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VOL. 24, NO. 24
Celebration connects cultures I NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY draws big crowds to Maffeo Sutton Park. BY RACHEL STERN THE NEWS BULLETIN
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School Watch needs assistance from communities BY JENN McGARRIGLE
National Aboriginal Day in Nanaimo was a celebration of culture, connection and forging friendships. It was a day of acknowledging relationships and the strong connection First Nation Peoples have with each other and the land. Maliasha Thorne-Seward, of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, who entertained the crowd of people gathered in Maffeo Sutton Park Thursday with a shawl dance, said it was great to see so many people come out and celebrate. “It’s a celebration of the first people that were here and it also means that anybody can come,” she said. Snuneymuxw First Nation Chief Doug White said during the closing ceremony that Aboriginal Day is a relatively new celebration that was created in 1996 and is important to recognize the basic idea that Aboriginal People are meaningful to the founding of Canada as a nation. He said work still needs to be done on treaty resolutions in the province. White stressed the importance of relationships and creating those to enhance the lives of the younger and future generations. “It’s days like this that forge different pathways for opportunities down the road,” said White. “We want to extend the love we have for our own children to everyone.” The Snuneymuxw First Nation has been working hard to forge relationships with people in the community and also between elders and youth. Snuneymuxw elder Tom Jones visited schools in Nanaimo along with
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RACHEL STERN/THE NEWS BULLETIN
Maliasha Thorne-Seward performs a shawl dance for the large crowd gathered at Maffeo Sutton Park Thursday afternoon to celebrate National Aboriginal Day.
other elders to share his knowledge of the nation’s history and teach the language. “The teachers are bringing in some of the elders to teach [aboriginal
youth] some of their culture which has been dying,” he said. The program is a way to ensure elder knowledge is imparted to youth. reporter3@nanaimobulletin.com
District officials want to get more communities involved in School Watch programs. Three schools were initially chosen to pilot the vandalism and crime prevention initiatives this year – McGirr and Pleasant Valley elementary schools and John Barsby Secondary School – but no neighbours attended the startup meetings for John Barsby and McGirr, so programs at those schools have been abandoned for the time being. “Part of the program is involving the neighbours,” said Pete Sabo, district director of planning and facilities. Later in the year, two schools experiencing some significant vandalism – Woodbank Primary School and Cinnabar Valley Elementary School – asked for school district and police help in starting up School Watch programs. The programs continue at all three schools and principals remain in regular communication with residents. Sabo said vandalism costs have been reduced at all three schools – to zero dollars some months at all three – and while it’s too early to tell if this is due to School Watch, he believes the program likely at least contributed to the lower numbers. Kathy Bergman, principal at Pleasant Valley, said the program is having a positive effect at her school and she believes it has contributed to reducing vandalism. “We’ve had some issues reported to us like graffiti and people on the roof,” she said. “Pleasant Valley isn’t a high vandalism area, but schools are targets – they sit empty from 6 p.m. on. I think having those people feel more connected, they’re more likely to come over or say something.” Bergman was afraid at first that she would be inundated with phone calls and e-mails from residents, but the program clearly explains when to call police, the school board or the principal. ◆ See ‘NEIGHBOURHOODS’ ‘ /4
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