Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Vol. 30 - No. 6 - March 27, 2003
haas^i>sa "Interesting News"
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David Dennis; Southern Region Co-chair elect By David Wiwchar Southern Region Reporter Port Alberni - The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s five Southern Nations may have elected their youngest cochair to date if results are ratified at the upcoming NTC meeting. 28-year old David Dennis received 57% of First Nation votes to overcome Darleen Watts and George Hamilton in the race to replace former Southern Region Co-Chair Richard Watts who resigned last month.
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s five Southern Nations may have elected their youngest co-chair to date if results are ratified at the upcoming NTC meeting. When told he had received the most votes, Dennis said he was “pretty happy, and quite shocked actually”. “The reality didn’t sink in immediately,” said Dennis. “The roles and responsibilities of a co-chair are quite varied and very serious and I’ll be spending a lot of time getting up to speed,” he said. Dennis, a leader within the West Coast Warrior Society, says he is looking forward to working with the Ha’wiih, elected leaders and muschum of the Southern Region Nuu-chah-nulth Nations.
28-year old David Dennis received 57% of First Nation votes to overcome Darleen Watts and George Hamilton in the race to replace former Southern Region Co-Chair Richard Watts who resigned last month. “Our people embrace the idea of freedom of speech, and I’m all for an open debate of the fundamental issues facing our people,” said Dennis. “There needs to be a reassessment of our
political energies. For the past 12 years we’ve been putting our political energies towards resolving crown and title interests. What we need to do is put more of our energies towards the social, cultural, political, and spiritual improvement of ourselves,” he said. “The main thing right now is the cohesiveness of Nuu-chah-nulth Nations and the resolution of the NTC / Maa-nulth-aht split, and dealing with that in an efficient manner,” said Dennis. “The same issues have dominated the NTC meeting agendas. A healthy dialogue needs to take place so we can get beyond the fingerpointing, and bring clarity to the debate,” he said. Dennis, who has been critical of Nuuchah-nulth leadership in the past, says his political beliefs have remained constant but he has “changed the way I express myself”, he said. The way the vote works is that Nations have one vote for every 100 members within their Nation.
“The main thing right now is the cohesiveness of Nuu-chah-nulth Nations and the resolution of the NTC / Maa-nulth-aht split, and dealing with that in an efficient manner,” said Dennis. David Dennis received the support of Huu-ay-aht (6 votes), Uchucklesaht (3 votes), and Ditidaht (7 votes), while Tseshaht gave their 9 votes to support Darleen Watts and Hupacasath gave their 3 votes to support George Hamilton. “I have phoned Darleen and George and thanked them,” said Dennis. “All three of us showed a clear commitment to the people of the southern region and I want to keep a dialogue open with them as they have a lot of really positive ideas,” he said. The Co-chair election needs to be accepted by motion and vote at the March 27 - 28 NTC meeting before it becomes official.
28-year old NTC Southern Region Co-chair elect David Dennis.
The science of Sea Otters By Elizabeth Woodford and Anne Stewart, Bamfield Marine Station for Ha-Shilth-Sa Nuu-chah-nulth (NCN) First Nations, and many other local residents, are becoming increasingly concerned with the relatively high numbers of sea otters in their traditional territories. The reduction of marine invertebrate food resources by sea otters has become a serious issue in recent years, generating a great deal of controversy. The Nuuchah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) and the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, with funding from the Government of Canada Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk, have developed a sea otter education program for NCN First Nations communities. One of the goals of this program is to provide NCN communities with a scientific perspective of the effects of sea otters on near-
John Ross becomes Auxilliary RCMP ....................................... Page 2 Kakawis cleansed ...................................................................... Page 3 George Clutesi an important part of new exhibit......................... Page 4 Nations fight to protect Cedars.................................................... Page 7 Bradly Dennis to receive Social Worker Award ........................ Page 10 Kyuquot Science Tech Fair ........................................................ Page 13 N.E.D.C. Business News ........................................................... Page 20
shore ecosystems. Historically, sea otters were found throughout the Pacific Northwest, with a population of at least 4 000 living in NCN territory. The sea otter fur trade began on the west coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI) in 1778. While the sea otter fur trade continued for approximately the next 130 years, sea otters were commercially extinct on WCVI and the continued trade was fed by furs from other areas. In 1911, when the sea otter was first protected under the International Fur Seal Treaty, the worldwide population of sea otters numbered between 1000 and 2000 animals. The last reported sea otter in BC was shot off Vancouver Island in the 1920’s. Between 1969 and 1972, 89 sea otters were reintroduced to the Bunsby Islands, in Chek:’tles7et’h’/
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