Haahuupayak

haahuupayak haahuupayak school Port Alberni

haahuupayak

Acknowledgments

Introduction

This book exists because Dolly McRae sat with me in the Alberni Valley Museum in 2009 and told me the story of her years at residential school. She became my teacher, my friend. When the Federation of BC Writers suggested they fund an Elder Project, I called Dolly. I asked her where we should do an Elder Project in Port Alberni. Immediately she said, haahuupayak school.

I sent her some of the previous Elder Project books. She took them to the school and they enthusiasically said yes.

When Wendy Morton and Dolly McRae first proposed the Elder Project to haahuupayak school it sounded like a great opportunity to have Elders come into the school to connect and bridge the gap with our youth. Here at haahuupayak we believe in holistic learning with care, and students learn and celebrate their culture and traditions. They also learn about the First Nation history of colonization: the Indian Act, the banning of the potlatch and the residential school system.

Every First Nation child today feels and endures the effects of residential school. However, the wisdom, leadership and guidance of the Elders as they share their cultural teachings creates new strength and resilience in our children.

And so with delight I travelled to Port Alberni at the end of November 2016 to meet Nancy Logan and her grade 7 class at haahuupayak school, whose poems for their Elders are in this book. I watched them learn to write a poem, watched them drum and sing in their language, watched them write and learn.

Thanks to Ann Graham Walker for her help and enthusiasm for this project, and for taking photos. Special thanks to Rita Ann Watts for her assistance. And to Rhonda Ganz, thanks for another lovely Elder Project.

We are truly grateful to all the Elders who gifted us with their teachings and to the Elder Project for promoting and providing the framework for this amazing experience to take place. The Elders’ personal histories and perspectives came alive in the created poems and we were deeply honoured to have had this experience. We will forever treasure the Elder Project experience, as it awakened and moved our hearts, minds and spirits.

Respectfully, Nancy Logan – Grade 7 Teacher

This Elder Project generously funded by

Copyright © 2016 haahuupayak school Printed in Canada by Hillside Printing

| 1

Wally Samuel Sr. I was born in Ahousaht. My dad raised me.

My mother passed away when I was four.

Growing up, I spoke Ahousaht, played in the forests, on the beaches.

My jobs were working on a fish boat, working in a lumber mill, being a marine mechanic, working in the Friendship Centre.

We made boats; didn’t buy toys.

I went to school in Ahousaht. Used a canoe to get there.

I learned from my dad how to fish in the harbour.

My grandmother taught me how to chop wood and make bannock.

I know how to fix things. I know Ahousaht songs.

I know how to coach sports.

My happiest memories are meeting my wife, having children, grandchildren.

I know who my mom and dad’s family are.

When I was nine, I went to residential school.

The staff was racist and mean. Those were hard times.

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DENISIA BOB AND SERENITY WATTS

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Vi Wishard I am 73. I was born in Prince Rupert.

We lived in a one room cabin; five brothers, four sisters.

There were feasts of seafood: salmon, herring, oolichan.

We used to sing songs with grandpa and listen to stories.

I learned how to dig clams, cook, do housework, and most important, to take care of each other.

Growing up, we weren’t accepted by white people.

I worked in the hospital, post office and the Tsawaayuus Elders home.

My happiest memories are spending time with my family: children, grandchildren.

And outdoors, at the beach.

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DAVID LITTLE AND KEI-SHAWN ATLEO

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Geraldine Edgar I am 68.

I lived with my parents in Nitinaht.

We lived off the land. We had feasts of fish, crab, deer, berries.

We learned our ways, our language.

Coming to haahuupayak, seeing the students learn their culture, drum and sing, fills me with joy.

When I was six years old I moved to Port Alberni.

Residential school. It wasn’t good.

We were separated from our families.

I had seven brothers and four sisters.

I’ve worked as a preschool teacher, social worker, and in treaty management.

Now I’m a cultural teacher, cedar weaver, mother.

I have three amazing children.

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MICHELLE FRANK

| 7

Joseph Charleson I was born in Hot Springs Cove.

Seven sisters, seven brothers. We are the Wolf Clan.

We had good times, eating seafood and food from the land.

I liked singing and dancing, learning my culture.

Life was good until residential school.

I was good, then I wasn’t.

I’m really good at mending nets and cutting fish.

Now I have my children, my grandchildren.

I’m happy to know my culture from generations back.

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TRINITY CHARLESON

| 9

Julia Lucas I’m 73. I lived in Ahousaht.

I never got bored growing up because there were always things to do: picking berries, carrying wood, packing water.

I lived in a big house with nine sisters, three brothers.

I went to Ahousaht day school.

My family always ate seafood.

I learned my history and teachings.

I have five children, 62 grandchildren.

Yes, I had hard times, but so many happy memories: having my children, seeing my grandchildren grow up.

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KAYLEIGH FRED

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Martin Watts I was raised by many people.

I was sad because I cried for my family.

I was sad because I didn’t have any parents.

I lived in different houses and lived with different families.

I had two brothers, six sisters: one sister and one brother have passed.

As a child I learned how to sing, be patient and listen from my Elders.

I have lived in Port Alberni all my life.

I was always taught to love each other, even though I was in care and moved house to house.

My family’s from Tseshaht, Ucluelet, Ittatsoo and Hupacasath.

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I had hard times because I was given up by my mother, taken into child care.

I worked at the Port Alberni pulp mill, then worked as a fisherman.

I gained life skills by growing up.

My happiest memories: getting married and raising children.

Now, being a good grandpa.

RAVE SUTHERLAND, JEWEL JENSEN AND NIKOSIS RAMPANEN

| 13

Simon Lucas I lived in Notnick, British Columbia.

I remember my grandfather saying, “always be generous and don’t forget to smile.”

My parents lived in a company owned house.

I have three sisters.

I had no grandmother; everything I had came from my two grandfathers.

I make my own traditional things.

I can sing and dance and drum.

My favourite memories are the times when my oldest son went fishing with me from age five to 17.

Then my daughter fished with me for two years.

I like to say, “Always have a smile on your face.”

I have dances that belong to me.

And I only spoke Nuu-chah-nulth.

All I had in my house was this language.

I know all the songs that belong to my tribe.

I know the dances.

I learned them all from Andrew Amos.

JENELLE JOHNSON SABBAS AND CASEY SAM 14 |

| 15

Donna Samuel I was born in Skeena Crossing.

I was very happy living with my parents.

We had a big house. I had nine brothers, six sisters.

My dad and mom were both chiefs My dad was chief of the Frog Clan.

My mom was chief of the Gitsegukla Clan.

When I was 11, I was taken, put in residential school.

The only things I heard there were “don’t do that” or “no.”

They took my culture away from me.

I had a hard time in my life because of that time.

In my life I worked in a cannery, then went back to school.

I went to haahuupayak school for nine years.

My happiest memories are watching my family grow.

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MARLEY DICK

| 17

Rita Ann Watts I lived in a green house in Port Alberni.

I had five sisters and two brothers.

River Bend School I went to had 120 students.

We’ve stayed close to this day.

At family gatherings we had fish, spaghetti, turkey, salads.

My dad raised me until I was four. Then my mother and my grandmother raised me.

My greatest joy, becoming a mother.

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ROBERT WELLS

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The Elder Project haahuupayak school Port Alberni • 2016