19 minute read
Festival hosts traditional canoe steaming
Photo by Christine Germano Carl Martin (left) fi lls a red cedar canoe with rocks for steaming at the at Naa’Waya’Sum Coastal Indigenous Gardens, near Tofi no, on Nov. 26. Carving festival hosts traditional canoe steaming
Red cedar vessel measures 29.5 feet, but an age-old process using heated rocks widened the canoe by six inches
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By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Tofi no, BC - In the early morning of Saturday, Nov. 26, Carl Martin began preparation for a traditional canoe steaming at Naa’Waya’Sum Coastal Indigenous Gardens. At around 5 a.m., Martin prepared a fi re with roughly 150 rocks. These rocks would then go in the canoe with six inches of water covered by a tarp, explained Martin. It took 45-minutes for the red cedar wood to expand. The event was an opportunity to share knowledge of canoe carving and steaming with the community. Martin and his brother have been making canoes together for over 40 years. The two of them have made many canoes for nations throughout Nuu-chah-nulth territory, he said. “My main interest was to teach people at the same time,” said Martin. Christine Germano, co-creative director with Ivy Cargill-Martin, said they had originally wanted the steaming to be a part of the Carving on the Edge festival in September, but due to the province’s fi re ban they had to post-pone. This year the festival, titled, mułmunčʔałuk, (Taking Care of the Roots) focused on mentorship, wrote Germano in an email to Ha-Shilth-Sa. Since September 2021 Germano has mentored Cargill-Martin as creative director, which was funded by First People Cultural Council. As Cargill-Martin’s fi nal project in the mentorship, she led the canoe steaming with Carl Martin, wrote Germano. Since 2010 the Carving on the Edge Festival has celebrated the cultural practice of coastal carving in Tla-o-qui-aht territory, biennially. The festival, held in Tla-o-qui-aht territory, was created by a group of Nuu-Chah-Nulth carvers, elders, and culture-makers, who are known as the ‘Keepers of the Festival’.
Four dead humpbacks wash up on coastal shores
By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter
Coastal British Columbia – A fourth dead humpback whale has washed up on the shores of Haida Gwaii. The sad discovery was made Nov. 20. According Paul Cottrell, a marine mammal coordinator for DFO, the remains are in an advanced state of decomposition and may be the same whale spotted fl oating off shore from Prince Rupert on Oct. 12. Cottrell said photographs were taken of the Rupert whale carcass but were not clear enough to confi rm whether it is the same whale. Cottrell the fi rst whale was discovered Aug. 4th and was a humpback. The other three dead humpback whales were discovered from October 23 to November 20 on Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island beaches. On Oct. 23 a dead, female humpback whale was found on Malcolm Island near Alert Bay. It was determined that whale died of blunt force trauma, likely a boat strike. On Nov. 5, a young male humpback whale was found on a Haida Gwaii beach at Masset Inlet. Its death was also determined to be caused by blunt force trauma. On Nov. 20 a badly decomposed humpback whale was discovered on Haida Gwaii at East Beach. Cottrell says two of the whales show blunt force trauma consistent with vessel strikes. All the whale carcasses have had measurements and tissue samples taken and will be necropsied. Cottrell says two of the dead whales don’t show defi nitive causes of death. Fisheries and Oceans Canada are waiting on test results and a report to come back from Dr. Stephen Raverty, a boardcertifi ed veterinary pathologist. “He’s a world authority, we’re lucky to have him here on the West Coast,” said Cottrell. He said both grey and humpback populations have rebounded since the commercial whale hunting era ended. However, there was an unusual mortality event for grey whales beginning in 2019. “The grey whale population was at 28,000 and went down to 22,000 – we lost about a quarter of the population,” said Cottrell. While the specifi c cause is not known, Cottrell says it could be related to changes in the Bering Sea brought on by global warming that may be aff ecting food supply for grey whales. “Humpback whales have a healthy population and their movement back to inshore waters is a good sign,” said Cottrell. Whales, he said, chase food, so this means they are fi nding forage fi sh and krill inshore. “We’re seeing lots of calves, too,” he added. He called the cluster of humpback whale deaths in the past few weeks a pulse. “It’s still within the normal range,” he said, adding that they normally see fi ve whale carcasses a year. “We’re at eight and hope it’s just a blip.” “That’s why necropsies are so important – we can watch for trends and see if there’s anything we can do to mitigate,” added Cottrell. For that reason, it is important to report whale carcasses as soon as possible. Fresh carcasses off er more information, he said. Cottrell said it’s good to see the plastics and ghost gear clean-up programs that are out there. Presently, there is an entangled humpback whale at Quatsino Sound on northwestern Vancouver Island that locals and fi sheries offi cials are trying to locate and rescue. “It has a buoy, some line and either crab or prawn gear,” said Cottrell. Quatsino Sound locals have been searching for the whale. DFO offi cials said they would go out soon with the weather improving, hoping to fi nd and free the whale of entanglement before it’s too late. If you see entangled whales or a carcass, call the Marine Mammal Incident Hotline at 1-800-465-4336.
Submitted photo A marine mammal expert with Fisheries and Oceans Canada says that this year’s number of humpback carcasses found on the West Coast is still within the normal range. Above is a dead humpback found in Cape Beale west of Vancouver Island.
The keepers of Cheewaht: Restoring an ecosystem for generations to come
A watershed in Ditidaht territory has undergone extensive restoration work, with hopes to returning to its pristine, salmon bearing state before industrial logging took hold
By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Cheewaht Lake, BC - Off the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, inland from the West Coast Trail, is a quiet and remote lake brimming with vibrant ecosystems. From trumpeter swans to black bears, the Cheewaht Lake watershed provides a home for dense and rare biodiversity. The Cheewaht Lake watershed is on the traditional territory of Ditidaht First Nation, who, for thousands of years, managed the area from villages along the coast at the mouth of the Cheewaht River. According to the Government of Canada website, in 1973 logging practices began to pose a threat to the pristine ecosystem, which concerned Ditidaht First Nation and environmental groups. Cheewaht Lake and salmon-bearing streams became a part of the West Coast Trail Unit of the Pacifi c Rim National Park Reserve to protect the area. Though the Parks Canada protected Cheewaht Lake from industrial activity, logging swept through up to the park boundary, which would impact the Cheewaht Lake watershed years later. Cla-oose Riverkeepers Historically, the village of Cla-oose managed the salmon population traveling to Cheewhat Lake, and further upstream to spawn. “It was… managed well, pre-contact,” said Paul Sieber, the Ditidaht First Nation’s natural resource manager. They harvested the salmon with fi shing weirs and traps. They would methodologically select harvest for the village, and then release the females, said Sieber. The fi shing weirs and the way that the salmon were managed fed the people in the village of Cla-oose for thousands of years, he continued. Sieber recalls stories that he heard from elders. “There was a designated riverkeeper, a Cheewaht riverkeeper family, at least one,” he said. “They collectively maintained it [at] the head.” “[They had] a certain family or combination of families that would actually manage the fi shery,” continued Sieber. “They just managed it for the benefi t of all, and for the fi shermen. They weren’t allowed to overfi sh it.” The area not only holds cultural signifi cance for Ditidaht because of the salmon,
Photo submitted by M.C. Wright and Associates Josh Tate, a technician with Roc-Star Enterprises Ltd. and Ditidaht Stewardship and Monitoring Program member, works with a team to construct a fl ow splitter at the confl uence of S-1 and S-2. but for the many traditional resources it provided for the people, said Sieber. “It’s very important to the people,” he said. “It’s so culturally important as a food resource.” Merging Boundaries When Mike Wright, a registered professional biologist and owner of M.C. Wright and Associates Ltd., began research at Cheewaht Lake watershed in 1984, he said the streams were in “pristine form” prior to industrial logging. That same year the industry logged northeast of Cheewaht Lake up to the park boundary, though it didn’t impact Sockeye tributaries, said Wright. In 1986 logging in the upper reaches of a stream leading to Cheewaht Lake started, he continued. This forestry activity aff ected S-2, one of the three streams that feed the lake.
Photo by Alexandra Mehl Where the Parks Canada boundary begins, and subsequently, where old growth begins.
According to the Government of Canada, at this time Ditidaht First Nation limited their fi shing capacity in the area to preserve the salmon population.
“There’s usually a 10-year window before we really start to see things change,” said Wright.
However, in 1989, a sediment wedge and log jam ruptured, which sent gravel and woody debris downstream. This destroyed an area in the stream where coho and sockeye spawned, including the eggs in that area, explained Wright. The woody debris collected at the confl uence between S-1 (Stream 1) and S-2, which interrupted the waterfl ow of S-1 and S-2, he continued.
“We didn’t see heavy impacts, everything we’re experiencing was incremental,” said Wright.
Another issue that emerged from logging was the formation of avulsions, the creation of a new water channel, said Wright. “You’re taking water that would have been more concentrated to transport sediment, and now you’re losing that because it’s going elsewhere,” said Wright. “There’s all these things that get layered on that make incubation success very diffi cult.” B.C. Timber Sales hired a specialist who helped determine and design a way to manage the debris jam and sediment transport, he said. “There’s a lot of investment by industry to get the study, [and] get enough information, so that we could start talking about restoration,” said Wright. The same specialist was hired by Western Forest Products to design a sediment trap for S-3, he said. The sediment traps were built at the top of S-2 and S-3, where gravel and woody debris would be held and emptied. Wright said that the basin fi lled almost annually. “What we had to do is get to a point
Associates Tate, a technician with Roc-Star Enterprises Ltd. and Ditidaht Stewardship and Monitoring Program member, works with a
Alexandra Mehl owth
“You’re taking water that would have been more concentrated to transport sediment, and now you’re losing that because Wright. “There’s all these things that get layered on that cult.” Timber Sales hired a specialist who helped determine and design a way to manage the debris jam and sediment transport,
s a lot of investment by industry to , [and] get enough information, so that we could start talking about restora-
The same specialist was hired by Western Forest Products to design a sediment trap where we were controlling that sediment so that we could start to plan to work down below,” said Wright. “[It] was a real wake up, then the populations were at high risk of being extirpated,” noted Wright, refl ecting upon 2014. When the fi nger pointing stopped In 2017, the Cheewaht Restoration Working Group was re-established to collaborate on ways to restore salmon spawning streams in the Cheewaht Lake that had been impacted by logging. The working group is made up of a diverse group of representatives. Participation comes from the Ditidaht First Nation, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council/ Uu-a-thluk, Parks Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Nitinaht Hatchery, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (South Island), British Columbia Timber Sales, Western Forest Products, the Teal-Jones Group, biological consultant MC Wright and Associates Ltd., as well as the environmental non-governmental organization West Coast Aquatic. “When we created the working group we said, ‘Look, we all know how we got here’,” said Wright. “The fi nger pointing stops…but we all came together to work towards a solution.” Sieber said that it was an intermittent process to come together and discuss restoration. “Without the industry and the First Nations, and DFO [representatives] coming together, that funding wouldn’t have been approved,” said Sieber. “They needed the background and a justifi cation to move forward with the project.” Parks Canada received a letter from Ditidaht nation urging them to address restoration in the creek, said Yuri Zharikov, an ecologist for Pacifi c Rim National Park Reserve. “We put together a proposal for the work and in formulating the proposal, we’ve been working closely with the nation and other land managers in the area,” said Zharikov. Parks Canada funded the 1.1 million dollars to cover the cost of the project, according to the Government of Canada website. “What we didn’t know is whether the landscape around the park could be maintained and kept in such a way that no more major impacts would occur,” said Zharikov. “That was the main purpose of the table, to kind of coordinate everybody in a way that would ensure the success of the restoration.” The regions that had been previously harvested, causing impacts in the Cheewaht Lake watershed, are no longer being logged, said Ryan Abbott, a registered professional biologist at M.C. Wright Associates. Restoring a system to its natural state In 2020, the restoration team, which consisted of Ditidaht, Parks Canada, M.C. Wright, Roc-Star Enterprises Ltd., and Nitinaht River Fish Hatchery, hit the ground running beginning phase one of the onsite restoration of S-1, S-2, and S-3. When the project started Abbott described the streams as “choked with gravel.” First, they would need an excavator to remove any excess gravel. They began by building a temporary corduroy road, so that the excavator could be brought to the remote location, he explained. The project was completed with no environmental catastrophe and with limited access to equipment, explains Abbott. The team removed a total of 3,206 square metres of gravel, which is over ten times the capacity of the sediment basins at the top of S-2. “Not only do you have to remove the gravel and try to make the creek stable again. But you have to establish a split where the two creeks diverge from one another in a way that’s going to actually last,” said Abbott.
The same specialist that designed the sediment basins at the top of S-2 and S-3 also designed a fl ow splitting structure at the confl uence of S-1 and S-2.
“We had to try and fi gure out a way to make a stable split in this creek, where you’re going to actually reestablish those historic two channels that are going to share the fl ow between one another,” said Abbott.
In phase two, which occurred in 2021, the team focused on improving the fl ow splitter, removing features that contributed to blockages, and anchoring woody debris along the streams.
“What wood does, one of its big functions in a creek like this, especially a creek that can move a lot
Scanning a fence at the mouth of S-2, a worker collects data from tagged fi sh when Parks Canada is not actively surveying the stream.
At the mouth of S-2, a sign indicates salmon counting stations throughout the stream. Parks Canada crew work in S-2 counting and scanning tagged fi sh in the stream. of material…it’s the driver of the habitat,” said Abbott. Abbott explains that by anchoring wood along the stream, they are able to facilitate the creation of long-term pools because of the increased water pressure and ability to scour gravel. “We tried to do what we could with the materials that were on site,” said Abbott. “We also tried to keep with the aesthetic of a park, where you have this kind of natural look.” The fl uvial process, a healthy system The consistent delivery of gravel that continues from the sediment trap about one kilometre upstream from the anadromous barrier is what made this restoration project particularly complicated, said Abbott. “Gravel will continue to come, over time. And that’s just part of what they call the fl uvial process,” he said. “Rivers, they move more than just water…they basically transport the land, off mountains and onto the beaches.” Every system transports sediment and gravel, however the problem occurs when the system is out of balance, said Abbott. Abbott said that to continue the movement of gravel, they ensured that there isn’t as much wood or features in the way. He predicts that the streams will have excess gravel for the next 10 to 20 years. The fl ow splitter, at the confl uence of S-1 and S-2, has a V shape to it in order for woody debris to defl ect into either stream and continue traveling, said Wright. “This should get back into some form of balance,” said Abbott. Salmon returns A Parks Canada crew works in S-2 counting and scanning fi sh in the stream.
According to the Government of Canada Website, in October 2020 salmon started returning to the Cheewaht Lake watershed to spawn in the streams. This year hundreds to thousands of fi sh have been fi lling the creeks to spawn, while black bears in the area have been feasting. Since restoration Parks Canada has continued to monitor the area for the immediate results of restoration, said Zharikov. They frequent the streams counting the active fi sh and carcasses in and around the streams to determine the lifespan of the salmon in the creek, he explains. Some of the fi sh are tagged, and when they are scanned it allows Zharikov to understand “what an average individual in the population does,” he said. This information will then get analyzed, he explained. “It’s a big run this year…the fi sh are waiting,” said Zharikov. “Almost lining up, there’s just too many of them.” In coordination with Parks Canada, Ditidaht’s Stewardship and Monitoring program will continue to check on the restored streams and surrounding ecosystems, said Abbott. They will monitor things like rainfall, water quality, stream levels, and invertebrates. “This project’s really about Ditidaht. And it was important that we made sure that the sockeye run was going to be there for future generations,” said Wright. In four years, the eggs from this season will return as adults, and spawn in the Cheewaht watershed’s streams. “We’ll see the results in four years,” said Sieber. “First results.”
Book tells the story of how a Christian song learned in residential school was transformed into Nuu-chah-nulth
By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Almost twenty years ago, Gregory Charleson Jr. fell in love with a song that his father, Quuia Charleson, would sing to him. Love Your Creator was a Christian hymn that Quuia learned in residential school. At fi rst, he sang it English. Quuia said that his son would ask him to sing the song in their language, Hesquiaht. However, he could not speak the language fl uently. Gregory Jr. surprised his father, with the help of the late-elder Larry Paul, and a language teacher. They translated the prayer song from English into Nuu-chahnulth. “That puts a smile on my face because that’s the best part of the story for me,” said Quuia. All of them came together for hours continuing to piece the prayer song together, and as a group composed the Nuu-chah-nulth prayer song, Love Your Creator, explained Quuia. Charleson’s son prompted the beginning of a Nuu-chah-nulth prayer song that’s been sung for the last twenty years, reclaiming the song from English into the Nuu-chah-nulth language. “There was… a great sense of relief, accomplishment, all of these things, because we did it together,” said Quuia. They now sing the whole Prayer Song in Nuu-chah-nulth, Quuia rejoiced. “At the end of the song, we’ll say that one part in English,” said Quuia. “Love you in the morning, love you in the noontime, love you when the sun goes down.” The prayer song, said Quuia, is a welcoming song that can be used at various events and celebrations as a means of bringing in connection. “This is a song for everybody. I always say that I don’t own prayers. Prayers belong to everybody.” said Quuia. He explained an experience with his late-grandmother, who witnessed him sing the prayer song at a basketball game. She had said that it was the ‘most beautiful song that [she’s] heard’. “That connection that I have to my son, that I have to my grandmother,” said Quuia. “To me, that’s what it’s all about, is connecting people, you know, connecting families.” “For me, the song is truly about family reconciliation,” said Quuia. “Reconciliation within a family, with myself, with my grandparents, with my late-mother, with my late-father. [It] was really important to recognize those hurts that lied in our family, but more importantly, start to address them.” Charleson’s prayer song story has been transcribed and published into a children’s book through Wave Makers Press. Don Bonner, Business Manager at Wave Maker Press, recognizes Quuia as a knowledge keeper and oral storyteller. Over the years, Bonner had heard Quuia’s prayer song and story while they went on tribal journeys together. The idea to publish Love Your Creator into a children’s book was born when Bonner approached Quuia. Christer Bonner, publisher at Wave Makers Press, said that the process included interviewing and speaking with Quuia, and then transcribing his story into the written word. “To me, it was all part of trying to help him get…this story out,” said Don Bonner. Quuia said that Love Your Creator opened the doors for familial reconcilia-
Love Your Creator is a recently published children’s book, released by Wave Maker Press. tion by sharing and connecting with his family. “When I think about what that song means, it was about a connection into my past, the connection into now, and, you know, putting that connection into the future,” said Quuia. Gregory Jr., who is now a new father, was the fi rst to receive a copy of Love Your Creator. Love Your Creator can be found at WaveMakerPress.com and Mobius Books in Port Alberni. “Prayers in front,” said Quuia. “It’s like saying safe travels…our prayers are ahead of us to whatever we’re going to do, [and] wherever we’re going to go.”
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It means ‘There is a lot of us, who have the fear of travelling around in heavy fog!’ pronounced ‘Aa yah nish alth hii yah yaq ha ooh ch qaak alth my clew hah pa much’ Supplied by ciisma.
