President’s Message

Great to see so many stories of grads and their accomplishments through June and July. So glad to see our graduates being held up by friends, families and their nation’s for years of working hard to reach their goal.

Also so many celebrations of Nuu-Chahnulth achievements including Barney Williams receiving a reconciliation award. Congrats Barney.Always proud of you. Seeing stories of canoe Journey’s and the paddle to Muckleshoot and the teamwork of the pullers and their land crew and communities supporting them. Then watching the cultural celebrations once the journey by ocean was completed. Such a great feeling knowing our youth and others are so committed to a way of life.

So great to see our communities working hard for food fish and commercial fisheries and everyone preserving their fish in many different ways. Also seeing cultural camps and being out on the land to learn traditional knowledge and gather medicines. Seeing Yuquot celebrate its 31st Annual spirit Summerfest.

So much going on in all our communities from gathering seafoods, foodstuffs, berries and medicines. Summer is an amazing time of the year and we all take advantage of what Mother Earth had to offer us.

Hoping these kinds of activities will always continue though we are facing climate emergencies everywhere with highest temperatures ever causing droughts and at the other extreme atmospheric rivers and flooding. Our communities are all working on emergency plans and every home should be prepared for any emergency.

I spoke at a UBC conference last week called Tackling Climate Change and the Just Transition to Clean Energy. Clean energy is an important tool to help mitigate climate change. Ten of our 14 First Nations are involved in or trying to be involved in clean energy. Being able to be energy independent and have our own microgrid means we can do repairs quicker and run our own electricity at our own costs.

For the first time in 15 years in the spring of 2024 BC Hydro will be making a call for power. They want to work with First Nations on how they should do that and how we define First Nation participation. As NTC we will be working with BC Hydro to ensure we have a significant role in the power industry. It’s important for people to understand how First Nations are unfairly impacted by climate emergencies and we must be part of the solutions.

TheAFN had its annual general meeting. There were panels to address certain issues followed by motions. Thirty one motions were passed, including to have an election for national chief in December at the special chiefs assembly and it would be a term of 3.5 years. The motion directs the executive to put in place an electoral officer.

Motions were also passed to support increases to tribal council funding, measures to address the opioid crisis, denouncement of Manitoba’s decision on landfill search for the remains of First Nations women, as well as urgent and transformative climate action through theAFN National Climate Strategy

Also motions to protect First Nations Rights and interests from unfounded Métis rights assertions. There was a lot of discussion atAFN and also all the provincial organizations about Métis asserting rights they don’t have, getting money that should be going to First Nations people.

AFN constitutional reform work is still being conducted by the chiefs committee.

Areport has been prepared that the committee will be bringing to First Nations for their input and comment.Aforensic audit was also approved for 10 years so we can ensure proper policies are put in place to ensure proper handling ofAFN funds.

I have also been working with local leaders and MLAJosie Osborne to lobby for a secondary road in and out of PortAlberni.

The road closures and alternating lanes around Cameron Lake have impacted Nuu-Chah-nulth economically, socially, medically and work wise. There have been no indications if the construction work around Cameron Bluffs will be completed by midAugust as we were advised.

The priority for another road out of the valley has increased dramatically with the fire and the damages caused by it.

We had our monthly directors meeting and a reminder that this is live streamed and you can watch. Unfortunately, NTC was unable to recruit a coordinator for the Tlu-piich Games so they have been postponed until 2024. The NTCAGM has been scheduled for September 27th at the Barclay Hotel in Port Alberni and will be both in person and by Zoom.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did a major Cabinet shuffle as he heads into his last year of his mandate. He replaced Marc Miller as Minister of Crown and Indigenous Relations with someone unknown to us. GaryAnandasangaree is the new minister and I have no idea how he will do on this portfolio.

Minister Lametti asAttorney General of Canada was also replaced even though he is going to run in the next election. He made himself accessible to First Nations and did a lot of work on the FederalAction Plan on UNDRIP. Can’t say he did everything we wanted but he did try hard. Fisheries was another big surprise.A minister was appointed who has no fisheries background or experience with indigenous people.At a time when fisheries habitat and ocean warming are huge concerns, we needed someone who has the experience to work with us to manage the fisheries so we can continue exercising our rights and our way of life.Anew regional director general was also appointed for B.C. who does not have any fisheries background or experience working with First Nations and our rights. Both these appointments cause concern for us and we need to educate them in Nuu-Chah-nulth history, protocols, the importance of the sea and sea resources to us and so much more. I see many challenges ahead and the need to be strategic moving ahead.

Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Respectfully,

Cloy-e-iis Judith Sayers