Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper August 8, 2024

INTERESTING NEWS

Rugby silver for Valenzuela and Canadian teammates

By Sam Laskaris Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Paris, France –ATseshaht First Nation woman is among a group of rugby players that made history at the Paris Olympics.

Shalaya Valenzuela is a member of the Canadian women’s rugby sevens club that captured the silver medal at the Games on Tuesday.

The second-place finish marked Canada’s best Olympic result in the sport. Canada had earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Games in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janiero. That marked the first time the sport was introduced into Olympic competition.

As for this year’s Games, Canada was downed 19-12 by New Zealand in the gold-medal match.

“We wanted a medal, of course gold ideally,” Valenzuela said. “But silver is great.”

It would have been considered an upset if Canada had managed to emerge from the championship contest with a victory. That’s because New Zealand is the top-ranked club in the world in women’s rugby.

New Zealand had convincingly beat Canada 33-7 in a round-robin match earlier in the Games. While that was Canada’s lone setback heading into the final, New Zealand managed to win all of its games in Paris. New Zealand had also won the gold medal at the last Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021. Those Games had been delayed one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rugby sevens is just what its name implies. It is a version of the sport where both clubs have seven participating players on the field.

That differs from traditional rugby which features 15 players per side. With considerably fewer players on the field, speed is definitely an asset for players in rugby sevens since they are still competing on a full-sized field.

Valenzuela, who is 25, did not actually get any playing time with the Canadian club in Paris. But she was just happy to be part of the entire Olympic experience. She was not one of the 12 players named to Canada’s Paris-bound roster when the team was announced on July 10. Valenzuela, however, was added to the squad as a reserve player mere days before the Games began in Paris on July 26.

Valenzuela was able to participate in all of the team activities in France.And like all of her other teammates, she too was awarded a shiny silver medal following

player added days before competition

the championship match.

“I was happy to be here with my team anyways and glad to step up when needed,” she said.

No doubt it was a whirlwind of emotions the past few weeks for Valenzuela.

First there was the disappointment of not being named to the Canadian squad.

Then joining the club days ahead of the start of the Olympics.And then capping it off with a medal from the world’s most prestigious multi-sport event.

The Canadians were not considered a serious medal contender heading into the Paris Olympics. The team had started the 2024 season as the ninth-ranked in the world.

But Canada’s hopes of garnering some hardware at the Games were considerably boosted after upsetting host France 19-14 in a quarter-final contest that was held on Monday. That triumph guaranteed that the Canadian team would be involved in a medal game.

And then on Tuesday morning Canada was assured of at least a second-place fin-

ish when it defeatedAustralia 21-12 in its semi-final battle.

“It feels surreal but we all worked hard to get here,” Valenzuela said.

She also had some praise for all of the participating women’s rugby clubs at the Games.

“All teams deserve applause,” she said.

Valenzuela said that she did not attend the Games’opening ceremony on July 26.And neither did her teammates.

“Too hard on our feet,” she said of the prospect of the standing around, and no doubt the celebrating she would have done had she attended the ceremony.

Valenzuela added she will not attend the Games’closing ceremony either.

Valenzuela said she is not quite sure what her immediate future holds. She was contemplating whether to remain in Europe and do some travelling.

One thing that is certain, however, is that Valenzuela plans to continue playing the sport.

“I will continue with rugby,” she said.

“It’s part of me.”

Submitted photo

Tseshaht First Nation member Shalaya Valenzuela, number 14 in the middle of top row, is now an Olympic medalist after her team earned a silver today in Paris.

Olympic medal awarded to rugby sevens squad, including a Tseshaht

Shalaya Valenzuela

Māori and Hesquiaht carver collaborate on totem pole

Collaborative project recognizes blood ties that began with a cross-Pacific canoe journey hundreds of years ago

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC - This summer a totem pole is coming to life, commemorating the blood ties that began hundreds of years ago when a Māori canoe was blown across the Pacific to Vancouver Island’s shore.

Hundreds of years after this chance encounter in Ehattesaht territory, Māori visitors came to Vancouver Island this June, a group that included at least one descendent of the three men who spent three years with a Nuu-chah-nulth tribe long ago.After his relatives went back home to New Zealand,Alan Heta stayed behind to make a totem pole with Hesquiaht carver Tim Paul in PortAlberni.

“It’s sort of like a reunion,” said Heta, looking over the faces taking shape from the cedar.

The pole incorporates elements of Nuuchah-nulth and Māori culture, a first for Tim Paul, who has carved for nearly 50 years. Working with a Māori artist has brought a different energy to his process.

“He knows all his designs,” said Paul of the young man, whose family encouraged him to learn from the master carver.

“They wanted him to stay here to work with me with the tools that I have.”

“Just the way he works is a lot different from how we do things at home,” said Heta, who comes from Ngāpuhi on the northern end of New Zealand’s North Island.

Down under wood is much harder than cedar, requiring more chiseling in the carving process. Heta brought a piece of yew that feels as hard as marble.

“We don’t use knives, we use chisels,” he said. “The wood’s a lot harder at home, so you can’t cut.”

The collaboration continues a relationship that began over 15 generations ago, a remarkable story of three Māori men who appeared to be blown far off course, causing their canoe to wash up on the northern shore of Esperanza Inlet. They landed in the village of tiławis, also known as Yellow Bluff, where they remained for three years. The host tribe built them two new dugout canoes, and equipped with sails the Māori headed back across the Pacific Ocean, accompanied with Nuuchah-nulth wives.

“One brother stayed back,” said Heta, opening up the possibility that a Māori man became a permanent member of the tribe at tiławis.

Over the years Ernie Smith of Ehattesaht heard this story from his relatives.A few years ago he and cousin Dawn Smith got their DNAanalysed, and found traces of Māori and Hawaiian ancestors. Further investigation linked them to Manu Reti, a Māori woman listed as the possible fourth cousin of Ernie Smith. Paul, who is related to Ernie Smith, was also aware of the story of the three Māori men. Back in 1990 he travelled to New Zealand to present a totem pole he made with Kevin Cramner, where the carver discovered similar accounts from those on the other side of the Pacific, stories told through the generations indicating that the Māori men made it back home.

In recent years Lily George, daughter of the late Manu Reti, confirmed this story by tests she undertook throughAncestry DNA. In June George and other Māori people ventured across the ocean to Vancouver Island to connect with their distant relatives and see Yellow Bluff, where their ancestors spent three years long ago.

“It reminded me of the South Island of New Zealand,” said Heta of the old village site in Esperanza Inlet. “We were up until 2 in the morning taking photos. I’ve got photos of the moon, it was like a sun in the nighttime.”

During his previous years of working at the Royal B.C. Museum Paul would share the story of cross-Pacific travel, where he was met with skepticism that a pre-industrial canoe could make the 11,000-kilometre journey. But Polynesian tribes have a long history of migration amidst the Pacific islands, including the 3,000-kilometre journey from Hawaiki that brought Māori settlement to New Zealand in the 14th century.

Haki Tuaupiki at New Zealand’s University of Waikoto has studied the voyages of his Māori and Polynesian ancestors, researching their epic sea journeys in large, double-hulled waka, or canoes. He found that the Māori considered a range of environmental factors in navigation, including the sun, stars, wind and cloud movement, ocean currents, bird and whale migration as well as seasonal patterns when choosing to travel long distances.

“When the Spanish [navigators] and Vikings were hugging the shores, centuries before that Polynesians were crossing the Pacific Ocean,” said Tuaupiki in an article published by the university.

“What really blows me away is that our ancestors had an intimate understanding of their environment, and when to make long-distance voyages. They understood the weather, climate and seasons.”

Deep historical ties to the ocean have come across both in Māori and Nuuchah-nulth culture through depictions of the Sea Serpent. Designs from both cultures line one side of the totem Paul and Heta are working on, with assistance fromAlton Watts of Tseshaht at his property in PortAlberni.At the top of the pole sits the first woman, under whom is a depiction of the raven taking on the form of the first man.

The woman is at the top due to the traditional importance of female elders within Nuu-chah-nulth communities, explained Paul.

“That rank and file in the whole house,

it’s the ladies’job to get a real strong consensus,” he said. “They’re the legal advisors, all the ladies back there, all the aunts, all the grandmothers.”

At the bottom of the pole a depiction of the first Māori man is taking shape, which Heta has given elaborate facial patterns reminiscent of tribal tattoos.

“The design was for our chiefs at home and their significance,” he said.

The carvers hope to finish the pole by lateAugust, and plan to have it raised in early November when the Māori relatives return to see a cultural centre Paul is overseeing the construction of on River Road in PortAlberni.At the age of 74, this is part of the master carver’s critical transferring of cultural teachings to

younger generations.

“It’s urgent to get it done today,” said Paul, who is working on the pole with Heta and Watts without any grant funding. “It’s a gift from my family, a gift from Hesquiaht.” He hopes this work instills a sense of hope for future generations, beyond the pain his people have endured in the past.

“I really feel bad for some of my relatives I went to residential school with, because I know that they can’t let go. I know that they’ve been hurt and abused so badly that it will never leave their innards,” reflected Paul. “I want my young nieces and nephews and grandchildren hear me say we’ve got cause to celebrate every day simply because we survived.”

Eric Plummer photos

Alton Watts,Alan Heta and Tim Paul are working on a 20-foot totem pole at Watts’property in PortAlberni. They hope to have it finished later this summer. The cedar log was donated by the Hupacasath First Nation, after sitting for 15 years.

Fire scare points to prevention measures

Large blaze near Hupacasath reserve handled by Alberni Valley fire departments

By Antonella Medina Arias Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

PortAlberni, BC – On July 6, a fire broke out near the Hupacasath reserve, prompting more preventive measures to protect First Nations from future fires.

“[The fire] was a big scare considering how close it was to the reserve,” said Jonathan Porter, housing manager of the Hupacasath First Nation. “The fire department showed up in a timely manner and worked out the best it could for an unfortunate situation.”

PortAlberni Fire Chief Mike Owens reported that the fire broke out in the 5200 block of Josephine Street, by Meadow Drive, approximately 1.1 kilometres from the Hupacasath reserve.At 5:14 p.m. on July 6 multiple 911 calls reported a structure fire. Both on-duty and off-duty personnel, along with volunteer fire fighters from Cherry Creek, Beaver Creek and Spout Lake, were dispatched to the scene.

Upon arrival, a significant amount of smoke and fire originated from a twostory house. The building was engulfed in flames, spreading to nearby trees and RVs on the property.

“It could have been worse if they weren’t there as quick as they were,” said Porter. “We’re fortunate to be talking and working with the City of PortAlberni Fire Department.”

The crew worked diligently to suppress the fire and prevent further spread, clearing the site just before 10 p.m. Crew members later returned to the property to check for any potential hazard that could cause another fire.

The RCMP has yet to release the results of the investigations to determine the reasons for the fire.

“We are starting to incorporate Fire Smart that’s going around B.C.,” Porter said.

The FireSmart program is designed to reduce wildfire risks in communities across British Columbia. The First Nations’Emergency Service Society of B.C. (FNESS) is collaborating with Fire Smart to increase resilience in First Nations communities by promoting awareness,

On July 6 a large structure fire broke out near the Hupacasath reserve, spreading to trailers on the property. The blaze was dealt with by the PortAlberni, Beaver Creek, Cherry Creek and Sproat Lake fire departments.

education, and safety measures to minimize potential fire hazards.

“We haven’t taken all the preventive measures yet, but we have something we’re working towards,” added Porter. Porter commented about the ongoing meetings with Fire Smart Coordinator Randy Thoen to establish the necessary safety measures to prevent the spread of wildfires in housing areas.Additionally, Thoen has planned to organize a meeting for the Hupacasath community to spread fire safety awareness.

“We’re trying to clear out as many extra bushes or greenery that can potentially catch fire and piggyback on the fire to another building,” commented Porter. Preventative measures are also underway on the nearby Tseshaht First Nation reserve.

“We’ve been working with theACRD (Alberni-Cloyoquat Regional District)... over time assessing, starting with the social house units, like house rentals [to] align the Fire Smart principles,” said Jeremy Bowers, Housing Manager for the Tseshaht community.

Bowers commented that one of the Fire Smart principles is to address the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ), the area within 30

metres of a structure that is divided into three priority areas. The HIZ shows how to minimize a home’s vulnerability to a wildfire by addressing the threat in each zone. For PortAlberni, rental houses do not have much storage space, using yards as the only alternative, which can dry up and potentially become fire hazards.

Other assessments for rental housing include ensuring functioning smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are available in kitchen areas, fixing reported repairs, and clearing dryer vents—anything related to fire disaster prevention.

“It’s all a work in progress, definitely not perfect at it, but that fire made us aware of [fire safety],” said Bowers.

The First Nation Fire Protection Strategy (2023–2028) works at a national level in Canada to enhance protection and prevention services across Indigenous communities. The strategy involves collaboration between federal and provincial governments, fire prevention education, helping local communities to implement fire protection measures and fire prevention education, accounting for climate change and upgrading important infrastructure like water supplies and telecommunication.

Wildfire by Tseshaht reserve being held

Officials say the 0.5hectare wildfire was likely caused by humans

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

PortAlberni, BC -Awildfire burning close to Tseshaht’s main reserve, located between Sproat Lake and PortAlberni, is being held, according to theAug. 7 update from BC Wildfire Service.

The wildfire was reported by BC Wildfires on Tuesday,Aug. 6 at 6:34 p.m. The latest report says the fire size has grown from 0.009 hectares to 0.5 hectares.

There are no current evacuation orders in place.

“The fire began on Crown land and moved into Mosaic private land,” reads anAug. 6 bulletin posted by Tseshaht First Nation at 8:30 p.m.

“Please be advised there is NO immediate danger to lives or infrastructure. The fire continues to move away from our reserve,” reads the bulletin.

Tseshaht posted a second bulleting at 11:05 p.m. onAug. 6 stating that, “Crews are making progress and fire status has changed to being held.”

“Thank you to the fire crews for your tireless work and keeping our community safe,” Tseshaht notes.

BC Wildfire Service downgraded the fire from ‘Out-of-control’to ‘Being Held’ as it says that “based on fuel and weather conditions and resource availability,” the wildfire is projected to remain within the current control line.

Authorities say humans are suspected to have caused the wildfire, either intentionally or by accident.

Ha-Shilth-Sa is monitoring the wildfire and will post more information as it becomes available.

Abandoned puppies found on logging road near Ucluelet

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Ucluelet, BC - Two Rottweiler mix puppies have a safe home in Ucluelet after being found down a logging road on Ukee Days weekend, July 26 to July 28.

It is unclear as to why they were on the backroads alone, but a post on social media by their rescuer (who declined to be interviewed) describes the pups as likely being abandoned.

“No collars, no people anywhere to be found, covered in fleas and terrified,” reads the Facebook post on Ucluelet’s public community board.

The puppies were given de flea medication and days after being found, longterm locals took them in.

“It’s uncommon to find puppies out in those kinds of places. It’s more common to see stray dogs that have gotten separated from their people, you know campers or something like that,” said James Rodgers, the co-founder of Coastal Animal Rescue and Education (CARE) Network, a non-profit, volunteer driven organization based in Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation traditional territory that works to help animals in remote communities on the West Coast.

“One would hope that if one didn’t want puppies, they would get in touch with one of the re-homing organizations like CARE or the SPCA,” Rodgers continued.

“But one of the challenges right now is that there are just so many unwanted dogs, cats, puppies and kittens that it’s getting increasingly difficult to find homes for them.”

Rodgers says the situation is “dire” and that he’s never seen animal welfare organizations as busy and as underfunded as they are now. This year alone, the BC SPCAhas already witnessed a 3.6 per cent increase of animals in care compared to last year, notes an article in the Society’s 2024 Spring/Summer magazine.

“It’s an indication of how much we need more affordable, accessible vet care,” Rodgers said.

As a solution, CARE Network recently launched ‘Mission Pawsible’, a mobile vet clinic in the form of an 18-foot trailer and truck, to bring their animal care services to pet-owners in communities like Ahousaht, Ty-Histanis and Toquaht.

But as an organization that relies on volunteers, Rodgers says they’re often overwhelmed as they have a limited capacity to take animals in. When CARE is unable to provide shelter, he recommends call-

ing the BC SPCA’sAlberni-Clayoquot Branch in PortAlberni as they have the ability to transfer animals to other SPCA centres across the province. Rodgers offered well wishes to the two Rottweiler pups and adds that he hopes they get spayed/neutered.

“The shelters are bursting at the seems,” he re-iterates.

CARE Network is currently on the lookout for foster homes. If anyone is interested in volunteering, applications are available at: https://www.carenetwork.ca/ get-involved.

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Two ‘terrified’puppies are lucky to be alive after being left on a logging road.

Overdose deaths declining, says coroner’s data

Progress is evident amid opioid crisis, although opinions vary on the best approaches to prevent more deaths

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC - Recent data from the BC Coroners Service is bringing encouraging signs for those fighting the ongoing overdose crisis, with the first half of this year showing the lowest fatalities since the early days of the pandemic.

But amid a complex social problem fueled by an increasingly toxic supply of street drugs, those tasked with finding solutions are still stressing the enormity of the public health emergency that has been in place sinceApril 2016.

On July 30 the BC Coroners Service reported that at least 1,158 people have died from January to the end of June this year due to illicit drug use. This shows a nine per cent decrease from the same period in 2023 - lower than the first half of 2022 and 2021 as well.

With 181 deaths recorded in May and 185 in June, these most recent months also show a trending decline of fatalities. But at a rate of approximately six fatalities a day, illicit drug use remains by far the most common cause of death for B.C. residents aged 10-59, surpassing homicide, suicide, accidents and natural diseases combined.

“Every single one of these deaths is a stark reminder that there is more work to do,” said Jennifer Whiteside, B.C.’s minister of Mental Health andAddictions, in a statement responding to the recent coroner’s data. “There is no one solution that will end this crisis.”

In recent years theAlberni-Clayoquot region, which includes theAlberni Valley and Clayoquot Sound, has experienced higher rates of overdose fatality than most other parts of the province. But since early this year the trend has been encouraging, says Ron Merk, co-chair of the PortAlberni CommunityAction Team, which was assembled to respond to the opioid crisis.

“We’ve been on a downward trend since January of this year,” said Merk. “I’d like to think it’s the culmination of all the work happening, however, I think it’s a bit too soon for everyone to start patting themselves on the back.”

Last year PortAlberni had the second worst overdose death rate in the province, behind Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside. Thirty people died in the region last year. But in 2024 this has improved, andAlberni-Clayoquot saw 10 overdose deaths over the first half of the year, said Merk.

“That’s amazing. Why? I’m also not sure, but a ton of people have been working on it,” he added. “We’ve had three peer workers out on the streets since January – I’d like to think they had something to do with it.”

The community action team operates under the principle of promoting harm reduction, which entails minimizing

the hazards that illicit drug users face by directly connecting with them. This approach has gained prominence over the opioid crisis, amid the increasingly toxic quantity of street drugs. In 2024 fentanyl has been detected in 82 per cent of deaths, but other drugs have also complicated the street supply, according to a report released earlier in July from Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry.

“Because of the presence of illegally manufactured fentanyl-like drugs in the unregulated drug supply, along with other adulterants such as benzodiazepines and xylazine, a small quantity of unregulated drugs can be fatal,” stated Henry’s report, which came out July 9.

Part of the province’s response to the opioid crisis has been to promote the prescription of alternatives, like hydromorphone, to the unregulated street market. But Henry’s report indicates that the provision of these safer alternatives is falling far below the extent of illicit drug use.An average of 4,777 people were given prescribed alternatives each month in 2023, but the illicit drug supply is accessed by at least 165,000 people in British Columbia – showing an access rate of just three per cent.

Henry’s report noted an urgent need for more safer medical alternatives to be available. It recommends that the province explore the possibility of programs that would supply hydromorphone or other medications without a prescription – similar to “compassion clubs” that

existed before marijuana was legalised.

“Ultimately, we cannot prescribe our way out of this crisis,” states the report.

“The health-care system is not capable, nor is it designed, to scale-up services to address the needs of the tens of thousands of people who use drugs and to replace the widespread distribution of drugs that is currently occurring through the unregulated market.”

The province rejected this recommendation.

“This is a topic we do not agree on. The province will not go in the direction of compassion clubs and other non-medical models of distributing medications,” stated Minister Whiteside. “Prescribed alternatives to street drugs are an option to separate people who are at the highest risk of death and harm from the poisoned drug supply. This program builds a relationship between the patient and the prescriber, which makes it easier for people to get connected to additional supports and get into treatment and recovery.”

Early last year B.C. became Canada’s first province to decriminalize the possession of smaller amounts of illicit drugs, with a three-year Health Canada exemption under the Controlled Drugs and SubstancesAct. But with a provincial

election on the horizon in the fall, the province scaled back its decriminalisation policy in May when the use of illicit substances was again prohibited in public places.

“While we are caring and compassionate for those struggling with addiction, we do not accept street disorder that makes communities feel unsafe,” stated Premier David Eby at the time.

Merk fears that this backtracking could end up reversing progress already evident in the opioid crisis.

“The whole idea of decriminalisation was to take the stigma out of the fact that people are using drugs,” he said. “The reason we wanted to do that was so that people aren’t afraid to go ask for help.”

For those struggling with substance use in PortAlberni – a community that has been called “ground zero” of the overdose crisis – more help be coming. In late July Island Health issued a request for proposals to bring 6-8 stabilization beds to the small city.

Currently people are waiting for months to get into a detox facility, said Merk.

“I know just from what people tell me, if they ask to go to detox, they’re looking at a minimum of six weeks, probably three months,” he said.

Eric Plummer photo

Brianna Rai holds Naloxone kits in a harm reduction van operated by Teechuktl Mental Health, a measure to help those at a high risk of harm due to illicit drug use.

Nuu-chah-nulth hope to benefit from treatment centre

The Tsakwa’lutan Healing Centre is being converted from a Quadra Island resort, offering 20 treatment beds

By Sam Laskaris Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

PortAlberni, BC – Provincial officials and health representatives are praising a new Indigenous-led mental health and addictions treatment centre that will be operational by this fall on Quadra Island. The development seeks to mitigate an overdose crisis that has escalated to claim an average of seven lives a day in British Columbia. Indigenous people are six times more likely to die from drug poisoning than the rest of B.C.’s population, according to a recent report from the Office of the Provincial Health Officer.

Though they support any new facility, some Nuu-chah-nulth officials believe that much, much more needs to be done. It was announced in mid-July that construction has begun on the new Tsakwa’lutan Healing Centre. With some provincial assistance, the We Wai Kai Nation has begun converting its previous resort into the new healing centre. The facility, expected to open this fall, will offer both Indigenous cultural and medical healing services. Upon completion, the facility is expected to have 20 treatment beds available.And the centre will be able to offer services to as many as 40 people at a time.

“From my view, if it saves one life, that’s a game changer,” said Les Doiron, vice-president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, who is the former elected chief of the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ First Nation. Doiron, however, wonders how many Nuu-cha-nulth members who are living in their First Nation’s territory will benefit from the Quadra Island centre.

Quadra Island is located east of Vancouver Island, a considerable distance from Nuu-chah-nulth territory on the west coast.

But NTC President Judith Sayers believes some Nuu-chah-nulth members could potentially benefit from the new facility.

“There is a large Nuu-chah-nulth population in Campbell River,” Sayers said. Quadra Island is accessible via a short ferry ride from Campbell River.

Sayers also said she is pleased to hear the new treatment centre will focus on Indigenous cultural and medical healing services.

“That’s essential to the healing, using our own traditional values,” Sayers said.

Sayers added the new facility will undoubtedly serve some needs.

Whiteside, B.C.’s minister of Mental Health andAddictions second from right), stands with representatives from the Tsakwa’lutan Healing Centre. The treatment facility is expected to open in the fall on Quadra Island.

“I’m sure it’s going to be in high demand,” she said. “There’s so many people that need help.”

Jennifer Whiteside, B.C.’s minister of Mental Health andAddictions, is pleased the province was able to provide some assistance for the new Quadra Island centre.

“Given that there are many pathways into addiction, we need to be there to provide just as many pathways for people to recover,” Whiteside said. “We’re proud to support the We Wai Kai Nation’s work to deliver cultural healing services for people struggling with addictions so that more people can find their own unique pathways to hope and to healing.”

The B.C. government is providing about $7.9 million in funding for the centre. This financial support will help cover renovation expenses as well as future operational costs.

Renovations required include roof repairs, safety and power upgrades as well as the creation of two separate wings for patient rooms.

Doiron has seen first-hand the devasting effects that addictions can have. His nephew died of an overdose a couple of years ago.

Doiron also emceed the recent Nuuchah-nulth graduation ceremonies in Port Alberni. One of the high school graduates who attended those ceremonies died of an overdose the following day.

“It’s destroying our young generations,” Doiron said of the current drug crisis many Indigenous communities are experiencing. “More people are dying from overdoses than died during the pandemic.”

Doiron added the unfortunate situation is that many individuals who are requesting help do not have a treatment centre they can go to.

“Unless you have $50,000 to put them in a private place, there’s no place to go,” he said. “You can’t just walk in and say, ‘This is my friend and he needs help today’.”

Doiron believes that these setbacks can lead to more disastrous consequences.

“They want to get away from the people who have been assisting and enabling them (with their addictions),” he said. “But they have nowhere to go.”

While Doiron believes the construction of the Quadra Island facility will be a positive step, he added countless other facilities are required to curb the mental health and addiction epidemics.

“I think you need a centre in every city that has at least 15,000 people,” he said.

Celeta Cook, who is a director with the First Nations HealthAuthority, is among those supportive of the Quadra Island centre.

“We are working to ensure people in the region and provincewide have more access to mental-health and addictions services and support, and the opening of the Tsakwa’lutan Healing Centre brings us a step closer toward that goal,” Cook said.

“We know how important it is to meet people where they are at in their wellness journey and this new facility will help us achieve that by weaving together western and First Nations approaches to healing to provide care that is culturally safe and accessible.”

Michele Babchuk, the MLAfor North Island, also speaks highly of the soon-tobe-open facility.

“This healing centre is an important addition to mental-health and addiction services in the region giving more people here access to treatment and healing,” she said. “Through We Wai Kai Nation’s leadership, we’re excited to see this unique and innovative project break ground.”

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Please note that the deadline for submissions for our next issue is Aug. 16, 2024

After that date, material submitted and judged appropriate cannot be guaranteed placement but, if material is still relevant, will be included in the following issue.

In an ideal world, submissions would be typed rather than hand-written. Articles can be sent by e-mail to holly.stocking@nuuchahnulth.org (Windows PC).

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Pictures with no return address will remain on file.Allow two - four weeks for return.

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COVERAGE:

Although we would like to be able to cover all stories and events, we will only do so subject to:

- Sufficient advance notice addressed specifically to Ha-Shilth-Sa.

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LETTERS and KLECOS

Ha-Shilth-Sa will include letters received from its readers. Letters MUST be signed by the writer and have the writer’s full name, address and phone number on them. Names can be withheld by request.Anonymous submissions will not be accepted. We reserve the right to edit submitted material for clarity, brevity, grammar and good taste. We will definitely not publish letters dealing with tribal or personal disputes or issues that are critical of Nuu-chah-nulth individuals or groups. All opinions expressed in letters to the editor are purely those of the writer and will not necessarily coincide with the views or policies of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council or its member First Nations. Ha-Shilth-Sa includes paid advertising, but this does not imply Ha-Shilth-Sa or Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council recommends or endorses the content of the ads.

Project improves shellfish food safety

Researchers send biotoxin kits to nations to measure harmful levels in shellfish

By Sarah Banning Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

It is said that, “when the tide is out, the table is set.”Aquaculture is and has always been a lifeline for First Nations people. Sadly, climate change and environmental factors are threatening their safe, sustainable marine resources.

“It’s challenging to meet the needs of traditional harvesting by Indigenous communities, which are often remote,” said Dr. Timothy Green, Vancouver Island University’s Canada Research Chair in Shellfish Health and Genomics. “British Columbia’s vast coastal geography makes timely lab access a challenge – and timeliness is important for shellfish products that are consumed fresh.”

Apartnership between the Canadian Food InspectionAgency’s Burnaby Laboratory and Vancouver Island University is working to improve food sovereignty and security by making shellfish and sea urchin - the most commonly harvested marine animals - testing more rapid and convenient for remote Indigenous communities.

The partnership officially began 18 months ago, thanks to funding through the I-STEM (Indigenous- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) project, under the direction of Carolyn Bateman, director of the CFIA’s Burnaby Laboratory.

“There’s a desperate need for more testing,” Bateman explains. “We saw the chance to partner with the university as a way to be more efficient, fill the gap in science to understand the risk to people, and cull the overabundance of sea urchins.”

Shellfish are filter feeders. They accumulate lethal toxins in their tissue. It’s two of these lethal toxins - paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) and amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) - that are putting Indigenous communities at risk. Toxins occur most frequently as a result of rising water temperatures causing algae blooms.

Sea urchins don’t normally eat muscles. But, as VIU biology student Chloe McLaughlin explains, fluctuations in environmental conditions, including predator abundance, has led to increased populations in sea urchins. Though sea urchins normally eat kelp, as their

VIU Biology student Chloe McLaughlin is developing a method to determine levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning in urchins as part of the collaborative research project.

population rises, they will eat anything to survive, including shellfish stricken with biotoxins.

McLaughlin, under supervision of both Green and Bateman, has developed methodology for testing sea urchins, which are outside the boundaries of the shellfish sanitation plan. By feeding a measured amount of muscles - a type of shellfishto sea urchins and then testing, she is able to understand if there are lethal levels of PSP, as muscles are the first to show signs of the biotoxin.

According to CFIA’s website, there are only three laboratories that conduct shellfish testing upon request. For remote coastal Indigenous communities that rely on shellfish for survival, this situation presents an almost impossible challenge.

The CFIA/VIU partnership is aiming to change these circumstances by creating a satellite lab to collect and process samples from coastal communities, sending them on to the Burnaby lab for results, reducing the time from harvest to table. However, Bateman notes that biotoxins can change rapidly, and for a food that is served fresh, it’s hard to tell people

Ha-Shilth-Sa belongs to every Nuu-chah-nulth person including those who have passed on, and those who are not yet born.Acommunity newspaper cannot exist without community involvement. If you have any great pictures you’ve taken, stories or poems you’ve written, or artwork you have done, please let us know so we can include it in your newspaper. E-mail holly.stocking@nuuchahnulth.org. This year is Ha-Shilth-Sa’s 50th year of serving the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. We look forward to your continued input and support. Kleco! Kleco!

to wait. To answer this need, the lab is also working on a PSP biotoxin field kit to distribute to First Nation’s that will hopefully be a viable option for them to conduct their own test and receive same day results.

“The relationship between VIU and CFIAis invaluable,” said Bateman.

“Together we can answer questions about risk and opportunity that would have been challenging or impossible to answer otherwise.”

The CFIA/VIU partnership and the invaluable work being done by McLaughlin supports food safety, sovereignty and economic industry for coastal Indigenous communities.

As for the future of the project, which initially has funding for two years, Green hopes to get a lab up and running at VIU and train other groups to run safety tests too, increasing capacity and timeliness.

“If we can get the testing going, have success and create trust within Indigenous communities hopefully future budgets will continue to support this effort,” said Green.

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Emma Dickinson photo

Huu-ay-aht welcome festival goers to Pachena Bay

Music festival celebrates its third official year with an emphasis on sacred principles to guide the flow of events

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Anacla, BC -Amusic festival took over Pachena Bay July 19-21, echoing a rhythm through the tall trees as throngs of bohemian-clad visitors rocked and swayed on the forest floor below into the early hours.

In its third official year, the Pachena Bay Music Festival brought as much as 1,000 people to the Huu-ay-aht-owned campground, tightly packing their vehicles and tents into the site for three days of dancing and performances from a diversity of artists. Festivities began Friday, July 19 with a procession through the campground’s main corridor, allowing festival goers to display their costumes and vibrant attire, dancing to the horns and percussion of the Babyface Brass band.

This parade led to the main stage, where Huu-ay-aht members welcomed the crowd, reminding them of the stewardship that has cared for the region over thousands of years.

Olivia Peters, daughter of Ḥawił ƛiišin, explained the principles that continue to be sacred in Pachena Bay and the surrounding Huu-ay-aht territory.

“Hišuk ma cawak, everything is connected, the ocean, the air and the wildlife the great mother earth gave us,” she told the crowd. “ʔiisaak, it means respect, that we respect all things around us, each other as a community.”

“ʔuuʔałuk means to take care of each other, to look after yourself, look after all the land and the living things around us,” added Peters.

With just about all attendees committed to stay at the campground for the full three days, the festival organisers have taken this guidance to heart by stressing the need for all to leave no trace behind when they leave. The campsite’s garbage containers were closed shut with rocks and upturned, bearing messages saying, “Closed. Pack it in, pack it out.”

The festival partnership has also become a beneficial revenue generator for the Huu-ay-aht, whose group of businesses still relies on forestry for the majority of annual income.

While welcoming the crowd Councillor Edward Johnson Jr. noted how the music festival is a sign of different future for the First Nation.

“We’ve been at a socioeconomic development disadvantage from the get go,” he said. “From what I see here is lots of people that spend lots of money in our

territory.”

This introduction concluded with the Paddle Song, during which visitors were called on to join Huu-ay-aht dancers as they paddled away from the main stage. Energetic sets followed on the opening day, including performances from Vancouver’s Babyface Brass and Bu Vonblume of Cumberland. Between the exploding funk Michael Red and Tsimka of Tla-o-qui-aht brought a combination of ancient Nuu-chah-nulth singing and modern-day electronic sonic stylings, resulting in a hypnotic change in energy.

As a crowd danced to DJs on the beach, Huu-ay-aht’s Hinatinyis took the stage with a language lesson to remind visitors of the heritage behind the festival site.

“Our vowels actually give us the rhythm in our language,” explained the language teacher. “I’ve always imagined it like the ocean, how it comes and goes. When you start speaking longer sentences, you can start to hear those differences.”

“It’s really important to get that flow if you’re looking for fluency,” added Hinatinyis.

The Pachena Bay Music Festival continues until Sunday, July 21.

Eric Plummer photos

Festival dancers filled the beach at Pachena Bay on July 19, after a welcome from Huu-ay-aht members (below).

Festivities began with a parade to the main stage, something that has become a tradition for the Pachena Bay Music Festival.

The Babyface Brass band opened up performances for the three-day festival.

Mowachaht/Muchalaht welcome visitors for 32nd Yuquot Summerfest

The annual celebration started in 1992 to reconnect the First Nation with its home of at least 4,300 years on the southern shore of

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Yuquot, BC - The Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation once again welcomed a boatload of visitors to its ancestral home of Yuquot for the 32nd annual Summerfest celebration.

The MV Uchuck III departed from the Gold River dock onAug. 3 to land for an afternoon at the ancient village site on the southern shore of Nootka Island. Since 1992 Mowachaht/Muchalaht members have returned to Yuquot each summer to camp at the remote site, which served as the First Nation’s main reserve community until it was moved to the Gold River area in the early 1970s.

The camp-out tradition was started by the late Tyee Ha’wilthAmbrose Maquinna.

OnAug. 3 his son, the current Tyee Ha’wilth Yahtloah, Mike Maquinna, welcomed visitors to Yuquot, as part the tradition his father started “to re-establish Yuquot as a global site for cultural exchange and renewal.”

Yuquot was the first point of contact between Europeans and British Columbia’s coastal First Nations people, when English Capt. James Cook stopped at the village during his search for the Northwest Passage in 1778.At the time Yuquot was a central location of trade and whaling for northern Nuu-chah-nulth, a site with eons of cultural history that archaeological records have shown stretch back at least 4,300 years.

Nootka

Mowachaht/Muchalaht members sing for visitors onAug. 3 as the MV Uchuck III lands at Yuquot (above).Ameal was served in the village’s church, (below right). Meanwhile, Sanford Williams (bottom left) saw a steady stream of visitors to his carving shop, where recent creations were on display

on the southern shore of Nootka Island

Father and son from California join push to bring Whalers Shrine back to Yuquot

Albert Lara has linked his DNA ancestry back to a Mowachaht chief in the late 1700s

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Yuquot, BC -Albert Lara has always felt some sort of a connection with Indigenous peoples.As a boy he was drawn to totem poles. In his professional life he worked withAboriginal organizations in California, and while with the California State Retirees he became chair of its Indigenous Peoples Committee.

In his 70s investigations into family lineage brought these associations a step further, leading his research to determine a possible ancestral link with Chief Maquinna of the Mowachaht. By having DNAanalyzed throughAncestry.com and matching up archives provided by Santa Clara University, Lara believes he could be a descendent of who he calls “The Lost Children of Chief Maquinna”, two young siblings separated from their tribe in the late 1700s who somehow made their way down the coast to California.

It’s an association that has led Lara and his sonAlex to work with the Mowachaht/ Muchalaht First Nation, helping to push their aspiration of having the long-removed Whalers Shrine repatriated to Yuquot by the end of this year.

According toAlbert’s research, his bloodlines link back to Chief Maquinna (Laqualmiki) Gentiles (1760-1795), and his wife Ysocoto Gentiles (Apenas). Records show the couple had a daughter, Izto-coticlemot, who had a brother named Yquina.

While they were young, Chief Maquinna sent the two children to live with a neighbouring tribe “as a sign of peace and goodwill”, statesAlbert’s research. But the children were never returned, and somehow ended up in California.

Church records found by Santa Clara University show that Izto-coti-clemot was baptized by the San Carlos Mission in November 1795, which married her the following spring. She would have been about 22 at the time, and went on to have a son, who carried on the bloodline up toAlbert andAlex.

“Of course, you don’t know the level of validity, but there’s connection, there’s maybe some clues,” saidAlex of the ancestral investigation. “That led us to go down the rabbit hole further.”

Not quite as much information is available about Yquina, but church records show he also was baptized by the mission and married in 1794 when he was 20, two and a half years before Yquina died.

After discovering this possible connection,Albert andAlex reached out to the Mowachaht/Muchalaht, asking if there was anything they could do for the First Nation. This brought them to meet Margaretta James, president of the Land of Maquinna Cultural Society, who suggested they help with the Whalers Shrine.

For over a century, the shrine, or Whalers Washing House, has been collecting dust in the storage of theAmerican Museum of Natural History in New York City. Consisting of 88 carved human figures, four wooden whales and 16 human skulls, at the turn of the century the shrine caught the interest of George Hunt, a Tlingit-English ethnographer, who photographed the mysterious assemblage. This image attracted anthropologist Franz Boas, who asked to buy the shrine on behalf of his employer, theAmerican Museum of Natural History. The price of $500 was negotiated with two Mowachaht elders, and the shrine was removed from its location at an island on

Jewitt Lake - during a time when the tribe had left Yuquot to go on a seal hunt, according to accounts from the time. The disassembled shrine arrived at the New York museum in 1904, where it has remained ever since.

Within the Mowachaht tribe very little was known about the shrine, except amongst the families of whalers who used the site for purification as they prepared for a hunt. The exact location on Jewitt Lake is not commonly known.

“There was almost a secret society,” said Margaretta James of the Mowachaht whalers’rituals.

Recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada, the Whalers Shrine has been called “the most significant monument associated with Nuu-chah-nulth whaling” in this federal designation. Taken under questionable circumstances that did not appear to involve the permission of the head chief, many within the Mowachaht/Muchalaht believe that the shrine should be returned to its former, secret location.

In the United States the NativeAmerican Graves Protection and RepatriationAct actually requires that museums and other federally funded institutions return Indigenous cultural items to their “lineal descendants”. The US Secretary of the Interior can actually penalize museums that fail to comply – but this does not apply to artifacts taken from Canada, something that has held up the repatriation process, said James.

But this is where the Laras’connections south of the border could help.Alex has a company in Sacramento called Economic Development Solutions, which for several years has worked with Indigenous communities in California on matters like housing, energy and health care. The father and son also have connections with senators in the state.

Alex is pushing for the shrine to be repatriated from the museum as early by October. For the past few months the father and son have joined James and the Mowachaht/Muchalaht Council of Chiefs on a committee formed to bring the shrine back to Yuquot.

“Now, it’s formal, it’s procedural,” said Alex Lara of the repatriation process.

“These are the steps. The tribe is going to do everything to get those accomplished with a level of mutual expectation to move forward, get it done.”

On June 24 the Laras visited the New York museum with members from the First Nation to see the shrine components in person. In preparation for its eventual relocation, a prayer and chant were performed. Albert Lara described the encounter with the shrine as being “very spiritual.”

“It’s something that’s indescribable to say in words,” he said. “To see the view of this world, and then all of a sudden we had this intense awakening. You know it within yourself. You know it within yourself, and each individual has that gift, when there is an awakening substance within yourself.”

“It’s something for the whole world, for every one of us, to learn about - the magic of it and the healing,” addedAlex.

“This is a connection that we all have,” said the father. “This is why we are all together here working on getting the Whalers Shrine back, because it is one step for all of us. Either you’re native or you’re not native, there’s still this spirituality of the healing process for all of us. That’s what it represents.”

How exactly the shrine’s components will be transported back to Yuquot is yet to be determined, but the First Nation has decided that, when it eventually comes home, the Whalers Washing House will not be available for public display, said James.

Eric Plummer photos meal was served in the village’s church, followed by dancing where recent creations were on display (below middle).

Eric Plummer photo

OnAug. 3Albert Lara visited Yuquot for the first time, a trip that included seeing the lake where the Whalers Washing House was once hidden on an unidentified island.

Above he is pictured with the Yuquot welcome figure.

Men’s fastball tournament at Rec Park draws crowd

Hey ba er ba er! Port Alberni sees an action-packed baseball weekend of fly balls and fine weather in late July

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

PortAlberni, BC - Ball fans packed the grandstands at PortAlberni’s historic Rec Park Stadium on July 26 to July 28 for a glorious weekend of men’s fastball.

Dubbed “Bringing it Back to the Valley”, the tournament was hosted by the Parksville Red Sox and featured eight teams from Nanaimo, Victoria, Lillooet, Chase, Prince George and California, USA.

“It was a great turnout,” said Tseshaht member Thomas Dick, a first-time tournament organizer and second baseman for the Parksville Red Sox.

T’it’q’et First Nation’s GabeAlec brought his young squad the SmartAlec’s

all the way from central B.C. to play ball.

“The Red Sox keep coming to our tournament in Lillooet, so we wanted to pay the favour back and support them,” saidAlec. “It was awesome. The scenery was great; we’ve never been to the Island before, so it was a good experience.”

Dick said the weather was “perfect” all weekend long, and the tourney kicked off with a double header on Friday, eight games on Saturday and four games on Sunday.

“The stands were filled.Alot of people loved it. They enjoyed every minute of it.

We had people travel from really far just to come watch,” he said.

The stacked JB Bombers team won the tournament and went home with a cash prize of $2,800. Tournament MVP Pablo

Migliavacca and the Top Pitcher Luis Colombo were both JB players.

“JB Bombers had Venezuelans, Mexicans,Argentinians… It was really good caliber ball,” said Dick.

Big Guy Lake Reds from Prince George took second place and a prize purse of $1,600 and the STK Grizzlies from Chase nabbed a cool $800 for finishing third.

“We’re looking forward to it again. Port Alberni used to be one of the best places you could play fastball, but it kind of died down. The players are there, it’s just really hard to find pitchers,” said Dick, who grew up playing baseball.

He went on to say it’s been over 15 years since theAlberni Valley has hosted a men’s fastball tournament.

“That’s why I wanted to show the Val-

ley what kind of caliber ball is around. I played all my life,” he said. “Thanks to all the spectators that came out. Next year, we’re hoping to (include) ladies too.”

The SmartAlec’s also plan to be back in theAlberni Valley next year.

“We actually gained some fans.After our games, we’d hear the fans cheering us on,”Alec said, adding that the only bad thing was the ferry waits. “One of our boys didn’t reserve and ended up wasting all of Friday and all of Sunday at the ferry terminal. We had an 8 a.m. game on Saturday, so they only got a few hours of sleep before our first game.”

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Pronounced ‘Hee nin alt ish im job stahl ee alth. Clue beach chew waa knots stahl Tot naa is im job ,’it means ‘The time for the Summer Games is about! Come on cheer our children!’Supplied by ciisma.

Illustration by Maddexx George

Facebook photo

The “Bringing it Back to the Valley” tournament was hosted by the Parksville Red Sox and featured eight teams from Nanaimo, Victoria, Lillooet, Chase, Prince George and California, USA.

Food bank sends unclaimed goods to remote villages

Coastal Nuu-chah-nulth communities feel the impact of food delivery services, as many struggle for groceries

By Alexandra Mehl Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributror

On July 26, Rachel Blaney, NDP MP for North Island-Powell River, joined Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank on their monthly journey to deliver to Kyuquot, Gold River, and Tahsis, pointing to the need for essential food items in remote communities.

For Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/ Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations, their home territories are only accessed by air or water.

With roughly 200 residents living in the remote community, Colleen Rudderham, director of Community Services for Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/ Che:k’tles7et’h’First Nations (KCFN) and Tracy Moulaison, director of Operations for KCFN, said that receiving food donations “provides accessibility, affordability, and availability to members in our community.”

The closest grocery store to Kyuquot is in Port McNeill, they wrote to HaShilth-Sa. For 30-minutes residents must travel to Fair Harbour by boat, then drive roughly two hours to Port McNeill.

“Arrangements must be made for a water taxi which [is estimated] between $300 and $500,” shared Rudderham and Moulaison. “The cost of gas is $200.”

“Not everyone in the community has a boat or a vehicle to get their groceries. This always takes coordination on the member’s part to get what they need,” they wrote. “This can be taxing on families by having to wait a long time to get what they need.”

“Fair Harbour does their best to supply fresh fruit and vegetables and some necessities but again, you need a water taxi and it’s expensive,” they continued, adding that the General Store on Walters Island across from Kyuquot is also expensive and open just a few days a week.

Since 2017, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul has been delivering food to surrounding remote communities in pickup trucks, shared Paul Bertrand, a former president of the Campbell River conference. But when the society joined forces with Loaves and Fishes, it changed the game of delivering essential foods to Tahsis, Zeballos, and Gold River, with Kyuquot being the newest addition to their delivery route as of this year.

According to Bertrand roughly 72 adults and 20 children living in Kyuquot receive food assistance from Loaves and Fishes and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.

“They’re a godsend,” said Bertrand, of Loaves and Fishes. “We didn’t have transportation. What people were doing

per month. [was] coming in with pickup trucks and we were loading food on pickup trucks.”

Now, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is able to contribute $1,800 worth of fresh meat products with Loaves and Fishes’five-tonne refrigerated delivery truck, shared Bertrand.

“We would like to get more funding and supply fresh vegetables and fruit,” Bertrand noted.

Abby Sauchuk, director of development for Loaves and Fishes, shared with Ha-Shilth-Sa that the trucks are typically delivering fresh food such as produce, dairy, as well as meat.

“We try to deliver things that they normally wouldn’t have easy access to,” she said.

“We are very grateful for these two organizations because now, we are able to have our own food bank where members can come and take what they need on a weekly or as-need basis,” wrote Rudder-

TSESHAHT

ham and Moulaison.

But the demand for accessible, affordable, and available food items extends further than Kyuquot.

“I met one woman in Tahsis who told me that if it wasn’t for this program with Loaves and Fishes, she didn’t know how she’d get enough food,” said Blaney in a recent press release. “The nearest large grocery store is in Campbell River, but her vehicle is broken down and [is] too expensive to repair. She can’t get to Campbell River, so without Loaves and Fishes it would be hard to get the supplies she needs.”

Similarly, Sauchuk shared with HaShilth-Sa feedback from Gold River.

“The representatives we deal with in Gold River told me that more than half the town has used the food bank services at one point,” said Sauchuk. “The need is quite real out there.”

According to Food Banks Canada, there was a 32 per cent increase in food bank visits across the country when comparing March 2023 to March 2022. But, even more staggering is the 78.5 per cent increase from March 2019 to 2023.

Thirty-three per cent of those who use food banks across Canada are children.

While 43.8 per cent are single-parent households and 42.4 per cent are those who use “disability-related supports” or social assistance.

Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank currently serves over 44 communities across Vancouver Island and 15 of those are Indigenous settlements.

The organization has successfully diverted $9 million worth of “good food” from across Vancouver Island in 2023 that would have otherwise gone to waste, shared Sauchuk.

“We’re collecting about 25 per cent of the food that’s getting thrown out on Vancouver Island,” said Sauchuk, based on the data collected by Loaves and Fishes.

“The majority of the food that we’re delivering out there… is perfectly fine to eat, but it would have gone to a dumpster in a larger community centre,” she said.

“We’re just taking food that is good, that people didn’t buy, and then just diverting it out to make sure that it goes to people in need rather than to landfills.”

The organization collects food seven days a week at every major grocery store in Nanaimo, where their central warehouse is located. They are also collecting daily in Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Ladysmith, Chemainus, Port Hardy and PortAlberni, shared Sauchuk. On statutory holidays, they collect in Comox and Courtenay, she added.

“That’s 350,000 pounds of food a month we’re running through our warehouse,” said Sauchuk. “But we can’t do more because we just don’t have the space.”

Loaves and Fishes aspires to build a 25,000-square-foot warehouse but require a remaining $7 million in funding in order to “break ground”. This is in addition to the funding they have already received from the provincial government, the City of Nanaimo, and the Regional District of Nanaimo.

With the additional space, Sauchuk shared that the organization plans to “increase these deliveries and the amounts of food that we’re bringing out.”

“What Loaves and Fishes has done, which is remarkable, is they’ve found a way to partner with many businesses and nonprofits to redistribute food to communities that are often underserved,” said Blaney in the recent press release. “They provide crucial food supplies to communities that might only be served by helicopter or by logging road, so they don’t often have access to a lot of resources. When times are tough, these communities are hit hard.”

“There’s still lots more to do,” said Sauchuk.

Paul Bertrand photo

Essential food items are unloaded from Loaves and Fishes’refrigerated truck at the Freight Services building alongside the government dock in Gold River. These items are then stored and loaded onto the Uchuck III for delivery to Kyuquot once

President’s Message

Hello Everyone. Hope you are all enjoying the beautiful days of summer. My heart goes out to all of you who have lost a loved one - I know it has been a hard time for many of you.

The Tang.ɢwan – ḥačxwiqak – Tsigis Marine ProtectedArea (MPA) was legally recognized in the Canada Gazette on June, 19, 2024. Due to competing issues with DFO (fish farms and other initiatives) Canada put off announcing the MPAuntil July 5th. This made the announcement less important as it wasn’t current news. It was very frustrating that DFO did not take our input and desire to get the press release out earlier as we had one ready to go before June 19th

The MPAmeans that we have a say in management over the large sea area along with the Haida, Pacheedaht and Quatsino Nations and DFO. We look forward to the management committee being established and starting their work so our rights will be assured by using our traditional values and knowledge in managing this important area.

The Representative for Children and Families came out with her report “Don’t LookAway: How One Boy’s Story has the Power to Shift a System of Care for Children and Youth” regarding racism in the children and youth childcare systems in place by the province. The system has reached a point where in 2023/2024 RCY received 6,437 reports of children who were harmed. It is a very long report where she studied at length the death of the young boy Colby who was found dead in a closet having suffered from abuse from his extended family. She also looked at 14 other cases – not named in the report. She noted that over the years many reports and recommendations have been made regarding the child welfare system but nothing has really changed.

The RCY will make an effort for changes with recommendations in this report. This entails a whole of government approach that recognizes and addresses the ongoing harms of colonization and racism on Indigenous children and families, particularly within the child welfare system by putting in place an action plan to ensure changes happen. This action plan must be fully funded and support community healing and the move to First Nations’jurisdiction over child welfare.

There were many good observations in her report, including the fact that children are not simply bystanders or witnesses to family violence in their lives, but they experience it to their core. We must collectively address violence and support healing at individual, family and community levels. The report was comprehensive, looking at nine themes from family and intimate partner violence to reform. Importantly, MCFD must ensure that every family has a family plan as per policy that is co-created with family members and all members of the circle in an inclusive and culturally attuned way. We have a partnership with Simon Fraser University (SFU) on research with Professor CliffAtleo Jr. I met with him to get an update on electrifying the marine fleet. There were some delays but now the project is continuing to collect data and other partners providing information. Battery storage is an important part of this project.

BC First Nation Justice Council (BCFNJC) has funding available to look at developing diversion-focused justice plans, fostering community dialogues, and advocating for ongoing funding, supported by planning tool kits, staff, and in-community engagements. The First

Nations directed NTC to put in a proposal to get funded to do this work in communities. NTC will work with interested Nations to do this project.

TheAssembly of First Nations had their Annual GeneralAssembly in Montreal in early July. Some changes were made to the constitution, including making motions to change campaign limits for national from $30k to $100k. Also changed was voting for the national chief; when the vote gets to two candidates, the electoral officer can declare it to be the last ballot and the 60 per cent threshold is not needed. Whoever gets the majority of ballots wins. So there will no longer be all-night voting with many ballots as we have done in the past.

Many subjects were addressed and motions passed, including work on a National Justice Strategy.Achief’s committee was struck, which includes Chief Lynda Price from Ulcatcho First Nation.

Alot of the strategy was taken from the BC First Nations Justice Strategy and BCFNJC asked if their technical people could be on the committee to help and were finally allowed to do so.

There were motions to support continued work on additions to reserve, MMIWG, specific work on various cases of missing women, jurisdiction over policing, repatriation of lands and exercising rights.

I attended and participated in webinars on clean energy from the beginning of a project to getting your project up and running. Good information was provided as well as good networking. Discussions on how to get more opportunities for revenue generation for First Nations.

I attended Kackaamin 50th celebration and spoke on congratulating them for long years of service to Nuu-chah-nulth and their expansion of services to address the needs of our people.

I attended meetings for the transformation process of the Heritage Conservation Act and setting up a provincial table for stage two of gaming including a share of community gaming grants, ability to carry out your own lotteries, etc. These tables will continue until Sept 15th, then not until after the BC Election when a new cabinet is in place, probably early December.

As a point of interest, Richard Jock is retiring from the First Nation Health Authority (FNHA) as their CEO and a search is underway for a new one.

Congrats to our First Nation over the mountains, K’omoks, on initialling their final agreement and now will go to their membership for ratification.

Great to see the Tlu-piich games up and going fromAugust 10-13th. Hope to see you there enjoying a long time Nuu-chahnulth event again.

-Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers

Open Invitation - Indian name giving Sept 28

Thunderbird Hall, Campbell River

Starts at 10am, lunch be served at 12pm and supper at 6:30pm. Please come Share a meal with my family & friends. Hosted by Barb Wells(Amos) and family Nuu-chah-nulth Baby Group

Every Monday

CYS - 4841 Redford Street, Port Alberni

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

Usma culture space, PortAlberni

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!

Eating in Balance

Wednesdays

PortAlberni Friendship Center –

&Community Beyond

Treasure our young ones childcare center

Group works together starting with planting seeds up until preserving the food. Participants will receive a $10.00 grocery coupon that can be used at Quality Foods and Buy Low Foods. Open to all families with children 0-6. To register please contactAmber at 250-723-8281 ext. 233 or aflaro@ pafriendshipcenter.com or on FBAmber PAFC

Drop In Play Group

Every Thursday

July andAugust

Roger Creek Water Park – 4720 Pemberton Rd. PortAlberni, B.C. 1:00pm – 2:30pm. The PortAlberni Friendship center invites you to meet us for our Drop In play group. Light snack provided and a $10.00 nutrition coupon. For more information please call Leanne or Tamara at 250-723-8281

Cultural Brushings with Quu asa

Every Friday

RedfordAdministration Building, Port Alberni

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

Sayers gets King Charles III Coronation Medal

By Holly Stocking Ha-Shilth-Sa EditorialAssistant

Victoria, BC – On July 18, 2024 at an event held at the Government House in Victoria, Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers, Nuuchah-nulth Tribal Council president, was one of 60 British Columbians to receive the King Charles III Coronation Medal. The medal was presented by the Honourable JanetAustin, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Sayers receives this medal for her contributions and commitment to helping her community, uplifting those in needs and improving the lives of others.

“Recognition of one’s life works is gratifying and empowers me to know that people are paying attention to what I do and say and that I can help make a difference and that I can continue to do so,” said Sayers. “The medal is a symbol of our need to build stronger relationships with government, and the Crown in right of England who entered into treaties with First Nations.”

Atotal of 30,000 Canadians will receive the King Charles III Coronation Medal in ceremonies all over the country this July andAugust.

Submitted photo

Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers received a King Charles III Coronation Medal on July 18, 2024, which was presented by B.C. Lieutenant Governor JanetAustin.

Employment and Training

Port Alberni

Friendship Centre

Volunteers Needed

Need work experience? The Port Alberni Friendship Centre is looking for interested applicants for various positions. Call 250-723-8281

Water taxi suffers huge blow to bow while parked

Boat owner says he’s not looking to place blame, he just wants an apology from unusual incident at Tofino dock

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tofino, BC - James Uukwaqum Swan is left scratching his head and out-of-pocket after his water taxi Pegasus experienced a hit-and-run at Tofino’s First Street Dock on July 10.

Pegasus, a 22-foot Hewescraft boat used to shuttle folks to places like Hot Springs Cove in the northwestern part of Clayoquot Sound, was knocked so hard in the bow it suffered a crack about 10-inches wide and a quarter inch thick.

“I didn’t think it was that bad at first, I thought it was a dent, like a scratch. But it was an all the way through crack. It’s like somebody backed-up into it pretty hard. It was kind of choppy out, but we all know how to handle boats in rough weather,” said Swan, a corporal in the CanadianArmed Forces and Grade 8 teacher in Victoria.

In a written statement, the boat’s captain, Trevor Titian, said he brought his son to the hospital for a medical emergency and was at Tofino General for about five hours. When he returned to the First Street Dock, Pegasus had been moved from the middle of the dock to the end towards the ramp – and there was a crack in the bow above the waterline.

“We knew we had to take it out of service until we fixed the problem. I couldn’t transport people with a crack in it. We parked it,” Swan told the HaShilth-Sa.

Swan reached out to Dennis at D.A.S.T.

Welding Inc. in PortAlberni to patch his vessel on July 26.

“I slept in Walmart parking lot in my boat; brought it down at 8 a.m. in the morning. Les Doiron brought me breakfast,” Swan chuckled.

“You could hardly even tell after they welded the crack. They did a really good job on it. I commend them for their hard work,” he continued.

RCMPWest Coast Marine constable

David Kokesch says these types of incidences generally go unreported.

“These things will happen sometimes, whether it be for wind or current or you lose control of your boat or whatever, if

it happens, as we say, leave your name and leave the name of your vessel for the other operator so at least they know who it was and they can work things out,” const. Kokesch said.

He went on to add that under the Canadian ShippingAct, failing to provide your contact information after a collision can result in a $288 fine.

Tofino’s First Street Dock is not equipped with surveillance cameras, so it’s unlikely Swan will ever find out who dinged Pegasus… unless someone owns up to the boat bender.

“We have really good skippers on the West Coast.Accidents like this don’t happen often and weather was probably the culprit in this one. I’m not looking for anyone to blame. I’d just like someone to say, ‘Sorry, I hit your boat.’I know accidents happen, just be careful and learn from your mistakes,” Swan said.

Bootcamp certifies Nuuchah-nulth boat captains

By Chloe Wangler Ha-Shilth-Sa Casual

PortAlberni, BC – July 22nd - 27th eleven eager enrollees were put to the test in Datum Marine’s Captain’s Bootcamp. Hosted by Uu-a-thluk, Datum Marine put the students through their paces in six-days of intense training to become certified small vessel operators. Uu-a-thluk, the aquatic resource management department of the Nuu-chahnulth Tribal Council, provides careerbased training programs, internships and mentorships.Alison Wale, capacity building coordinator for Uu-a-thluk, mentions, “the enrollees were told ahead of time that this is not a rubber stamp certificate”, meaning the course would require commitment, professionalism and dedication. This program is offered regularly, although the next date has yet to be set.

The six days included the SVOP (small vessel operators’proficiency), ROC-M (Restricted Operator Certificate Marine

Radio License) and the SDV-BS/MED A3 (Small Domestic Vessel Basic Safety – Marine Emergency Duties).

The program was held in a classroom, where the information was presented, discussed and reviewed.

Amanda Joyce Seymour signed up for the program with her family’s safety in mind.

“I have the opportunity to take my family out on the water with friends and family members but wasn’t always confident in my own ability to keep them safe,” she said.

After the programAmanda was enthusiastic stating “it was a great course, and I feel confident in my knowledge of the rules, and responsibilities of a captain.”

The safety aspect of the program is what drew Chris Tatoosh in. He stated that the “entire experience was cool,” and he will be able to use his Captain’s Certification with his current employment in the Hupačasath First Nation’s fisheries department.

James Uukwaqum Swan photo

The massive ding on the Pegasus water taxi appeared on July 10 while it was parked at Tofino’s First Street Dock.

Submitted photo

Amanda Joyce Seymour, Tristen Tate, Derian Tate, Chris Tatoosh, Brendon Tate, Cassius Sam, Ki Patterson, Jari Tate, Randall Tate, Dylan Mckay-Watts all completed the Datum Marine’s Captain Bootcamp hosted by Uu-a-thluk.

Tseshaht canoes journey to Broken Group Islands

A special camping trip to the Nation’s creation site of c=išaa brings the power to heal for multiple generations

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Tseshaht youth dined on traditionally smoked Sockeye, drank Nettle tea, sang their friendly Paddle Song before landing at the village of Ehthlateese to stay with the Uchucklesaht Tribe and counted paddle strokes across the Barkley Sound in Nuu-chah-nulth language.

“cawaak (one).

ʔaƛa (two).

qacca (three).

muu (four).

suča (five)…”

“We usually count in English, but this year we counted in Nuu-chah-nulth. If you learn words through repetition, you remember it and it sticks,” Tseshaht Canoe Family lead organizer Corey Anderson, 46, told the Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper.

“I’m just proud of everybody,” beamed the Tseshaht dad of two. “The reason why we do this is to see our kids discover places they would never see if they were just at home on their PlayStation.”

The late-July mini canoe journey from PortAlberni’s Clutesi Haven Marina to Tseshaht’s creation site cišaa (Benson Island) located on the northwestern edge of the Broken Group Islands within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve took about 20-hours of paddling, with a spontaneous stopover on Uchucklesaht territory.

“We were aiming to spend the first night on one of our reserves in Rainy Bay, but we didn’t make it. The wind pushed us back, so we phoned Uchucklesaht,”Anderson shared. “When we got there, they greeted us with open arms.”

Elder Oochah (Phyllis Halvorsen) welcomed the crew at the Village Wharf while Luu luuchka (Tina Halvorsen) prepared the accommodations. Luu luuchka, which translates to flower, gifted them handmade cedar woven roses before they pushed off early the following morning.

“I created gifts that night for them out of cedar as that is very special to me. My grandmother Helen Rush/Robinson taught me those teachings growing up as she was a cedar weaver herself,” said Luu luuchka in an email. “It was very

Tseshaht Canoe Family enjoy a long weekend

nice meeting everyone and seeing all the young faces with big smiles and look forward to next visit,” she went on to note.

About nine hours after waving goodbye to their new friends in Uchucklesaht, they made camp on cišaa. For many on the team of 23, including 13 youth and support boat crew, the canoe expedition was an inaugural visit to the island known as the birthplace of the Tseshaht People.

“We wanted to do these mini journeys to the Broken Group Islands because a lot of our People have never been there. We wanted to visit our homelands and train more paddlers, so they know what to expect on a long tribal journey,” saidAnderson, adding that they plan on paddling to PortAngeles, Washington next year for the annual Tribal Canoe Journey.

“We have a solid crew now. Our goal is to train our People and bring a lot of youth down there to set them up for when we get too old and they can take over,” he continued.

‘She is strong on the water’ Their 32-foot fibreglass canoe called našukcuuʔaqs, meaning ‘she is strong on the water’, became a vessel to “escape reality” asAnderson puts it.

“Some people end up crying for no reason; just letting go of all that negative energy they’ve been holding in and just letting go because they are so tired,” said Anderson.

Currently, Tseshaht stores all their gear and the canoe inAnderson’s garage, but the goal is to one day have a special shed for storing the canoe and a sponsor and/

or regular grant funding to keep the youth on the water, paddling.

“We’re not going to stop,”Anderson said. “I want to have canoes all over and everyone paddling in a canoe. We are working towards having more than one canoe go down to our homelands, eventually we’ll have two and then three… We can go down as a community in just our canoes.”

Parks Canada does not allow camping on cišaa (Benson), but exceptions are made for Tseshaht People and special occurrences like archeological digs.

“We had no problems. Maybe 10 years ago it would have been a different story,” Anderson said.

Submitted photo

The

on cišaa (Benson Island), after a night stop in Ethlateese (bottom photos).