Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper March 20, 2025

INTERESTING NEWS

20 Nuu-chah-nulth teams take to the courts for JANT

Tseshaht looks at nearly $100K to send teams to Kelowna basketball tournament, requiring ‘tireless’ fundraising

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The 2025 B.C. JuniorAll Native Tournament (JANT) and Spring Basketball Fest is underway in Kelowna, B.C. this week and 20 teams from Nuu-chah-nulth territory are on the schedule, ready to shine on the courts.

Tseshaht First Nation based in the Alberni Valley has five teams in JANT this year: Lightning U13 girls (coached by Ed Ross, Len Watts and Memphis Dick), Pride U17 girls (coached by Joe Charleson Jr.), ťaťuus U13 boys (coached by Oswald Felsman IV and Mercedes Brown), Hupał U17 boys (coached by Shane Sieber) and U10 Tatuus..

Tseshaht Lightning started fundraising for JANT last May. Coach Nasimius Ross (Ed Ross) says the cost to travel with one team for a week of JANT is between $15,000 to $20,000 and close to $100,000 to send all five teams.

“The fundraising has been tireless. We had a huge cost this year with the girls growing up, they grew out of all their uniforms, so we had to get new uniforms this year,” said Ross.

“My nation stepped up this year, but it’s been a long time coming. The teams are getting stronger and they are getting younger. They are developing at a younger age,” he continued, adding that sending five Tseshaht teams in JANT this year was huge for his nation.

“When my daughter first started, we didn’t have any teams. She had to join Hesquiaht. Hesquiaht picked her up and she developed and played with them and [has] been loyal to them,” said Ross.

Now, his daughter, Memphis, is the assistant coach of the Tseshaht Lighting and coaches her three little sisters Mia, Innisa and Parris.

Tseshaht Lighting play their first game of the U13 Girls Gold round robin on Monday, March 17 at 5:50 p.m. Their next game is on Tuesday, March 18 at 10:50 a.m. followed by two games on Wednesday, March 19 at 2:20 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

“If we’re in the top, then we go into the tournament bracket on Thursday,” said Ross.

Right before hitting the road, all the PortAlberni teams joined forces for a last-minute community spaghetti dinner fundraiser and 50/50 draw at Maht Mahs on Friday, March 14.

“We want to share our strengths and lift them up,” said Ross. “Basketball brings everybody together and I think that’s why sports are so supported; it’s because it’s the closest thing that we have to pot-

latches. There aren’t a lot of potlatches anymore and sports brings us together. It’s ingrained in our DNAto be together and to help each other.”

Ross went on to note that the Tseshaht Lighting will once again host an open basketball tournament on the May long weekend this year.

JANT 2025 is hosted by the Syilx Basketball and the Syilx Nation. It is one of Canada’s largest basketball tournaments with over 113 teams participating. The tournament wraps on Friday, March 21 with the awards ceremony.

To watch live streams from all seven venues, visit https://www.cfnrfm.ca/jant/. For the official tournament schedule, visit: https://jant.ca/schedules/.

Nuu-chah-nulth team at JANT 2025 are: 17U Girls

Tla-o-qui-aht Thunderbirds

Maaqtusiis Lady Suns

Tseshaht Pride

Nootka Rebels

17U Boys

Ahousaht Warriors

Mowachaht Bucks

Tla-o-qui-aht Warriors

Nuu-chah-nulth hupał

Ahousaht Eagles

13UGirls GOLD

Tseshaht Lightning

13U Boys GOLD

Nuu-chah-nulth Tatuus

Ahousaht Guardians

13U Girls SILVER

Ahousaht Ocean Storm

Maaqtusiis Suns

ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ łučmuup

Nitinat Dašuk

Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Ravens

13U Boys SILVER

ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ Wolfpack

10U CO-ED

Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tatuus

Hitacu Itty Bitty Ballers

Eric Plummer photo

Maddison Bigmore (left) and Parris Dick-Ross make spaghetti at Maht Mahs on March 14, preparing for a fundraiser to help Tseshaht teams travel to Kelowna for the JuniorAll-Native Basketball Tournament. The event runs March 17-21.

Ken Watts photo

On the second day of the JuniorAll-Native Tournament in Kelowna, Nuu-chahnulth Tatuus play at Okanagan Mission Secondary on Tuesday March 18.

Ucluelet teacher suspension sparks discussion

Westcoast Community Resources Society says it's dealt with reports about Michael Rhodes’ conduct since 2014

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Ucluelet, BC -Along-time phys ed teacher and vice principal at Ucluelet Secondary School has been disciplined by the British Columbia Commissioner for Teacher Regulation after a report was made in June 2023. It is alleged that Michael Rhodes made inappropriate physical contact with students over a period of five years.

Dozens of Nuu-chah-nulth high school students have attended and graduated Ucluelet Secondary School during Rhodes’tenure there.

Rhodes taught physical education at Ucluelet Secondary School between 2014 and 2019, according to a Consent ResolutionAgreement.At some of his classes students were invited to participate in sports that required close physical contact. One such activity was called British Bulldog.

Rhodes sometimes participated in the game, where players tackle others, flipping them on their backs to prevent them from reaching a goal line.

“Rhodes often flipped students, including female students,” reads the resolution agreement. “He flipped students either to their side or back, sometimes being face to face with the student in very close proximity or being overtop of the student.”

The report goes on to say that some students were uncomfortable with the game but participated so that they could earn points for taking the class. It describes one incident where a female student shouted at Rhodes, telling him not to touch her, before leaving the class.

Along-time phys ed teacher and vice principal at Ucluelet Secondary School has been disciplined by the British Columbia Commissioner for Teacher Regulation after a report was made in June 2023. On November 22, 2023 Rhodes was given a 15-day suspension without pay for his actions.

Other incidents of Rhodes having inappropriate touch and contact with students are outlined in the report, which lead to disciplinary action taken by the school district.

On November 22, 2023 Rhodes was given a 15-day suspension without pay for his actions. In addition, the district transferred Rhodes from a full-time position to teaching on call for a period of three school years, ending in June 2026. He was required to complete the course Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries and was prohibited from teaching physical education. Rhodes signed the Consent Resolution Agreement, in effect admitting that his behaviour constitutes professional misconduct. He agreed to a four-day suspension of his teaching certificate and is required to give at least 30 days of advance

notice to the commissioner if he intends to teach in the K-12 education system. He will serve his four-day suspension on dates directed by the commissioner.

With about 160 students, Ucluelet Secondary is the main high school for Vancouver Island’s central west coast. Former students have taken to social media, some recalling their discomfort in Rhodes’PE classes. It is not known if they reported incidents to officials.

The Westcoast Community Resources Society say they have been aware of the situation at Ucluelet Secondary School while Rhodes was teaching there. “WCRS has helped individuals navigate communication with SD70 regarding Rhodes conduct since 2014,” said Laurie Hannah, WCRS executive director. Hannah says she has only been at WCRS for about a year but says workers

at the society, who wish to remain anonymous, claim they have been supporting members of the community who have complained about the teacher’s actions since 2014.

“It is hard enough for adults to report a sexual assault, we need to stop expecting youth to report freely and stop making it so hard when they do report,” said Hannah. “In Canada, sexual assault is ANY sexual contact that happens without consent.”

She went to say that sexual assault includes obvious unwanted sexual activity from kissing to penetration, but also includes unwanted or forced touching. Consent, she said, means that all people agree to sexual activity, freely and clearly.

There is no statutory limitation on reporting a sexual assault, meaning an individual can report an incident regardless of how long ago it happened.

WCRS advises that sexual assault reports can be made directly to the RCMP, or individuals can do an anonymous report to the police through a designated third-party. The Westcoast Community Resources Society can assist victims by making a Third-Party Report.

“This option allows you to access support, to share your story in a safe way, and to inform the police about the crime without them knowing your identity,” said Hannah.

For more information about Third Party Reports, call or email the Westcoast Community Resources Society’s SARP (SexualAssault Response Program). SARP contact info: 250-726-5480 or email at sarp@wccrs.ca

Nora O’Malley photo

Book presents raw account from residential schools

Art Thompson’s daughter has assembled his testimony into a format aimed at advancing national awareness

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC - It was nearly 30 years ago thatArt Thompson spoke before the PortAlberni courthouse, after the sentencing of the former dormitory supervisor who had terrorized him and others at theAlberni Indian Residential School.

“It’s not our shame,” said the residential school survivor on March 21, 1995. “I want to encourage all of you to have the strength to tell your story.”

The trial resulted inArthur Henry Plint being sentenced to 11 years for 18 counts of indecently assaulting young boys who attended the residential school. During the trial Thompson was sworn in using his traditional Ditidaht name of Thlopkee-tupp. During his testimony Thompson stood facing Plint for 45 minutes, detailing the years of abuse at the hands of the former dorm supervisor, according to a Ha-Shilth-Sa article from the time.

“You didn’t care for us, you abused our culture,” said Thompson in the courtroom. “You can’t face reality. You can’t look me in the eyes and tell me I’m wrong. You remind me of the genocide of our people.”

In his sentencing Justice Douglas Hogarth called the residential school system “nothing less than a form of institutionalized pedophilia.”

That trial and the stand that Thompson took was to become one of the early sparks that would eventually inflame into the Truth and Reconciliation Commission - bringing about a national reckoning for the forced assimilation and abuse imposed on Canada’s Indigenous children for over a century.

Thompson died due cancer in 2003 at the age of 54, but his daughter is now carrying on his story with a new book.

Largely based on Thompson’s testimony from court cases, The Defiant 511 of the Alberni Indian Residential School presents an “incredibly graphic” account of his time at the institution from the ages of 5 to 14, said its author Evelyn ThompsonGeorge.

The book’s title comes from the number thatArt Thompson would be addressed as

over his years in the institution.

“When you entered into the residential school system, your name was actually replaced with a number,” said Evelyn, whose book underwent multiple drafts over her two years of writing it, starting with a voluminous 29-chapter first version. “My first draft of this memoir is basically the court documents completely rearranged.”

For Evelyn the process began in the wake of news that came out of Kamloops in May 2021. Ground penetrating radar analysis undertaken at the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School discovered approximately 200 underground forms that were consistent with unmarked burials. This awakened the country to the likelihood that hundreds of children died and were secretly buried at the institution, setting off a wave of other radar investigations at former residential school sites across Canada.As discoveries of more likely burials continued, the news finally confirmed what residential school survivors had known for their whole lives: that a countless number of children were buried and never brought home.

“Our history was being shared nationally, and I couldn’t help shake my head in frustration,” recalled Evelyn, who felt the need to bring her father’s voice back into the public eye.

She admits that the writing process took its toll, and brought about a period of depression. Evelyn became aware of how she was taking on her father’s suffering when she tried to play with her own young children.

“It was hard to walk away and play with them, because all I could see was my dad,” she said.

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Evelyn hopes that the book can be used in high school and university courses to progress the public’s understanding of the residential school system.

“For me, it was kind of like bringing him back to life with this book,” she said. “It’s exactly what he would have wanted.”

Art Thompson was also a widely recognized artist, whose work included designing batons and medals for the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria.

“I think being able to bring the culture to light rather than focusing on something so horrific, I think that very much helped him,” reflected Evelyn of her father. “The healing process made him become an advocate for Canada as well.”

“I knewArt was damaged when we got together,” said Evelyn’s mother, Charlene Thompson. “I knew he went to the residential school and he fought so hard not to get better, and things just got out of hand. He made that decision to go to

treatment.”

“He started his journey in a drug and alcohol recovery centre,” said Evelyn.

“Oh my god, he worked so hard on himself,” added Charlene.

Charlene had been studying in a writing course when Thompson was preparing his impact statement for the Plint trial. She recalled pushing her husband to be descriptive in what he went through at AIRS.

“I felt the best impact you could have on a judge or in the courtroom was write explicitly what happened,” she said of Thompson’s testimony. “You could shut your eyes and visualize what was happening toArt.”

Published by Friesen Press, The Defiant 511 of the Alberni Indian Residential School is 162 pages and costs $21.99 for a paperback copy. It is available at Indigo-Chapters,Amazon.ca and other book retailers.

Eric Plummer photos

Drawing on testimony from her late fatherArt Thompson, Evelyn Thompson-George has written The Defiant 511 of the Alberni Indian Residential School. She is pictured in front of a totem pole made in her father's honour at the former site of the residential school.Art Thompson (below) is credited as one of the early sparks that would become a national reckoning.

‘Golden opportunity for First Nations to take the lead’

Amid tarrif threats a treaty from 1794 is gaining a ention, as it allows cross border trade amongst First Nations

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Vancouver Island, BC - For Nuu-chahnulth First Nations on Canada’s west coast, the early March Pacific herring spawn marks the beginning of the Nuuchah-nulth harvest wheel and the renewal of all resources.

Huu-ay-aht First Nation citizen Larry Johnson couldn’t conceal his glee as he made his way to Bamfield on March 7 in anticipation of the annual spectacle.

“Everything takes off. This is the beginning,” said Johnson, the president of Nuu-chah-nulth Seafood LP (NSLP) and the chairman of the Maa-nulth Fisheries Committee.

He sees a bright future for First Nations and Canadians in general, despite U.S. and Chinese tariffs unleashing erratic economic conditions across all industries including the seafood sector.

“I call it a wave. It’s building momentum. Canada is going to become stronger because of this,” said Johnson. “I feel there is a real collaboration culminating right now. This is a golden opportunity for First Nations to take the lead. Go out there and be bold. Let’s make sure we are looking after our people and the future generations in terms of food security.”

Johnson is on B.C. Premier David Eby’s new task force that focuses on provincial food supply and food economy. The task forced was formed in mid-February and is chaired by leadership from the BCAgriculture Council with 15 representatives from across the province’s agriculture and food sector.

“Members will also recommend how to ensure people in British Columbia have continued access to healthy and affordable food, no matter what happens with U.S. tariffs or a trade war,” reads a news release from the Ministry ofAgriculture and Food.

Aquaculture appears to be particularly vulnerable in the trade war. With about 70 per cent of farm-raised salmon annual production going toAmerican customers, the BC Salmon FarmersAssociation (BCSFA) says a 25 per cent tariff would reduce U.S. demand by 32 to 40 per cent.

“The tariffs will impact current harvests, and the farmers impacted are working to manage the changing situation with their customers directly,” said BCFSAmanager of communications Michelle Franze in an email.

Cermaq Canada, a major salmon farming operation based inAhousaht First Nation waters with a processing facility in Tofino and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations territory, would not comment on the tariff situation due to its “volatile and unpredictable” nature.

BCFSAsays the tariffs threaten to cause losses of over 1,100 jobs and drive revenues down of up to $142.4 million per year.

Adding fuel to the global trade war fire, China’s Ministry of Finance announced on March 8 new tariffs on a range of Canadian goods, including 25 per cent on seafood products like halibut, crabs, lobster, clams and shrimp. The Chinese tariffs are set to take effect March 20 and are in response to Canada’s 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles and a 25 per cent tariff on Chinese steel and aluminum products.

Amid this adversity, Johnson thinks now is a great the time to practice sacred Nuu-chah-nulth principles: Hish-uk ts’awalk (everything is one), Iisaak (a greater respect with caring) and Uu-a-thluk (to take care of using a modern approach).

“Let’s practice and use our Nuu-chahnulth principles of interconnectedness; come together in a respective way because it’s the right thing to do for future generations. You’re gonna find that new markets will open up inside of Canada. We’ll come together, restaurants, Canadian stores, all supporting Canadian products,” Johnson continued.

NSLP is a First Nations owned enterprise that has a hand in commercial fishery, aquaculture, seafood processing and retail sectors. They are a majority shareholder of St. Jean’s Cannery & Smokehouse in Nanaimo, B.C. and they also own Gratitude Seafood based out of PortAlberni.

Some of the Pacific seafood caught and packaged by NSLP travels down to the U.S. via the I-5 highway, the main inter-

state route that links the Canadian border and Mexican border to the U.S.

“(The tariffs) will have an impact on us for sure, but we’ve been strategizing. The last couple of months we’ve really been trying to collaborate and come together as First Nations. I think together we can solve it. If we’re all going off on our own there will be some who make and some won’t,” said Johnson.

Indigenous border mobility and the Jay Treaty

Canada Border ServicesAgency (CBSA) spokesperson Karine Martel shared that the Jay Treaty of 1794 is often raised in context of Indigenous border mobility, and refers to the “Treaty ofAmity, Commerce and Navigation Between His Britannic Majesty and the United States ofAmerica Indigenous peoples in Canada and the U.S.”

Signed between Britain and the U.S., the Jay Treaty provided First Nations from Canada andAmerica free border crossing to trade for their own use - as though no boundary existed. In the past, Canada has not recognized the Jay Treaty and in 1956, the Supreme Court of Canada determined that the Jay Treaty is not in force in Canada.

“The only exemptions at this time for First Nations communities is on goods eligible for remission under theAk-

wesasne Residents Remission Order (ARRO) as the registered order exempts the goods listed in the schedule of the ARRO from a surtax. TheARRO order is unique and was put in place given that theAkwesasne community spans both sides of the Canada-U.S. border,” Martel told the Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper in a written statement.

Akwesasne is a Mohawk community located along the St. Lawrence River where the Canadian provincial boundaries of Ontario and Quebec meet New York State.

“First Nations business are not exempted from the surtax on goods bought in the United States,” Martel continued. “That being said, under specific circumstances, businesses impacted could submit remission requests for the tariffs on products from the United States.”

Martel went on to note that Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are working on solutions to address Indigenous mobility issues through legislative reform to the Immigration and Refugee ProtectionAct, which is outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous PeoplesActAction Plan Measure Shared Priority 52.

“The Government of Canada will take the following actions in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples: Pursue legislative amendments to the Immigration and Refugee ProtectionAct, amendments to relevant Regulations and revisions to policies in order to address complex border crossing and migration challenges faced by Indigenous peoples divided by Canada’s international borders, including options to amend Canada’s right of entry provision, and work and study permit requirements,” states Priority 52.

Johnson thinks it’s time to ratify the Jay Treaty.

“There are nations down south that we can work with. Let’s breath life into the Jay Treaty and start doing nation to nation (business),” he said. “We have casino owners that want seafood. Let’s pick that ball back up.”

No pollution or injuries during fish farm vessel crash

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Salmon farmer Grieg Seafood on the west coast of Vancouver Island is reporting no injuries or pollution after the Ronja Islander, a live fish transport and treatment vessel owned by aquaculture industry service partner Sølvtrans, hit a rock in Tahsis Inlet on March 8. Tahsis Inlet is located in Mowachaht/ Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) territory and Nootka Sound.

Recently, in mid-December 2024, Grieg Seafood was responsible for spilling between 7,000 to 8,000 litres of diesel fuel by Lutes Creek in Esperanza Inlet, which is in Ehattesaht/Chinehkint First Nation territory and neighbours MMFN.

The Lutes Creek diesel spill spread throughout Nootka Sound, resulting in temporary shellfish harvesting closures.

According to Grieg Seafood, the Ronja Islander sustained some damage from the March 8 crash, but was able to make its way to the West Coast Marine Terminals in Gold River under its own power.

The distressed vessel called the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria for

assistance, and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) sent a boat, which escorted it to nearby Gold River, states a March 10 news brief on vesseltracker.com.

“We do not at this time know the cause of the accident, but once the investigation has been completed, we will look to learn from this event and do everything we can to minimize the likelihood of a reoccurrence in future” said Grieg Seafood COO Grant Cumming.

“It is regrettable that the incident happened, we are pleased that nobody was hurt and there has been no pollution as a result of the incident,” Cumming continued.

The Transportation Safety Board was made aware of the incident and MMFN says they are getting updates from Grieg Seafood.

“Our understanding is that there isn’t any concern at this time,” said MMFN Chief Maquinna.

Grieg Seafood says there were no fish on board the Ronja Islander at the time of the incident.

Ha-Shilth-Sa messaged to the Canadian Coast Guard and will update this story as more information becomes available.

Solvtrans photo

The Ronja Islander, a live fish transport and treatment vessel, awaits repairs at the West Coast Marine Terminals in Gold River after hitting a rock on March 8 in Tahsis Inlet.

Larry Johnson

Fish farms face pressure on both sides of the border

As

2029 deadline looms to remove net pens from the ocean, Ahousaht chief accuses feds of disrespecting rights

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

B.C.’s fish farms appear to be facing an increasingly challenging situation, with pressure mounting on both sides of the border.

For decades ocean-based net pens have been the industry standard. But the 65 sites that still remain in British Columbia now have the looming deadline of June 30, 2029 – a date set by Fisheries and Oceans Canada when all open net pens must be out of water.

Making matters worse are the tariffs threatened by US President Donald Trump, a 25 per cent levy the cantankerous official warns will be imposed on goods imported from Canada and Mexico into the United States.

This is particularly concerning for the B.C. Salmon FarmersAssociation, which states that approximately 70 per cent of its farmed fish go theAmerican customers. The industry association predicts that, if imposed, the US tariffs would reduce demand south of the border 32-40 per cent, resulting in 1,100-1,195 lost jobs in this province – a casualty representing one quarter of B.C.’s fish farming workforce.

“The B.C. salmon farming sector is already operating in an unprecedented environment of business uncertainty due to current federal decisions actively discouraging technological and job investments,” stated the B.C. Salmon FarmersAssociation in a press release. “Tariffs will place another substantial and unnecessary burden on Canada’s already threatened salmon farming sector.”

Industry blamed for Pacific salmon decline

For years the industry has been blamed for the decline of Pacific salmon populations across the West Coast. Many fear that the high density of net pens creates a breeding ground for sea lice and other pathogens that transfer over to wild stocks as they migrate past farm sites.

In the 2023 the Pacific Salmon Foundation reported that the close proximity of fish in the ocean pens “present ideal conditions for amplification of viruses, bacteria and parasites.” Most fish farms on the West Coast raiseAtlantic salmon, and the PSF blames the aquaculture industry for introducing piscine orthoreovirus to the Pacific coast, something that is “extremely common” in B.C.’sAtlantic salmon farms.

During a Nuu-chah-nulth Council of Ha’wiih Forum on Fisheries meeting on Feb. 12, Nuchatlaht CouncillorArchie

“OurAhousaht rights and authority are directly being disrespected,” saidAhousaht Tyee Ha’wilth Hasheukumiss, Richard George, to DFO representatives as they discussed the transition of B.C.’s fish farm industry away from open-net pens during a Council of Ha’wiih Forum on Fisheries meeting Feb. 12.Ahousaht has a protocol agreement with Cermaq for salmon farming in its territory.

Little reflected on how his territory has changed over his lifetime.

“I just want us to think back how pristine our areas were,” he said. “Everything was healthy, everything was strong, and then along comes some foreign fish that don’t belong in our waters.”

When DFO announced in June 2024 that all open-net pens would be banned in 2029, the federal department was following a call that came from most First Nations in the province. The B.C. First Nation Wild SalmonAlliance is comprised of over 120 Indigenous communities that stand behind the phase out deadline, including the Ditidaht, Tseshaht and Uchucklesaht.

$6 million in benefits forAhousaht

But this is not the case for all First Nations in the province, as several rely on salmon farming for employment and other benefits. Seventeen Indigenous communities have formal agreements with fish farm companies, according to the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship, including the Tla-o-qui-aht, Ehattesaht andAhousaht First Nations in Nuu-chah-nulth territory.

For over a decadeAhousaht has had a protocol agreement with Cermaq, a deal the First Nation values at $6 million annually worth of employment, educational supports and transportation assistance to

its remote village on Flores Island. Over 20Ahousaht members work on Cermaq’s sites in Clayoquot Sound.

On Feb. 12 representatives from the First Nation heard an update from DFO on Canada’s approaching phase out of open-net pens.

“My understanding is that nations are actively being engaged on this file,” said Kevin Conley, a DFO resource manager and biologist, during the Council of Ha’wiih Forum on Fisheries meeting. “Consultation is meant to be collaborative and First Nations are eligible to receive contribution funding support based on each unique situation and experience.”

“I reject every word that just came out of your mouth,” respondedAhousaht Tyee Ha’wilth Hasheukumiss, Richard George. “OurAhousaht rights and authority are directly being disrespected.”

Before the industry’s draft transition plan came out last September, Hasheukumiss said that Canada’s current Fisheries Minster Dianne Lebouthillier came to Ahousaht to assure leaders that “Fish farms will not be removed from your territory in 2029.”

“That was a verbal commitment,” said the hereditary chief. “We did protocol and honoured her with a mask to cement that in stone, only to be slapped in the face with your transition plan.”

“Our nation has not had that consultation at your table,” added Hasheukumiss as he addressed DFO staff at the Feb. 12 meeting. “We’ve had a lot of lip service. We’ve had a lot of ministers come to our territory and lie directly toAhousaht Ha’wiih faces.”

Closed containment is ‘cost prohibitive’

Language can be nuanced, and it remains to be seen if the open-net pen ban will mean the end of salmon farming in B.C. DFO’s draft transition plan from last year appeared to leave the door open for “marine and land-based closed containment” systems, which “will be required to ensure the removal of waste and filtration or treatment of discharged water.”

Since 2020 Cermaq has been using various forms of closed and semi-closed containment sites in Clayoquot Sound. Currently the company has one fully

closed farm near Tofino that pumps water into a non-permeable containment unit. After being raised in land-based tanks for the first year of their life, Cermaq’s Atlantic salmon can be transferred over to this fully closed site for a period of four-to-five months, before they are sent to one of the company’s nine semi-closed pens that are still in operation. Cermaq is not currently using its open-net pens that are located elsewhere off Vancouver Island’s coast.

With skirt-like barriers that extend 10-15 metres below the surface, the nine semi-closed sites have drastically reduced sea lice among the farmed fish, according to David Kiemele, Cermaq Canada’s managing director. Fish that will soon be harvested from the semi-closed site in Fortune Channel have never undergone a sea lice treatment, he said.

“Asea lice can’t go through it, certain types of plankton can’t go through it,” said Kiemele of the skirt wall that comprises the sites in operation. “We are stopping all the normal exchange that would take place in the top 10-15 metres of the water column.”

But according to DFO’s current guidelines, the semi-closed sites would not be exempt from the net pen ban. Only Cermaq’s fully closed facility near Tofino would meet the government’s requirements.

Transitioning all of its sites to be closed containment isn’t viable – largely due to the challenges to getting electricity to the remote locations in Clayoquot Sound, said Kiemele.

“It’s a technology that, at the moment, is not being used on a commercial scale anywhere in the world. The closest thing in Canadian waters is our cage near Tofino,” he said. “It’s cost prohibitive, it’s time prohibitive. If money and time were not object, I would need probably $350 million in 15 years.”

“The mandated technology that DFO has deemed acceptable - if that is what is indeed delivered through this process - make no mistake, will mean the end of the industry as we know it today,” added Kiemele. “We are already investing money in fish that I’m not aware have a future in this province.”

Eric Plummer photo

Ha-Shilth-Sa newspaper is published by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council for distribution to the members of the contributing First Nations, as well as other interested groups and individuals.

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Please note that the deadline for submissions for our next issue is March 28, 2025

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).

Submitted pictures must include a brief description of subject(s) and a return address.

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

Photocopied or faxed photographs cannot be accepted.

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.

- Reporter availability at the time of the event.

- Editorial space available in the paper.

- Editorial deadlines being adhered to by contributors.

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.

Tahsis marina set to boost ecotourism

Project includes sea plane & large vessel dock, follows replacement of boat launch

By Roniya Sahin Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Tahsis, BC - The village of Tahsis recently announced the construction of a new public marina as part of the Tahsis Marine Gateway project in partnership with the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET).

“There’s so many reasons to have this dock,” said Mayor Martin Davis, “it’s going to be really good for the community, the people, and for tourism, too.”

The marina project is the second phase of the Gateway project. It follows a replacement of the public boat launch in phase one. Phase three closes the project with the development of a seaplane and large vessel dock, according to a report by the ICET.

Phase one involves replacing older slabs from the public boat launch to improve boating efficiency. The new dock will be steel and concrete, providing an environmentally sustainable and resilient alternative to the current wooden and damaged dock.An onshore drive-in will be installed beside the dock, making cargo movement more accessible to those who need it.

Beside the two docks will be the marina with boat slips, increasing boating accessibility, according to Davis.

“The dock is going to help a lot with safety, too, because having good docking facilities and fairly extensive ones is good for people being about to stage their boats,” said Davis. “[T]here are small communities only accessible by water [that will benefit].”

Atotal of $1.3 million has been invested into the project, with ICET putting in $200,000 through their Capital and Innovation Program. The brand-new multipurpose marina is expected to have 10 to 12 different boat slips dedicated for services such as the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN), RCMP and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The ICET is a regional public trust fund that provides funding for small communities to stimulate economic development. They expect local businesses situated around the marina, such as Shorebird Expeditions and Coal Creek Roasters and Cafe, to financially benefit from the marina project. New business opportunities could include kayak rentals, retail stores,

a population of less than

and ice or cold storage.

The marina is also projected to boost ecotourism within the region.

“We’re hoping this marina will perhaps encourage some [people] to relocate to Tahsis - to have some businesses revolving around the area,” said MMFN Tourism and Marketing Officer John Gauthier, “and perhaps encouraging more visitors and tourists to visit.”

Water taxis, sports fishing, and boat charters are some business opportunities that could become more accessible and, in turn, more popular with the establishment of a new marina, said Gauthier. The infrastructure of the marina also allows for adventurous tourists with a knack for kayaking, boating and canoeing to experience the full breadth of Tahsis.

Both Gauthier and Davis emphasized the rich history of Tahsis as another attraction to the village on the Norwest coast of Vancouver Island.

Loosely translated as “the gateway” or “pathway”, Tahsis is historically known for its proximity to numerous routes connecting to different coastal communities. The village also served as the traditional winter home for the Mowachaht after

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 51st year of serving the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. We look forward to your continued input and support. Kleco! Kleco!

relocating from Yuquot after summer, linking the two traditional sites together.

The development of the marina could become an opportunity to restore those various connections, according to Gauthier.

“Opening up opportunities … is important if we want to unearth some of those ancient traditional villages, sites and significant historical locations that are located between Gold River and Tahsis,” explained Gauthier, “to introduce visitors [to the history] because it’s an important part of history.”

Legal Information

The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability for non-insertion of any advertisement beyond the amount paid for such advertisements

Eric Plummer photo

With

400, the Village of Tahsis is located on northwest Vancouver Island, at the end of Tahsis Inlet.

Martin Davis

Float homes push away traditional food harvesting

Untreated sewage water near Tofino goes onto the shellfish harvest sites, and no one wants to eat ‘poopy clams’

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

This is article is part of a series of stories on Nuu-chah-nulth clam gardens.

Clayoquot Sound, BC – From the captain’s seat of his fishing boat called ‘La Fortune’, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation (TFN) fisherman Leo Jon Manson popped the lid off the proverbial can of worms labelled ‘float homes’.

Float homes are encroaching cultural and harvesting sites in Tla-o-qui-aht territory, says Manson. One spot in particular, Lemmens Inlet, a protected body of water located just north of Tofino that cuts into Meares Island, has succumbed to the region’s “laidback” regulations on float homes.

“We still have some spots in our territory, but we have to travel farther away from Opitsaht or Načiks (Tofino). We have to go farther back in the inlets. Our local grounds are gone, pretty much,” Manson said.

“All of Lemmens… every beach is taken over by float houses.All their sewer goes right on the beach, and I wouldn’t be able to feed anybody that stuff,” he said.

Margaret Titian, Manson’s wife, chimed in.

“It’s just completely infested back there. They’re everywhere. In every nook and cranny. We can’t go duck hunting in a lot of the areas we used to. We can’t go clam digging in some beaches because I don’t want poopy water clams,” she said.

Manson’s ancestors have been fishing and harvesting shellfish for millennia. His late father Leo taught him the livelihood and now his 20-year-old son Darren is out on the water with his own fishing boat; often their boats are beside each other and they’re fishing at the same time. If Darren starts his own family, he’ll teach his kids how to fish too.

“When I was younger, it was all Lemmens Inlet. That was our garden,” recalls Manson.

He says about a dozen float homes are popping up each year because “it’s cheaper to live in our cultural grounds than it is in the District of Tofino or Ucluelet.”

“But we’re paying the price culturally and environmentally,” said Manson.

Titian pointed out that they can’t harvest around local islands off Tofino yet either.

“There’s a lot of build-up,” she said. Tofino was discharging raw sewage into the ocean up until September 2024 when its first-ever wastewater treatment plant became operational.

“I don’t think it will be clean for a few years, that whole area,” Manson adds.

Clam season is generally December, January and sometimes November.

Titian and Manson have so many photos and videos of their family out on rainy beaches, digging up clams, they could make a movie.

“We take all our kids out,” said Titian as she showed a video of her youngest daughter Marion out behind Meares Island, wearing a headlamp and full rain gear, giggling as she rakes back clams from her brothers’stash.

“The little ones, when they were really little and they couldn’t use the rake to dig, we would point out the clams and they would grab it. That was their excitement and helping,” she said.

They told the Ha-Shilth-Sa they often go out at night during the big winter tides because that gives them more time to dig.

“We make it a challenge to see who would fill up the bucket the fastest,” Darren said. “Sometimes we eat them while

“But we’re paying the price culturally and environmentally”

~ Leo Jon Manson, Fisherman

we are picking them out of the ground. We pop them open with one of the propane lights and eat them right on beach.”

To detect the freshness of a clam, Titian says you put it up to your lips.

“If your lips go numb or has any sensation that is weird, it’s no good,” she said. She showed another video of Marion throwing back a clam that was too small and explained that if a clam is smaller than the first bone off your thumb to your knuckle, it’s too small to harvest and should be pushed back into the sand.

Coastwide restrictions from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) states that Manila Clams or Littleneck Clams smaller than 35 mm and Butter Clams smaller than 55 mm are not to be harvested.

Manson shared that elders love Butter Clams the most, and co-incidentally these are the most sensitive of the marine bivalve mollusks found along the Pacific coast. In other words, Butters store marine toxins longer than other clams.

“I wish we had our territory back. Lemmens is real productive for seafood; for shellfish, crab, duck hunting,” Manson said. “We have dog salmon creeks back there, but (the float homes) all tapped into our creeks. Every rule has been broken in our ha-houlthee.”

DFO has posted sanitary contamination closures for several areas within Lemmens Inlet due to “floating living accommodation”. Butter Clams are listed as unsafe to harvest.

Float homes ‘likely in trespass’

Data from a 2024 float home survey launched by Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks in partnership with Redd Fish Restoration Society revealed 44 float homes in TFN tradition waters with 39 of those float

In 2024 Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks and Redd Fish Restoration plotted the coordinates of all the float homes in Lemmens Inlet.

homes in Lemmens Inlet.

Reddfish plotted the coordinates of each float home and liveaboard on a series of maps and overlaid them on shorebird habitat, eelgrass and clam bed maps to support the development of a float home policy.

Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks held a Float Home Symposium inApril 2024 to encourage float home dwellers to sign a protocol agreement that says they will comply with environmental standards – and that they would move to a different location if their float home impacts a sensitive ecological area.

Twenty-eight float home dwellers showed up for theApril symposium and 14 have signed the protocol agreement to date, according to Tribal Parks liaison Julian Hockin-Grant.

In a written statement, the B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship said there are a number of tenures for aquaculture purposes in Lemmens Inlet which fall under Water, Land and Resource Stewardship jurisdiction, but no tenures for float homes have been issued.

The use and occupation of Crown land in B.C., including aquatic foreshore for float homes, requires authorization under the LandAct, which is administered by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

“The province has a legal duty to consult

First Nations when making decisions to issue LandAct tenures. The Ministry also considers potential impacts to cumulative effects in the decision-making process, and whether the environment can sustain additional float homes.As there are no tenured float homes in Lemmens Inlet, this process has not been completed,” the ministry told the Ha-Shilth-Sa in an email.

“If there are float homes in Lemmens Inlet, they are likely in trespass and their investigation would be the responsibility of the Natural Resource Officer Service in the Ministry of Forests,” the ministry’s email continued.

Suspected occupation of Crown land in trespass, or illegal dumping or pollution, can be notified to the Report all Poachers and Polluters program (RAPP) by reporting online: ReportAll Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) – Environmental Protection & Sustainability Forms or by phoning 1-877-952-RAPP.

Manson has raised the issue at TFN band and council meetings. He wants to see the float homes moved to one spot and not spread out within their traditional harvesting grounds.

This story was made possible in part by an award from the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Margaret Titian photo

Fastest one wins! Leo Jon Manson’s children Darren, Marion, Lee andAbigail race to fill their buckets with clams during a low winter tide.

Map by Redd Fish

Charleson family dries tears, celebrating lives of two young

Potlatch unfolds before hundreds at the Alberni Athletic Hall, with messages for the next generation about cervical cancer and the

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC – It was a łaakt’uuła to remember as hundreds of Charleson family and friends gathered to spend the day celebrating the lives of a sister and brother that left lasting legacies during their short time on earth.

Winiikinux (Jazmine) and her brother nuksʕaqƛ (Johnson) Charleson had large families and a mother determined to celebrate their spirits and goodness at a drying of the tears potlatch held at theAlberni Athletic Hall on March 15, 2025.

Maureen Charleson lost her daughter winiikinux (Jazmine) to uterine cancer in August 2021. Winiikinux, a young mother at the time of her death, wanted women, as sacred givers of life, to know how important it is to stay on top of their health with regular medical check ups.

Barely two years after her passing, in March 2023, Maureen lost her adult son, nuksʕaqƛ (Johnson), to an accidental overdose from illicit drugs. He, too, was a young parent, leaving behind two children.

While Maureen faced some resistance in the long months of potlatch preparation, she felt that it was important to reflect on the positive attributes and contributions of her children during their lifetimes, rather than focus on how they died.

“I put lots of love and thought into this for my children,” Maureen Charleson told Ha-Shilth-Sa.

The łaakt’uuła was done under the guidance of family elders, most notably by Maureen’s grandfather, Hesquiaht elder Pat Charleson Sr., who is in his 90s.

Besides the Charleson family, the Sam and Sutherland families ofAhousaht were there to dry their tears. Qwaya Sam was the father of Jazmine, and Johnson came from the Sutherland family.

The guests were served lunch before family business started in front of Pat Charleson Sr.’s ceremonial curtain. It started with the recorded voice of Johnson Charleson, singing a lullaby that he composed. Maureen told Ha-Shilth-Sa that her son was very cultural-minded and told her that the song came to him years before. He used to sing it to his younger brothers and sisters, and he also sang it for clients of a family treatment center where he worked.

Speaker Robert Watts explained that Johnson’s song was being used that evening as the yahts yahtsa, the drying of the tears song. It is a song used to take away fear,

The Charleson family potlatch began with the act of bringing out photos of Johnson and Jazmine Charleson, who passed in 2023 and 2021 r traditional drying of the tears ceremony, began early afternoon on Saturday, March 15, extending through the night until the following morning.

hurt, anger and sadness, giving these things back to the Creator, Watt’s explained.

“The family has let it all go,” Watts told the crowd.

Maureen said her son Johnson used the song as a soothing lullaby to put the children down to rest. For her it was fitting to use it that night to dry Maureen’s tears and put her two dear children to rest in a yahts yahtsa.

Two other newly created dances were performed for the first time in public; one on behalf of Jazmine and the other for Johnson.

Jazmine’s dance featured dancers draped in teal shawls performing a newly choreographed piece, shown for the first time.

Led by Maureen Charleson, the dancers moved in unison to the drum beats and a song composed by Tseshaht memberAaron Watts that he shares with anyone afflicted by cancer.

Qwaya Sam said his daughter had been diagnosed with Stage 3 cervical cancer. It was only two weeks later when she went in for surgery that they discovered she was already in Stage 4.

“She fought hard and we tried every medicine we could think of,” said Sam.

By telling her story, both Sam and Charleson said their daughter needed to share a message with all young women to stay on top of their health. They reminded young women, as givers of life, to go in for regular pap smears and, if they feel like something is wrong, to get a second opinion.

Every dancer who performed this piece is battling cancer, has had cancer or has someone special in their life who has fought or is fighting cancer. They all came to dance for Jazmine that day.

Aaron Watts’song is a gift to all Nuuchah-nulth-aht, encouraging those who are fighting cancer “because your life matters,”

Robert Watts said. Most importantly, Maureen wanted to convey a message on behalf of Jazmine that cancer is preventable.

Following the dance for Jazmine, dancers brought out framed portraits of Jazmine and Johnson.

The song that was performed in Johnson’s honour came from Brandon Smith of Ehattesaht, Maureen explained. It was a song to help those struggling with mental health issues. She admitted that her son, as happy and loving as he was, sometimes struggled with severe depression.

Dancers dressed in purple shawls performed with paddles and feathers to remember and say farewell to their beloved Johnson. The song, according to Charleson, was gifted to her son Jared from Brandon Smith.

During the dances, helpers handed out teal and purple ribbons to guests, raising awareness about cervical cancer as well as mental

two young adults

about cervical cancer and the overdose crisis

Denise Titian and Eric Plummer photos who passed in 2023 and 2021 respectively. The łaakt’uuła, a night until the following morning.

importantly, Maumessage on behalf preventable.

Jazmine, dancers portraits of Jazmine and performed in Johnson’s Brandon Smith of Ehatexplained. It was a song with mental health her son, as happy sometimes struggled

purple shawls perfeathers to farewell to their beloved according to Charleson, Jared from Brandon helpers handed out teal guests, raising awarecancer as well as mental

health and addictions issues.

The potlatch proved that, like the people, culture evolves as Nuu-chah-nulth families face life challenges that didn’t exist before contact.

“I am in awe of everything, of the significance of the songs and dances we used and how they were explained,” said Maureen Charleson.

She said the family didn’t get to a dance called Inner Child due to time constraints.

“It has an important message in that song from Johnson about no more wounded warriors and no more stolen sisters,” Maureen shared.

The potlatch was cut short, ending the following morning at 9 a.m. due to the venue rental agreement, but Charleson is pleased with how everything went. To those that disagree with how or why things were doneand there were a few according to Charleson - she points out that addiction is a disease, the same as cancer or any other illness.

“It was about my grandchildren, who do not have a mom and do not have a dad,” she told Ha-Shilth-Sa, mentioning Julien, Owatin,Alexus, Cataleya, Isabelle and Rickalie (in heaven).

“We were remembering their pure, good spirits, their sense of humour...the protective brother bear – his life wasn’t only addiction.”

Haahuupayak students launch their own rockets

Projectiles

made from recycled materials, based on competitive rocket-building club at University of Victoria

By Holly Stocking Ha-Shilth-Sa EditorialAssistant

PortAlberni, BC – The cold weather did not deter Haahuupayak’s Grade 7 class from wowing onlookers by launching their rockets made from recycled materials on the morning of March 13.

Scott McLeod, a retired RCMP officer who has been running the John Howitt Rocketeers for five years now, approached the elementary school about participating in his rocketry program. He spent one hour a week mentoring the class on how to build real launchable rockets.

Sarah Stefiuk, a Grade 7 teacher at the school, said fabrication materials included old library cards, pool cards and debit cards.

“Everything that they have used has been recycled materials they either brought from their blue bin at home or we’ve saved from our school,” she said. “It’s been really cool to watch, it takes a lot to get them engaged and this really sparked their interest.”

The program is modelled after the University of Victoria’s Rocketry Team, a student-led group that designs and builds sounding rockets for competitions. They participated in the annual SpaceportAmerica Cup (SACup), located at the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport located in southern New Mexico, United States, and just competed in the Launch Canada Challenge in Timmins, Ontario.

The Haahuupayak class was broken up into seven teams and used the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) method of education to build their rockets. STEM education is an approach to learning that integrates these four fields, fostering skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity through inquiry-based learning and realworld applications.

“We wanted to spark their imaginations now, before high school, so if they are interested, they can work towards becoming engineers, rocket scientists or astronauts,” McLeod told Ha-Shilth-Sa. Before the launch the students gathered in the classroom and watched a video of

congratulations from the UVic Rocketry Club, as well as a virtual tour of the club’s lab and run down of the rockets they have built.

After six weeks of work the Haahuupayak rockets were ready to be launched. The students stood in awe behind the blast board as their rockets shot up into the air leaving a trail of smoke behind them. Each launch was followed by a roar or cheers.

“I’ve wanted to be an astronaut since I was 6 years old,” exclaimed Sammii Fregrin from Uchucklesaht while proudly holding their team’s rocket.

“The program has been very successful and I have been asked to come back again next year” said McLeod.

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Pronounced ‘Tlah too lath Ha wiialt Liu wiiught, haa uk up guu us uhpuup’, it means ‘Aceremony given to honour a loved one who passed on.’

Supplied by ciisma

Illustration by Christine Sparks

Holly Stocking photos

On March 13 Haahuupayak’s Grade 7 students launched rockets that were made from recycled materials.

Each rocket was made from a variety of recycled materials like magazine pages, newspaper, old debit or library cards. Each rocket had a parachute inside that would open upon descent.

New Port Alberni sign references local First Nations

Marker erected at edge of the city, the result of communities collaborating to bring a vision to life, says mayor

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC –Abeautiful new welcome sign has been erected at the entrance to the City of PortAlberni near the Walmart parking lot. City of PortAlberni councillors were joined by Hupacasath and Tseshaht leadership for the unveiling and placement of the metal sign on March 5, 2025.

According to PortAlberni city council, the sign was a collaborative project between the city, Hupacasath and Tseshaht First Nations. They describe it as another reminder of what can be accomplished when working as a team.

Plans for the new signage have been in the works for years. The large wooden sign that once stood at the junction coming into PortAlberni in the east was removed several years ago. It has been restored and is in storage with plans to install it somewhere inside city limits in the future.

In 2020, the City of PortAlberni put out a call for ideas for a new welcome sign.

Resident Susan Roth’s design, featuring evergreen trees and a bear, was selected as a basis for the signage.

“The inspiration for the design came from the tall evergreen trees, wildlife, and mountains that surround our beautiful town,” said Susan Roth.

Local First Nations were invited to expand on the concept by incorporating Indigenous elements. Tseshaht artist Connie Watts, in consultation with Hupacasath and Tseshaht, was also inspired by nature, historical connections and contemporary experiences of her people to their land.

“Starting with the wind to water elements connecting the feeling of the valley where the ocean inlet meets with the Tsuma-as (Somass) River,” Watts explained.

“Connecting the wind and water design is the thunderbird, whale and salmon - all

powerful animals for Nuu-chah-nulth. And at the base of the sign you will see a bear with her cubs which represent the families in our valley and our most important gift, the children.”

PortAlberni Mayor Sharie Minions was not at the installation but posted on social media that she could not be more proud to see the sign completed.

“The Welcome to PortAlberni sign project has been on the books for almost as long as I’ve been on council,” she wrote.

The reason for the hold-up was the significant price tag – in the range of $150,000-300,000, which, according to

Minions, is in line with what other communities have spent on their welcome signs. In an effort to keep costs down, the city turned to its citizens to help make the project a success.

Several local businesses and community members contributed to the project. According to the City of PortAlberni, the project came in well under the average cost other island cities paid for their signs.

“As a result of the community kindness shown throughout the development and production of this sign, the city is happy to report that the project came in at the estimated $40,000 with allocated funds coming from Reserves ($25,000) and Reconciliation ($15,000),” stated the municipality.

As part of the city’s path to reconciliation, and to acknowledge the traditional lands of local First Nations, the foundation of the sign is adorned with a formal land acknowledgement of the unceded traditional territories of Tseshaht [cišaaʔatḥ] and Hupačasath First Nations.

The beautiful new sign stands at the corner of Highway 4 and John Street, at the turn-off to Walmart. The site was selected because that is where PortAlberni city limits start.

There will be no lighting directed at the sign, because, according to the city councillors, the provincial ministry of highways determined that lighting would be too distracting for motorists.

But, with the construction of the Microtel set to begin on the property behind the new sign, it is hoped the new sign will be more visible at night thanks to lighting from the new hotel. Tseshaht, Hupacasath and Huu-ay-aht First Nations partnered to construct the new hotel on the edge of Highway 4, in front of Walmart.

The city thanked their past two councils who helped move this project forward.

“We want to thank contributing artists, Connie Watts and Susan Roth, for their keen eye for design, and the many contractors and trades that donated their time, materials, equipment and skills,” stated the city.

Port Alberni Friendship Centre Volunteers Needed

Denise Titian photo

PortAlberni’s new welcome sign cost $40,000, showing a savings from the $150,000-plus cost that other municipalities face for a welcome sign, says PortAlberni Mayor Sharie Minions.

President’s Message

Hello Everyone. Sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones.

First Nations HealthAuthority is starting conversations about what should be in a federal HealthAct. They have been meeting various groups around the province. They had a session at the Hupacasath House of Gathering the other night to get input from First Nations. Right now they are talking about principles to guide the renewed HealthAct. There are seven. You can look them over and if you see something you like or don’t like or is missing, talk to your health director or chief and council and let them know. FNHAis anxious to hear from everyone.

1. Prioritize equitable access to quality health services.

2.Address anti-Indigenous racism in health at all levels.

3. Formally recognize B.C.-specific First Nations right to self-govern in health.

4. Canada, B.C., First Nations working together to improve legislation on funding.

5. Uphold the made-in-B.C. First Nations seven directives in health legislation.

6. Reflect existing commitments in health legislation. There will be more discussions on the HealthAct so you will have opportunity to give input. Both the provincial and federal governments have jurisdiction over health. In a lot of cases the province gets money from the federal government and decides where to put the money. First Nations are rarely included in decisions like hospitals and treatment centres, etc. It is budget time again. The NTC will be putting forward the budget on March 24th for consideration by the Nations. There is a lot of the money that is divided by formulas that were put in place many years ago. You can watch the budget meeting on the Ha-Shilth-Sa website.

Mark Carney was sworn in as Prime Minister. He seems to be wanting to keep going in the direction Justin Trudeau set out. He is keeping Patty Hajdu as minister of Indigenous Services Canada and GaryAnandasangaree will continue as minister of Crown Indigenous Relations and NorthernAffairs. We won’t see many changes from ISC unless the Prime Minister sets a different direction. He did change his fisheries minister to Joanne Thompson and that hopefully will be a good thing as the past minister had no experience with fisheries or First Nations. This minister is from the east coast and is familiar with fisheries issues there. Also, Chrystia Freeland was made Transport minister, which also affects Nuu-chahnulth with Coast Guard, shipping and other transportation builds. Jonathan Wilkinson is now minister of Energy and Natural Resources. All cabinet ministers will be very important as Canada battles the US on tariffs and the desire to make Canada the 51st state. Strong leaders and voices are needed at this time and having people we can work with on our rights and title and implementing UNDRIP is very important.

BC Budget came down and B.C. is determined to bring down its deficit. We do know there is a hiring and travel freeze which will make it difficult to build relations. First Nations will need to travel to Victoria to meet the government or do meetings virtually. So there is not as much good news for First Nations in the budget. Access to capital continues to be a challenge. The First Nations Equity Financing Framework is still capped at $10 million, with no increase in loan guarantees or clear guidelines on distribution.

Emergency management is underfunded, with just $125 million—far below recent spending levels ($467 million in 2024/25, $505 million in 2023/24). B.C.’s emergency management funding is typically allocated through the province’s contingency budgets after disasters occur, rather than being invested in proactive measures. This presents challenges for First Nations in managing risks effectively and maintaining readiness. There is no new funding for First Nations-led emergency preparedness, wildfire response, or risk reduction, despite 156 First Nations being in high-risk fire zones and $1.4 billion needed for proper mitigation. We will need to advocate to change this lack of funding in order to protect our communities. One piece of good news is there is $45 million over three years to the First Peoples’Cultural Council, nearly doubling past investments in First Nationsled language programs. We all know this is not enough to revitalize our languages but it is a start. Ministry of Indigenous Relations get an eight-per-cent increase over three years, but again this will not be sufficient for First Nations’needs. There is a lot to address in the budget that may affect revenue sharing and other things, but I just mentioned a few of the highlights.

Asettlement for long time Indian hospitalization has been reached but must be approved by the courts, now set for June 10-11. Some of our people were hospitalized for many years dealing with TB. Mistreatment occurred. What will go to the court is Canada has agreed to provide individual compensation to former patients who suffered verbal, psychological, physical, and/or sexual abuse at a federal Indian hospital. Canada has also agreed to provide $150 million to support healing, wellness, reconciliation, protection of languages, education and commemoration activities, as well as $235.5 million to support research, education, and preservation of the history of the hospitals. Indigenous Services Canada will also be provided $150 million to extend existing mental health and wellness supports to some class members. I will keep you updated as to when this is approved and when the application process will begin. Applications are now being accepted for those children who were in care from April 1, 1991 to March 31, 2022 and were discriminated against with funding. $23.24 billion has been agreed to for payments out to those children affected. Those affected have three years to apply once they reach the age of majority. This is for children who were taken from living on reserve and were funded through ISC. Settlements can range from $20,000 to $40,000 depending on circumstances. If you fit into this category of have children who do, make sure you apply for this compensation.

Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers

In memory

Laura Maude Shaw was born in Bella Bella and she passed away peacefully surrounded by her husband, Charlie Thompson, her children, Derek, Darren, Deanna, Elwood, and Ida, her sister, Jessie Shaw, and her grandchildren. Maude worked for nearly 40 years as the Head Cook for the Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society Substance Use and Trauma Treatment Centre both in its original location at Snaw-Naw-As and the new location at Cowichan Tribes. Maude cooked for thousands of people over the years and the nourishment she gave so freely to so many people will leave a lasting legacy of love, care and generosity.

Maude survived the indignity of the St. Michael’s and theAlberni Indian Residential Schools, and in spite of these afflictions she made a conscious and thoughtful effort to live her life with a clear sense of dignity, generosity and integrity. Her children and grandchildren will honor her memory by remaining true to how she carried herself with humility, respect and kindness.

In accordance with her wishes there will

25

not be a public funeral or memorial, and she asked all that knew her and loved her to bring peace and love into their lives and into the lives of the people they care about. She believed that life is far too precious to be caught up in hurt, regret and anger, and wished only the best for all of the family and friends that she loved and cared for.

Years Ago in Ha-Shilth-Sa

Vol.27 – No. 5March 9, 2000

holds a traditional

In March 2000, Tseshaht First Nation sent delegates and elders to Victoria to view artifacts in the Royal B.C. Museum. The intent was to decide which items were priorities for repatriation. Tseshaht was the first of nine Nuu-chahnulth nations to view the collection, many of the objects had left their families up to 150 years prior. The items had been stored in humidity controlled closets and rooms. Through imagery, legends were woven into the baskets, but these stories were left unheard for generations.

attached to a coil of woven cedar-

“I have this overwhelming feeling inside me of our ancestors saying, ‘Thank you for coming to take us home’,” expressed Tseshaht Treaty Manager Darell Ross. Magnificent masks, carvings, bones and burial treasures were among the 18 items marked as belonging to the Tseshaht First Nation and another 46 others identified as ‘Barkley Sound’–an area incorporating the traditional territories of five Nuu-chah-nulth nations. Once nations identified priority items, their negotiators began the process of trying to bring the items home.

George Clutesi

harpoon

bark rope

Maude Thompson (nee Shaw) April 16, 1951, Bella Bella, BC - March 14, 2025, Nanaimo, BC

MVP award named after legendary Tseshaht athlete

A month after he turned 90, Tom Wa s presented newly named award to Alberni Secondary's top ball player

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC -An award recognizingAlberni’s outstanding player on the senior boys high school team is now named after a legendary Tseshaht athlete. From now on the MVP award will bear Tom Watts’name, recognizing the elder’s legacy of sports prowess. The newly named award was presented atAlberni District Secondary School on March 4 with Watts present, who turned 90 on Feb. 2.

ADSSAthletic Director Mike Roberts announced the development before the high school’s basketball teams. Behind him was the Wall of Fame, a display of a few dozen formerADSS students who achieved greatness in sports.

“You will see, if you ever take a look, it’s the sport that they achieved greatness at, whether it be a professional level, a post-secondary level. There’s other categories such as coach or builder, they helped create programs,” explained Roberts about the Wall of Fame. “There’s one individual on this wall that is unique to everyone else.”

Tom Watts is the only person identified simply as ‘athlete’, a recognition of his all-round prowess in sports that included

On March 4 Tom Watts presented the MVPaward that is now named after him to Jayden Miguez.Also pictured is senior boys assistant coachAl Seredick.

basketball, track and field, soccer and baseball.

“It says athlete,” said Roberts. “Quite simply, Tom excelled at everything he did.”

In his early years Tom Watts attended theAlberni Indian Residential School, which formerly stood on the Tseshaht First Nation’s main reserve.As a teen he moved on toAlberni District Second-

ary, where an obsession with sports that began in the residential school flourished. Watts played basketball atADSS in the 1950s, and went on to receive the Tom LongboatAward in 1962, which recognizes an Indigenous athlete for “outstanding contributions to sport in Canada”, states the program’s overview. In 1965

Watts was the sole First Nations player on theAlberniAthletic SeniorAbasketball team that won the Canadian Men’s Championships.

On March 4 Watts handed the newly named MVP award over to Jayden Miguez, who ledADSS’s senior boys team over the past season. His team made it to the semi-finals in the Vancouver Island championships, where they were edged out by Wellington 88-64.

“The MVP doesn’t just happen in one season. The MVP happens over time,” said senior boys coach Steve Sperger before presenting the accolade to Miguez. “This athlete led his team in junior basketball, he was a big part of the team last year in Grade 11. He helped us get to where we got to.”

The occasion was particularly sweet for Watts, who also stood with his granddaughter, Jayden Knighton, who was named MVP of theADSS senior girls team for the second year in a row.

New old growth trail aims to boost Bamfield's tourism

By Sam Laskaris

Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Bamfield, BC – The Bamfield Huu-ayaht Community Forest Society is doing its bit to boost local tourism.

Thanks in part to a grant from the Island Coastal Economic Trust, the Bamfield society, a non-profit organization, has begun work on the Bamfield Majestic Old Growth Trail.

The project, which will establish an accessible pathway to ancient forests, is aimed at connecting visitors to nature while also advancing cultural and economic development in the area.

Stefan Ochman, the vice-president of the Bamfield Huu-ay-aht Community Forest Society, said work on the trail began on Monday, March 17.

The first phase includes clearing some trees on the land, located off South Bamfield Road, that will be made into a parking area for the trail. The parking area will be about 20 metres by 30 metres.

The Island Coastal Economic Trust, which partners with communities and assists with developing and financing economic infrastructure, provided $50,000 towards work in the initial phase of the trail.

“It was a grant we wrote for last fall and we got news that we got it,” Ochman said, adding that is the maximum amount allotted per grant.

The society is also providing money to the project.

“We committed to put $75,000 of our own funds that we obtained through harvesting some of the forest,” Ochman said. “It's a community forest so we did a harvest and we continue to do small harvests, trying to get the most money out of our logs we pull out of the forest.”

The first phase of the trail will be 1.85 kilometres long. Work is expected to be completed this fall.

The second phase, which is expected to commence next year and be completed by the fall of 2026, will be about another

1.5 kilometres long. It will connect to another section of the forest where there are existing patch cuts and a lot of culturally modified trees.

“We’ll do our reporting and then apply for another grant, for another $50,000 for next year,” Ochman said.

Ochman is also hoping things will go smoothly with work on the initial phase.

“They kind of open it up and it's going to be very muddy and stuff, so they'll have to bring in a bit of ballast and rocks just to get through the muck areas,” he said. “This phase is going to take two to three weeks.And we'll see at the end of that how wet it is. If it's really soggy, I don't see us putting that nice gravel in because it's just going to sink into the muck. So, I was thinking of letting it dry for a couple of months.”

An original goal was to have phase one of the trail completed by the end of July. Ochman is now anticipating that gravel might be spread sometime inAugust or September when drier conditions are expected.

He’s also looking forward to when the project is fully finished.

“To complete this is going to be pretty amazing,” he said. “It's in the best part of our forest. From pictures you can see the height of the trees and it's just majestic.”

There are currently two other trails in the area - the Boomer Trail and the EastWest Connector.

“Those were done with no machinery,” Ochman said. “It was just people with chainsaws and rakes.And so, there are stumps you have to jump over and you have to crawl under trees. So, it's not for everybody.

“But this trail is going to be nice and wide, like three meters wide with a nice gravel base, which will be compacted. And that will provide even people with walkers a chance to be able to walk into the forest and to have the experience of just relaxing and bathing in the forest and taking in that all that nice, good energy.”

Ochman is hoping the new trail will

boost local tourism.

“Hopefully we will be able to publicize it with all the lodges and even have the hikers that come on the West Coast Trail,” he said. “Probably after they hike for 80 kilometers, they probably don't want to see another trail. But I was thinking more of the campers here.”

Ochman said numerous fishermen and their family members come to the area.

“They're always looking for something to do if they're not out there fishing,” he said. “So that’s a good opportunity for people to go walk the trail and enjoy the majestic trees.”

The plan is to also include some signage on the new trail.

“We haven't really decided which things we’ll highlight but once the trail is built we’ll find what to highlight,” he said.

“I’ve walked in there but it’s really hard. Walking through the forest now you can't really see what's going on because it's very dense. You walk about 100 meters in about half an hour.”

Brodie Guy, the CEO of Island Coastal Economic Trust, is also confident the new trail will provide a boost to local tourism.

“Working in partnership with Bamfield Huu-ay-aht Community Forest Society on this nature-based tourism infrastructure project creates positive impacts by protecting stands of ancient forest while building a tourism asset that will attract and keep visitors in Bamfield longer, growing the local economy,” he said.

Josie Osborne, the MLAfor Mid IslandPacific Rim, is supportive of the project.

“I am so grateful to the Island Coastal Trust Economic Trust and the Bamfield Huu-ay-aht Community Forest Society for building this trail that will give more people the opportunity to visit and explore our world-famous old growth forests,” she said. “Helping to make the natural environment more accessible helps connect people with nature and brings enormous physical and mental health benefits.”

Stefan Ochman photo

Work on phase one of the Bamfield Majestic Old Growth Trail began on March 17 by clearing some trees.

Se lement Reached in Indian Hospitals Class Action

Agreement for former patients in the 33 institutions includes hundreds of millions for healing and recognition

By Olivia Thomas Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Asignificant milestone has been reached in the long-running battle for survivors of the federal Indian hospitals, as a proposed settlement has been reached in the Hardy v.Attorney General of Canada class action lawsuit.

The federal government’s establishment of 33 Indian hospitals between 1936 and 1981 resulted in a system that subjected hundreds of thousands of Indigenous patients to conditions that often resulted in severe mistreatment, neglect, and abuse. This proposed settlement is a crucial step in addressing the historical trauma inflicted upon Indigenous peoples within these institutions.

From January 1, 1936, to December 31, 1981 the federal government operated 33 Indian hospitals across Canada, which were designed to provide medical treatment to Indigenous peoples, but in many cases, became places of suffering and abuse. These facilities were part of a broader colonial system aimed at controlling and assimilating Indigenous communities. Patients, including children, were often subjected to neglect, forced sterilizations, medical experimentation, physical and sexual abuse, and other forms of mistreatment.

The ClassAction Lawsuit

In 2018,Ann Cecile Hardy, a former patient who had suffered abuse at one of the Charles Camsell Indian Hospital, filed a national class action lawsuit against the Canadian government. This lawsuit, known as Hardy v.Attorney General of Canada, was certified in 2020, representing the interests of former patients of the Indian hospitals and their families. The class action was initiated to seek justice for the survivors and hold the Canadian government.

Ann Cecile Hardy, who endured mistreatment and suffering during her time at the hospital, became the voice for many survivors. In a statement on the Canadian Federal Government website, Cecile expressed, “I am so glad we have finally reached this stage in the settlement agreement. This class action has been going on for more than seven years. It has been an exhausting process…” Cecile’s determination and resilience have been pivotal in bringing attention to the mistreatment faced by Indigenous patients in the Indian Hospitals.

The lawsuit sought to bring attention to the systemic abuse that occurred within these institutions and compensate those who endured physical, psychological, and emotional trauma. The case also aimed to preserve the history and experiences of those affected, ensuring that the truth of what happened in these hospitals would not be forgotten.

In a press release issued on March 6, 2025, the federal government announced that a proposed settlement had been reached.As part of this settlement, the government has agreed to provide individual compensation to former patients who suffered verbal, psychological, physical, and/or sexual abuse while under the care of the Federal Indian Hospitals. This compensation is a crucial acknowledgment of the harm caused and a step towards addressing the long-lasting impacts of the trauma experienced by the survivors.

In addition to individual compensation, the government will allocate $150 million for healing, wellness, reconciliation,

GaryAnandasangaree, minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and NorthernAffairs, announced the Federal Indian Hospitals (Hardy) class action proposed SettlementAgreement on March 6.

language preservation, education, and commemoration activities. This funding is intended to help Indigenous communities heal from the trauma inflicted by the Indian Hospital system and to support efforts to revitalize Indigenous languages and cultural practices that were often suppressed in these institutions.

Moreover, the Canadian government has committed $235.5 million for research and the preservation of the history of the Indian Hospitals. This will include efforts to document and educate the public about the experiences of those who were affected by these hospitals, ensuring that future generations understand this dark chapter in Canada’s history.

In addition, Indigenous Services Canada will receive $150 million to extend mental health and wellness supports to Hardy class members, further addressing the ongoing psychological and emotional needs of survivors. These supports will be critical in helping survivors and their families heal from the lasting impacts of their experiences.

Recognition just as important as compensation

The proposed Indian Hospitals settlement has left Gail K. Gus feeling heartbroken and frustrated. Gail’s late mother, June Watts, was held in Nanaimo Indian Hospital for one day shy of a decade, and was left debilitated for the remainder of her years by the medical maltreatment she was subjected to.

“When I read the proposed settlement it made me sad,” said Gus. “Our government and churches just get away with never recognizing my mom in any way. It’s hurtful to me.”

For those affected, the pain runs deep, not only due to personal loss but the lack of meaningful acknowledgment.

“My mom spent 10 years in the hospital, and even after she got out, she still went and worked there because she couldn’t stand to leave the kids there,” Gail reflected, highlighting the emotional toll the Indian Hospital had on her mother.

The trauma extends beyond individuals; it’s a generational issue.

“My mom was sick my whole life, and then I lost her prematurely when I was in my twenties because of that hospital,”

Gail said.

For Gail, the fight is not just about com-

pensation but about ensuring the stories of survival and suffering are recognized.

“The biggest part isn’t just educating the world, but educating our communities and our own people,” Gail shared.

“The intergenerational impacts of Indian Hospitals is something that isn’t talked about as much.”

She noted that the press release of the proposed settlement came on March 6, the anniversary of her mother’s death.

The announcement of the settlement was met with positive responses from key government officials. The Honourable GaryAnandasangaree, minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and NorthernAffairs, expressed deep regret for the abuse and destruction of culture that Indigenous peoples experienced in the Indian Hospitals.

“It is a priority to ensure that survivors are well supported and not revictimized in this process,” he said in a statement. “Survivors have told me first-hand that the recognition of past wrongs and healing supports are just as critical as the compensation itself.”

Anandasangaree’s remarks highlight the

broader goal of the settlement, which is not only to provide financial compensation but also to support the long-term healing and reconciliation process for Indigenous peoples.

The proposed settlement in the Hardy class action lawsuit represents a longawaited step towards justice for the survivors of the Indian Hospitals. The case, which has spanned almost seven years, has been a grueling process for those who have fought for accountability and healing. For many survivors, the settlement provides a sense of closure and a recognition of the pain and suffering they endured. However, the journey towards healing is far from over.

“I did not start this class action to get paid. I started it because I needed Canada to acknowledge what it did to us,” said Ann Cecile Hardy in a statement. “Canada’s commitment to healing and wellness initiatives, locating burial sites connected to the Hospitals and mental health supports for class members are another important step on the path to reconciliation.”

Government of Canada photo

Submitted photo

June Watts (left) spent the early years of her life in the Nanaimo Indian Hospital. She is pictured with Juanita Elliott.