and SD70 have been doing for the past two years to bring more learning opportunities to all students that are grounded in Nuu-Chah-Nulth teachings and culture.

“In addition, it was an opportunity to acknowledge all the partners that came together, specifically our elders and knowledge keepers and celebrate the collaboration and partnerships that have brought us to the creation of a program specifically intended to address identity, connection to history, connection to lands and resources,” said Edgar.

Ahead of Orange Shirt Day, or National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, SD70 has partnered with Usma Nuu-chah-nulth Family and Child Services and other organizations to explore ways in which Indigenous youth, including those in foster care, can feel

Maher said SD70, Usma,ADAPS (Alberni Drug andAlcohol Prevention Service), the RCMP, and IOCC (Inside Out Care Corporation) have been working together with school projects that incorporate Indigenous culture into the curriculum. The intent is to foster positive cultural experiences, mainly for children in care, but also for all students.

“Move forward together in a good way, hold them up,” said Maher.

EighthAvenue Learning Centre (EALC), with help from the partners, has offered innovative programs that give all students hands-on teaching and practical skills, like the construction and development of a school garden where food is grown. Near the raised garden beds are a pair of smokehouses that the students helped build.

Now, the students will be offered teachings around the chaputs.According to Principal Maher, the importance of the chaputs (canoe) and its symbolism in Nuu-chah-nulth culture is the basis of the new program being offered at EALC. The idea was proposed by Nuu-chah-nulth elder Geraldine Tom.

EALC has been working in partnership with Usma, according to Maher, looking for opportunities to offer programming that helps both Indigenous and nonIndigenous youngsters feel good about themselves, to “lift them up”.

Maher said the Chaputs Learning Project got its start after Usma commissioned two Nuu-chah-nulth-style canoes a couple of years ago. The ensuing activities and events involving youth inspired Maher and Tom to explore the idea of teaching models that allow the children to learn about culture together.

Through teachings of the chaputs, students can explore Nuu-chah-nulth culture, language and traditions with activities like carving canoes and paddles, as well as actually navigating a canoe on the water.

Hesquiaht elder Tim Paul likes the idea, and told a crowd at EALC there is so much to learn when it comes to canoes.

For example, there are many types of canoes used for specific purposes.And there are important teachings when it comes to the water, the waves. He encouraged the school district to take the class as far as possible.

“Teach our science of the canoe,” he said.

The class takes a hands-on approach and will be offered once a week over 10 weeks and is open to all students. They will paddle together and learn together from knowledge keepers.

Maher said the program will get students out from behind computer screens and into the rain or snow where they can get their hands dirty, pulling together.

“Students will paddle together, moving through the school curriculum in a program that reflects their culture,” he added.

On Sept. 29 a celebration for the launch of the Chaputs Learning Project was held at EALC with several invited guests.

NTC President Judith Sayers recalled stories from her grandparents and how they traveled the inlet and islands by canoe.

“They knew the tides, the moons and when they couldn’t travel the inlet,” she shared.

Sayers went on to say that she is proud of the work that Usma does on behalf of the youth, and she thanked them.

Geraldine Tom presented several gifts on behalf of Usma, acknowledging teams and individuals that helped make the program a reality.

“In this time of reconciliation, we’re building relationships together, combining two worlds,” she said.

SD70 Trustee Pam Craig said she was grateful.

“This is an important program that is hand-on, outside, and learning by doing,” she said.

Maher said it was a day to celebrate change with a program that promises positive cultural and personal identity.A positive Nuu-chah-nulth cultural identity as an everyday focus, he said.

Tim Paul noted that Nuu-chah-nulth ways of teaching are very different from the ‘Western way’.

“We are connected to nature – it is up to us to pass on and save what we have left – the teachings of our grandmothers,” he said.

“This is many years of work, moving community and SD70 forward to help all children feel safe and acknowledged,” said Maher.

Denise Titian photos

NTC President Judith Sayers,above, speaks at the EighthAvenue Learning on Sept. 29, as did Nuu-chah-nulth elder Geraldine Tom and the school’s Principal Dave Maher, below left. a sense of identity and belonging in a school setting.

&Community Beyond

Nuu-chah-nulth Baby Group

Every Monday

CYS - 4841 Redford Street

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.

Girls Group

Every Tuesday

PortAlberni – Usma culture space

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!

Westcoast Community Resources Society Community Lunch

Every Thursday

Westcoast Community Services hub –

500 Matterson Drive, Ucluelet

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

Correc on

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,AdministrativeAssistant 250-724-1225

NTC Education and NETP

Graduation and Scholarship Ceremony

October 13th – 14th 2023

ADSS

More info to come.

Community Led collaboration Project

October 17th 2023

PortAlberni Friendship Center

5:30pm – 7:30pm Local community service providers in PortAlberni and surrounding areas are invited to participate in a conversation about how to create a better network of services and supports for children and youth with disabilities or other support needs in your community. To register and for more information visit www.inclusionbc.org/ campaigns/clcp-portalberni/ *If unable to attend in person there are various other ways to engage and offer your input. Please visit the website for more details or call Julie (PACL) @ 250-735-7820 or Darlene (PAFC) @ 250-723-8281.

In the Sept. 7 edi on of Ha-Shilth-Sa a photo cap on on pages 8 and 9 stated that a whaling sculpture on display at Port Alberni’s Victoria Quay was carved by Tim Paul in 1975. Ha-Shilth-Sa has since been informed that Tim Paul did not have role in the piece. We apologize for this inaccuracy.

Leisa Hassall photo

The Tour de Rock cyclers made a visit to Haahuupayak school on Friday, September 29, 2023 and marched through the Tseshaht reserve in celebration of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Holly Stocking photos

Haahuupayak students run by the NTC office while participating in the Terry Fox run on September 22, 2023.

Zoning forces cultural education building to be moved

The San Group’s gift to Nuu-chah-nulth arts and culture, a small building by Victoria Quay, is being relocated

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC –Abrand-new wooden shed sits empty, next to Tim Paul’s historic language pole in Millstone Park, at the corner of Roger Street and Victoria Quay in PortAlberni. The shed is a gift, donated by The San Group, a forest products corporation with facilities on the Lower Mainland and in PortAlberni.

Worth an estimated $90,000, the shed was built and donated to support the efforts master artist Tim Paul is making to assist in the revival of Nuu-chah-nulth language and culture, according to Kevin Somerville of The San Group.

The San Group refers to the building as a visitor center, which sits next to the Language Pole at the edge of the Somass River. Their vision was to provide a place where visitors could come to the little riverside park and learn about Nuu-chahnulth culture and history, and maybe watch artists in action.

But city zoning bylaws prohibit structures like the visitor centre at the Millstone Park site, which is adjacent to The San Group’s property.

Scott Smith of the City of PortAlberni’s Bylaw Services said the structure was built without permits in a heavy industrial zone.

“Our primary concern is safety,” said Smith.

Somerville said they thought the structure would be okay because it was built without a foundation.

Smith told Ha-Shilth-Sa that moving the structure would be a good solution and the city was not actively pursuing anyone for a remedy.

At a Nuu-chah-nulthArtist Symposium, hosted by Huu-ay-aht First Nations in mid September, Tim Paul talked about the potential uses for the building and the need to have it moved.Artists could drop by and work on projects at the site, mentoring up-and-coming creators, Paul

suggested.

Amember of the Hupacasath First Nation stepped up and gave permission to have the structure moved to his private property on River Road, but the land needed to be cleared of brush and debris. Paul said he needed help getting it done.

Trevor Little of Tseshaht said he would ask his men’s group for help to clear the lot. The following weekend Little, members of his men’s group and other volunteers arrived with their own supplies and equipment, and, over two days, cleared the site.

Somerville said The San Group and Timber Rose arranged and paid for moving the building, which was set to take place on Sept. 29.

“The building will be dismantled and go by lo-bed down to the River Road property on Friday, and maybe Saturday,” he told Ha-Shilth-Sa.

The donation of the building and its move is not the end of the partnership between The San Group and elder Tim Paul. Somerville said The San Group would continue to work together with Paul on other projects.

“We could potentially secure logs for poles or canoes, it could be an inaugural project for the River Road location,” said Somerville.

The San Group wanted the shed to serve as a learning centre for carving and thought that centering things around the Language Pole would be good.

The donated shed will still serve its original purpose at its new location on River Road. Other organizations in Port Alberni are writing proposals to support Indigenous art projects at the new shed.

Friendship Center hosts weekly healthy food session

By Karly Blats Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

PortAlberni, BC - The PortAlberni Friendship Center is promoting healthy eating through weekly cooking workshops.

Every Wednesday from 1 – 3 p.m., families are invited to attend the healthy eating workshop—Eating in Balance— where participants will work together to make meals, discuss health and food related topics.

Participants who cook and clean will receive a $10 grocery coupon for BuyLow Foods or Quality Foods and get to take home leftover food. There is also a childminder on site for those needing child care.

“Eating healthy leads to all of our outward healthiness, our mental and physical health, and it is a very big challenge when you’re on a set budget,” said organizerAmber Flaro.

Flaro said the workshop aims to provide recipes that fit into a healthy lifestyle and are affordable.

The workshops are free to join and Flaro asks participants to register the Tuesday before by calling the Friendship Center.

“It’s week by week, there’s no certificate at the end,” Flaro said. “We do have a cooking group next door where it’s a certain amount of weeks and you get a

certificate.”

According to the Government of Canada, type 2 diabetes is a health concern among Canada’s First Nations and Inuit. First Nations on reserve have a rate of diabetes three to five times higher than that of other Canadians.

In a 2018 report by the First Nations HealthAuthority (FNHA), Indigenous Health and Well-Being, it states in 2015, the projected diabetes prevalence rate for Status First Nations was 12.4 per 100 population. This was 34 per cent higher than the rate for other residents.

Diabetes is a chronic condition of high blood sugar that has complex causes— including lifestyle and environment, genetic influences, and other factors— which results in ineffective use of insulin in the body, states the report. Diabetes prevalence reflects known and diagnosed cases of people living with diabetes.

According to the FNHA, food insecurity impacts health and wellbeing and having access to healthy and traditional foods helps manage diabetes.

Flaro said in the past, the Friendship Center has provided workshops that incorporate cooking traditional Indigenous foods and they may bring that practice back if they get a more regular clientele coming to the Eating in Balance Workshops.

Denise Titian photo

Worth an estimated $90,000, the new shed was built and donated by The San Group to support the efforts master artist Tim Paul is making to assist in the revival of Nuu-chah-nulth language and culture.

Canada’s Food Guide photo According to Canada’s Food Guide, fruits and vegetables should comprise half of a meal to maintain a healthy diet.

Rivers Day promotes interconnection of ecosystems

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

PortAlberni, BC - On Sunday, Sept. 24, communities all over B.C. came together to celebrate their rivers. For PortAlberni, a shuttle ran between Stamp River Provincial Park, where people could view salmon pooling and bears feeding, and Beaver Creek Community Club where community organizations prepared educational activities for the youth.

Among the booths was Nuu-chahnulth’s Uu-a-thluk. Filled with coloring books, Nuu-chah-nulth language, traditional cedar weaving and smoked salmon, Irine Polyzogopoulos, communications and development coordinator, and Danielle Burrows, protected areas planner, were in attendance eager to teach community members the importance of rivers.

“Hopefully, these are conversation starters,” said Polyzogopoulos, referring to some of the activities and information that filled their table. “We had casual conversations last year about some of the work that biologists do or why rivers are important to Nuu-chah-nulth.”

“And how they’re all really connected to salmon,” added Burrows. “As much as rivers are part of the forest ecosystem, they’re really a part of the whole connected piece.”

Burrows explained that while at Rivers Day she hopes to express Uu-a-thluk’s adopted principle, hishukish ts’awalk, everything is one, to families stopping at their booth. The aim is “creating that understanding of why rivers are important to our salmon and the rest of ecosystems,” said Burrows.

“It’s not just your food, it’s how you live, it’s how you connect, it’s how you interact and everybody’s around,” said Polyzogopoulos. “[Rivers] are critical to that.”

Polyzogopoulos reflected on recent strategic planning renewal sessions with Ha’wiih and community members.

Fisheries managers have noted that forestry practices affect rivers, which affect salmon - and in turn affect communities.

“It’s so important that all of these areas

are addressed,” said Polyzogopoulos, noting that fisheries are managed federally, while forestry is managed provincially.

“We as Uu-a-thluk, we try to facilitate those discussions between nations, and government bodies and sort of act as that connection between the two.”

Among other community members was Ryan Price, local forestry professional, tabling for National Forests Week.

“We have a tendency as human beings to separate all those things, which are individual things and with individual characteristics,” said Price in talking about the connection between rivers and forests. “But the reality is that you can’t necessarily take them apart, and so they’re integrally reliant on each other.”

“Rivers affect everyone, and their health,” said Polyzogopoulos. “Protecting them is something that everybody should be concerned about.”

On Sept. 24 community members gathered to learn about connectivity of rivers & streams in the Alberni Valley

Alexandra Mehl photos

Irine Polyzogopoulos, communications and development coordinator, and Danielle Burrows, protected areas planner, of Uu-a-thluk hope to educate families on hishukish ts’awalk.

Youth learn the anatomy of a salmon.

Gyotaku, a traditional Japanese method of printing fish facilitated for youth at Rivers Day.

Ablack bear cub hunts for salmon at Stamp River Provincial Park.