Ha Shilth Sa Newspaper January 26, 2023

Tseshaht awarded $21 million se!lement

Now owned by a forestry company, reserve at the mouth of the Franklin River was taken in 1913 for a railway

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC – Eight years after the Iwachis IR 3 Specific Claim was filed, Canada has settled with Tseshaht First Nation, awarding them $21 million in compensation for the 1913 unlawful expropriation and sale of Iwachis Indian Reserve.

The announcement was made July 29, 2022, in a joint statement from Tseshaht First Nation, British Columbia, and Crown-Indigenous Relations and NorthernAffairs Canada. The funds were distributed to Tseshaht members on Jan. 13.

Elected Chief Ken Watts said the land was taken without consultation or compensation by the federal government.

“We have lost the use of that land forever and we’ve never been compensated,” he said.

The Iwachis IR 3 is a 26-acre parcel of land at the mouth of Franklin River on the east side of theAlberni Inlet. The reserve was created in 1882 by the federal government because it was used by the Tseshaht as a fishing station. But, according to Watts, it was taken by the

feds in 1913 and sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway so that they could build a rail line. The railway was never built and the land was eventually sold to a forestry company by Canadian Pacific Railway.

“Canada took it and sold it despite our objections, and we’ve stated our opposition for a long time,” said Watts, adding that there are letters on file written by past Tseshaht leaders.

Tseshaht went to the Specific Claims

Tribunal to file a claim onApril 16, 2016. An offer of $21 million in compensation was made to Tseshaht and was accepted, following a membership poll in which 94 percent voted to accept the offer.

Tseshaht has 1,264 registered members with about 900 of those being eligible voters. The voting age for Tseshaht is 16.

In a second poll regarding how the settlement would be spent, 74 per cent of voters elected to have a portion distributed their membership. Funds have been distributed to Tseshaht membership. Those under the age of 19 will have their funds placed in a trust fund until they reach the age of 19.

The remaining portion of the funds were used to pay off the loans required to negotiate the settlement agreement and other debt.Another portion will be invested in Tseshaht programs that benefit housing, infrastructure, culture, education, health, youth and others.

“Tseshaht has been waiting over 100 years to deal with this long-standing issue involving our former Indian reserve known as Iwachis,” said Chief Watts. “Today, our ancestors, our current membership and future generations

can celebrate this historic agreement for our community, as this settlement, now deposited, helps right the wrongs of the past while providing a brighter future. We thank the Government of Canada for taking steps towards reconciliation with Tseshaht.”

On Jan. 19, Tseshaht gathered at Maht Mahs to celebrate the Iwachis settlement. Watts said federal government officials were there and past Tseshaht leaders were honored for their efforts in keeping up the pressure to reach a final settlement.

Watts says the Iwachis land is currently owned by a forestry company.

“Our next step is to reach out to the current land owners to see what it would take to have the land returned to us,” said Watts.

In October 2022 Tseshaht filed another Specific Claim with the Government of Canada seeking compensation for the 3.3-kilometre section of Highway 4 that runs through their IR#1. In addition to the safety issues, they say the road was built without their consent and without compensation for the unauthorized use of the land.

Ken Watts

Google Earth image

Iwachis IR 3 is a 26-acre parcel of land at the mouth of Franklin River on the east side of theAlberni Inlet. The reserve was created in 1882 by the federal government because it was used by the Tseshaht as a fishing station, but the land was taken by the feds in 1913 and sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Heightened food costs hammer Nuu-chah-nulth-aht

Rising grocery bills have outpaced general inflation, puÅing a greater burden on those who travel far for food

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Throughout Nuu-chah-nulth territory there are a number of remote communities with limited access to grocery stores.

From villages located in Clayoquot, Barkley, and Nootka Sound, many community members travel extensively, multiple times a month, to nearby towns such as PortAlberni, Nanaimo, and Campbell River for groceries. With the additional costs and measures associated with the long journey to larger towns, inflation and the heightened cost of food continues to pressure First Nation members from remote coastal settlements.

Elmer Frank, elected chief of Tla-oqui-aht First Nation and its community emergency services manager, explains that it’s always been a challenge to get groceries in nearby Tofino due to the high cost of food in local stores.

“Most of our families, we go to [Port Alberni or Nanaimo] for grocery shopping, because of the fact that we can get a grocery cart for the same price as we can get for three bags in some of our grocery stores here,” said Frank.

From Tofino, a journey to PortAlberni is 126 kilometers, and Nanaimo is roughly 206 kilometers away.

“It’s a big demand to have to go to [Port Alberni and Nanaimo] for groceries and for essentials that you need for a household,” said Frank. “It is getting tougher and tougher because of the increases [in] pricing.”

Frank notes that fuel costs also have an additional impact with traveling to Port Alberni and Tofino.

Canada’s 2022 Food Price Report states that in the last 20 years the food inflation index rose significantly, with a grocery bill rising by 70 per cent between the years 2000 and 2020, outplacing general inflation.

With retail food costs outgrowing the increase in income across Canada, according to the 2023 Food Price Report, it is predicted that Canadians will continue to feel the impact of food inflation this year due to the continued impacts of climate change, transportation costs, fuel prices and the dropping Canadian dollar, among other factors.

“When the government and companies and the big corporations start increasing the prices, we suddenly have to become adaptable to that,” said Frank. He explains that the remote village of Opisaht feels the “brunt” of the increased cost of food, as it is located on Meares Island, across the water from Tofino. ForAhousaht resident June Titian, groceries have been expensive for as long as she can remember living in the remote location.

Titian plans to buys groceries in Port Alberni around her work and children’s schedule, dependent on weather, and around the Kennedy Hill closure schedule on Highway 4. She travels to PortAlberni for groceries one to two times a month, though she also has groceries delivered to Ahousaht.

ThoughAhousaht, located on Flores Island, doesn’t normally have a grocery store, there was one at the beginning of the pandemic, Titian explains.

“I loved it. It was so convenient and saved a lot of money being able to avoid traveling,” wrote Titian in an email to Ha-Shilth-Sa.

“I always make a list before I shop, noting the staples that need to be replenished, and I try to meal plan for the week

so I know exactly what I need to buy,” she wrote. “I often forget something and luckily theAhousaht General Store does deliveries to theAhousaht dock several times a week.”

Huu-ay-aht elder Sylvia Dennis travels the 85-kilometer stretch from the village ofAnacla to PortAlberni to buy groceries.

“I have to travel to PortAlberni when I can, and at least…every two weeks I try to stock up…while I have the means to,” said Dennis.

When Dennis doesn’t have access to a vehicle and she’s in a pinch she gets a ride to Bamfield where she shops, though she tries not to due to the high prices and lack of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“Even in PortAlberni…food is so expensive. I have to cut back on a lot of things when I’m shopping for our family,” said Dennis.

Feeding a family of five, Dennis gives her children healthy food, but she’s forced to cut back on items such as meat, vegetables and fresh fruit due to high prices.

Bamfield Main is known for its highly frequented logging trucks, low visibility, and multitude of accidents. Since 2020 the road has undergone construction to pave the route, making it safer for citi-

zens in remote communities to travel in and out.

Dennis said that her journey to Port Alberni is weather dependent.

“Sometimes there’s logs or trees on the road, so I have to be really careful when I go into town,” she said.

Similarly, Titian notes that she has traveled to Tofino fromAhousaht in storms to grocery shop, and it has been a scary experience.

“I avoid traveling all together now if it’s stormy weather,” Titian said.

For Francis Jack, a Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation member and a newly single father of two, he plans ahead to get a hold of a social assistant grocery support driver.

This is a service provided by Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation so community members who cannot drive can access grocery stores in Campbell River, which is 87 kilometers away from Gold River.

The social assistance grocery support drivers are a free service, with eight trips each month from Gold River to Campbell River.

The service is in high demand, and if booking doesn’t happen right away, folks often miss out, said Jack.

When the service is not available Jack

has to hire out of pocket.

“I do post on Facebook and I ask around if anybody’s going, I chip in… for gas, their time, and when it comes down to it, it usually ends up being a hire, which is quite a bit more costly,” explains Jack. “It takes away from my budget [for] groceries and other necessities.”

Jack explains that though Gold River has a newly opened Co-op, it doesn’t have all of what he needs for his two children, so he often shops in Campbell River.

“With the inflation of everything going up, I get up to two thirds of what I used to get when I would shop,” said Jack.

“Even a bag of oranges or bag of apples is pretty costly.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that struggles,” he added.

Frank notes that he understands factors associated with the need for increased costs, such as climate change. However, there also needs to be more innovative ways to support a sustainable way of living.

“I think that, you know, everybody has to now look at how they’re budgeting going forward, because some may and some don’t have that ability to increase their budgets…for inflation,” said Frank. “That’s another challenge that we face.”

Photos by Alexandra Mehl

According to Canada’s 2022 Food Price Report, over the past two decades grocery bills have increased by 70 per cent, greatly outpacing general iunflation and how much people earn.

June Titian

Hupacasath buys closed school, regains ancestral land

First Nation and School District 70 announce the sale of school property, a burial site of cultural significance

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

PortAlberni, BC - With a history that goes back 6,000 years, Hupacasath is regaining ancestral land, formerly known as Gill School.

Over the period of the last year Hupacasath Chief Councillor Brandy Lauder had been in conversation with the Ministry of Education and Child Care, the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, as well as the new superintendent of School District 70, among others, to which they unanimously agreed

to the sale of the land back to Hupacasath, explained Lauder. Gill Elementary School ceased operations in 2015 due to declining student numbers.

Lauder said that when she started on council, they began the process of obtaining the land due to its cultural significance to Hupacasath. She hopes to have keys in hand by June.

When a portion of Gill school was under construction years ago, a box of remains was dug up. The box was then returned to Hupacasath, shared Lauder.

“The chiefs were thankful that they were kind enough to give it back,” said Lauder.

“That’s how we kind of settled it, ‘at least they’re giving it back’,” said Lauder.

The remains were then buried in Hupacasath’s current graveyard located on the reserve.

“We know there’s more there,” said Lauder.

The first plan of action for Hupacasath is LiDAR surveying, and if necessary, ground-penetrating radar, to figure out the number of burial sites on the land, said Lauder.

“Our goal here is to protect what we have,” she said.

Once that is complete, discussions will

open to the community on deciding how to proceed with the use of the land and school.

“This has been a long time coming and our board is excited and proud to be part of the historic shift of these important traditional lands from the school district to the Hupacasath Nation,” said Pam Craig, SD70 board chair, in a joint press release.

“Knowing that we’re going to be able to have that further ability to protect our late ancestors of Hupacasath…is very satisfying,” said Lauder.

Highway safety concerns arise after second child hit

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC –A12-year-old Tseshaht boy sustained broken bones and cuts after being struck by a vehicle at the Falls Road side of the Orange Bridge on Highway 4. The accident occurred about 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 11.

The incident raised safety concerns among the Tseshaht as this is the second time in less than a year that a child has been struck by a vehicle on the 3.3-kilometer section of highway that cuts through their main reserve.

According to Chief Councillor Ken Watts, a Tseshaht girl was struck by a vehicle at a crosswalk on the other side of the Orange Bridge near Tsuma-as Drive in the summer of 2022.

Both youngsters escaped with injuries but the accidents underscore the danger of having a heavily traveled highway cutting through their community.

According to Chief Watts, motorists seem to view the Orange Bridge as a divider between city streets and the highway. It’s like they hit the gas pedal as soon as they see the bridge, and some reach speeds as high as 90 kilometres an

hour through the reserve, according to Watts.

On October 2022, cišaaʔatḥ (Tseshaht)

First Nation submitted a Specific Claim with the Government of Canada seeking compensation for the unlawful and unauthorized use of land within the Nation’s Tsahaheh IR 1 for the provincial Pacific Rim Highway 4. They stated that Tseshaht has always opposed the construction and operation of Highway 4 and has never been compensated for the use of its land.

But safety and maintenance is the responsibility of the provincial government and Watts says that while some improvements have been made, it isn’t enough.

“There’s more street lighting and speed radar signs but something more needs to be done,” he said.

He says that Tseshaht has been engaged in negotiations with the province about safety improvements for years.At one point there was a plan to install sidewalks but that never happened.

“The ministry wants to do a study and come up with a strategy,” said Watts. Whatever happens with respect to safety improvements, Watts says he hopes that the province will come up with a better

plan for the management and maintenance of the section of Highway 4 cutting through the reserve.

Tseshaht is waiting on a response from the federal government regarding their Specific Claim application. Filed in October, the federal government has up to six months to review the claim. If it meets criteria, they have three years to negotiate.

“We encourage Canada to expedite its

review and acceptance of this claim so that we can get on with the work of righting this historic wrong,” said Wahmeesh (Ken Watts) said in a November 2022 interview with Ha-Shilth-Sa. “Meanwhile, our Nation is open to a separate conversation with the Province of B.C. about its role in the future of this roadway on Tseshaht land to better protect our people now and in the future and keep them safe from the damage it continues to cause.”

Photo by Alexandra Mehl

On Jan. 12 the First Nation and School District 70 announced the sale of the former Gill school property, a burial site of cultural significance for the Hupacasath.

Photo by Eric Plummer

On Jan. 11 a 12-year-old boy was struck by a vehicle at the bridge over the Somass River, sustaining broken bones and scratches, according to the Tseshaht First Nation.

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Tla-o-qui-aht takes ‘tridemic’ measures

This winter vulnerable people face risk of ge ing COVID-19, influenza and RSV

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tofino, BC - With COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV circulating throughout the winter season, communities are combating the ‘tridemic,’by encouraging folks to stay at home and self-isolate when they feel sick to protect their vulnerable populations.

Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation recently released a statement indicating that though it “isn’t in a state of emergency”, members are experiencing an increase in COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV. The statement serves as a reminder of ways to help prevent the spread of respiratory disease within the community.

“There’s currently no public health orders,” said Elmer Frank, elected chief of Tla-o-qui-aht and community emergency services manager. “If we get COVID-19, you know, we’re relying on an honor system.”

Frank said that when someone is sick, they hope folks take the “necessary precautionary measures” such as staying home and self-isolating, and to continue with general health practices such as washing hands and sanitizing surfaces.

“If you are suffering any illness, please ensure you continue doing your part and stay home and self isolate and stay away from large gatherings,” reads a press release published by Tla-o-qui-aht.

Frank said that though communities have a high vaccination rate, many are vulnerable.

“We’re in a state where we all understand, if someone’s sick and can’t make it to an event, then we respect that, we understand that,” said Frank. “There’s vulnerability in our community all over, whether it’s my family or anybody else’s family…we still have to be mindful that we need to protect those from any health risks.”

Frank explained that they started to see an increase in COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV in late November, and then again after the holiday season. He noted that over the last three years they have seen increases after the holidays.

Frank notes that the increase in COVID-19 is not only within Tla-o-qui-aht

and First Nation communities but also amongst the broader population. According to the Government of Canada website, the circulation of respiratory illneses increase during fall and winter seasons. Particularly, the current increases are due to the easing of measures and mandates (lockdowns, gatherings, and masks), higher susceptibility to Influenza and RSV due to low circulation rates throughout the pandemic, increased indoor gatherings due to winter weather,

and a decrease in personal preventative measures, it reads.

Some preventative measures, according to the Government of Canada, include keeping up to date with vaccines. Health Canada also advises people to stay home when sick, wear a mask at indoor events, improve indoor ventilation, wash hands with warm water and soap, avoid touching the face with unclean hands, “cover coughs and sneezes”, disinfect and sanitize high-touch surfaces, as well as being aware of public health advisories and the advice of local governments.

Frank said that community members and the First Nation have come together to support those throughout their selfisolation periods.

“There is that unity where we won’t just let anyone be sick alone,” said Frank.

“I think that it’s important to put the message out there to not only our communities, but to all Nuu-chah-nulth communities, that they still have to be taking the necessary precautionary measures to prevent the spread,” said Frank. “It’s easiest to stay home when you’re sick, because you know you’re not putting anybody else at risk.”

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Photo from Wikimedia Commons

With Covid-19, Influenza, and RSV circulation this season, the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation is advising “necessary precautionary measures”. Pictured is an athome COVID test.

Elmer Frank

Bus service for west coast travellers begins Jan. 30

IslandLink says it has found an economical solution by using smaller buses running from Nanaimo to Tofino

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

West Coast Vancouver Island, BC

– Just as west coast residents began scrambling for alternative transportation after Tofino Bus announced suspended services last month, Islandlink comes to the rescue.

“Islandlink will start offering bus service between Nanaimo and Tofino three times a week starting on January 30, 2023,” they stated in a news release dated Jan. 12.

This comes as welcome news to residents of outlying communities who rely on the bus service to get to medical appointments in the region’s cities. The bus will also stop at intermediate points in Ucluelet and PortAlberni.

In the Jan. 12 issue of Ha-Shilth-Sa, Vancouver Island Connector, the company that operates Tofino Bus, announced that it would suspend passenger bus service between PortAlberni and Tofino/ Ucluelet for the remainder of winter. They cited low ridership in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as the cause for the suspension of service. They say they will resume service sometime in May 2023.

Hesquiaht and Tla-o-qui-aht representatives noted that the lack of bus services would impact their patient travel programs, hurting seniors and low-income families that rely on the service to get to

town.

“Alot of people rely on the service for medical and to get to town, and this is the most economical way to do it,” said Tlao-qui-aht Chief Elmer Frank.

Hesquiaht Community Health Representative Nora Lucas stated that the unexpected suspension of bus service forced

some residents of Hot Springs Cove to cancel appointments in towns and cities.

“This is most definitely a problem as most of our people travel by bus,” said Lucas.

Tofino Bus said they’ve seen a 95 percent drop I ridership since the start of the pandemic.

With access to smaller buses, IslandLink believes it can run a profitable service.

“We’ve looked at the numbers, and with our 15-passenger vehicles, we’re able to add this service,” said Phillip Morgan, IslandLink owner.

Beginning Jan. 30, 2023, IslandLink will run its new route between Nanaimo and Tofino three times a week.

In a news release, IslandLink says its Nanaimo/Tofino route will connect with the Departure Bay BC Ferries terminal in Nanaimo.

The service will increase on May 18 to daily service and will operate year-round.

IslandLink has been in operation for nearly 25 years, starting in 1998 bringing passengers from Qualicum Beach, French Creek and Parksville to the Departure Bay Ferry terminal. The service was designed to be a connector for foot passengers on the BC Ferry system.

“This remains the focus of our service today serving four BC Ferries terminals: Departure Bay, Little River, Buckley Bay and Campbell River to provide connecting bus transportation for ferry foot passengers.

IslandLink carries over 50,000 passengers a year, operates up to 14 buses all equipped with free wi-fi. Buses are clean and comfortable with seat belts on every seat.

For schedules or more information about IslandLink, go to www.islandlinkbus.com

Photo submitted by Island Link Bus Islandlink plans to run 15-seat buses to Vancouver Island’s west coast, with stops in Tofino, Ucluelet, PortAlberni and Nanaimo.

Ditidaht uses almost finished bypass during flood

A nearly complete alternative road proved to

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Nitinaht Lake, BC - With recent flooding, Ditidaht members cautiously and safely used the nearly complete bypass road to access grocery shops and attend medical appointments in the nearby towns of PortAlberni and Duncan.

“It worked quite successfully [and] made people very happy that they had the availability to go to PortAlberni or Duncan for their… medical trips [and] grocery shopping,” said Brian Tate, Ditidaht’s chief counsellor.

Roughly two kilometers of the Carmanah Mainline is located along the Nitinaht River flood plain, making it difficult for residents of Malachan to leave the village during heavy rainfall and flooding. Oftentimes, flooding makes essential services in nearby towns, such as Port Alberni and Duncan, inaccessible.

After years of lobbying the government, the Ditidaht First Nation undertook the project to construct a 2.8-kilometer bypass road that avoids the flood plain.

The Ditidaht Economic Development Corporation funded the $1.7-milliondollar project, and Tate is hoping the province will reimburse the cost.

The project has had a couple of delays due to snow, heavy rains, and material availability, said Tate.

The project is nearing completion with road grading, leveling, and some remaining bridge guard rails to install, he continued.

The bypass road is expected to be complete in the next one to two weeks.

link to Duncan and Port Alberni for Nitinaht residents

“It’s a sense of security in knowing that there is an option to get around and pass the flood zone areas,” said Tate.

Stabilization ‘necessary’ to stop falling boulders

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Repoter

Highway 4, BC -Aboulder that recently blocked the westbound lane of Highway 4 fell from the surrounding mountainside, according to B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Witnesses from the scene recalled boulders that fell towards the road at the west end of Sproat Lake on Jan. 8.

Two of these large rocks took up part of the highway, just before the Taylor River RestArea. The ministry stated that the two boulders fell on Highway 4 at approximately 4:30 p.m. Mainroad Mid Island Contracting responded and removed the rocks from the road by 5:20 p.m.

“Ministry geotechnical engineers have inspected the site and have determined the road is safe for travel,” wrote the provincial ministry in an email to HaShilth-Sa. “However, the ministry has posted rockfall hazard signs to alert drivers to the potential of rock debris on the highway in this area.”

As heavy rain continues to batter the region, some work might be needed to prevent more debris from falling onto the highway.

“The ministry is awaiting recommendations from its geotechnical engineers as to whether additional preventative slope stabilization work may be necessary to prevent future rockfall at this site,” added the Ministry of Transport.

Submitted photo

On Jan. 8 falling rocks blocked part of Highway 4 at the west end of Sproat Lake.

be a critical

Photo by Brian Tate

The Ditidaht First Nation undertook the construction of a 2.8-kilometre bypass road that avoids the flood plain. The project is nearing completion with road grading, leveling, and some remaining bridge guard rails to install. The bypass road is expected to be complete in the next one to two weeks.

Uchucklesaht looks to cut fuel emissions in Ethlateese

First Nation harnesses $174,475 in government funds for a photovoltaic wellness centre in the remote village

By Karly Blats Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

The small and remote Nuu-chah-nulth village of Ethlateese is working towards relying less on fossil fuels for electricity thanks to a grant from the province’s Community Energy Diesel Reduction (CEDR) program.

The First Nation village, located in the Uchucklesaht Inlet near Barkley Sound, is home to about 25 residents.

Ethlateese is one of 12 First Nations communities throughout British Columbia receiving $7.1 million to develop alternative-energy projects and advance energy efficiency through the CEDR program, a CleanBC initiative.

“Our CleanBC goal is to reduce diesel consumption for power generation in remote communities by 80 per cent by 2030,” said Josie Osborne, minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation in a government press release. “By building partnerships and creating opportunities with Indigenous communities and businesses, we can help people living in B.C.’s hardest-to-reach communities save money, become less dependent on fossil fuels and benefit from cleaner air and water.”

The energy projects range in size and scope, from $350,000 for the construction of a biomass combined heat-and-power system for the Lhoozk’uz Dene Nation (Quesnel area), to $2 million to develop and build a two-megawatt solar farm on Haida Gwaii’s northern grid that will include battery storage.

According to the release, British Columbia has 44 remote communities, most

of which are governed by First Nations. Many of these communities are served by BC Hydro in non-grid integrated areas.

Some First Nations own and operate their own diesel generators. In 2019, the remote communities consumed at least 19.1 million litres of diesel, emitting the equivalent of 51,784 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The Uchucklesaht Tribe Government (UTG) received $174,475 in funding through the CEDR program for a photovoltaic wellness centre in Ethlateese.

The funding will cover a 25 kW solar photovoltaic system, level 2 EV charging

infrastructure and 120v charger outlets. BC Hydro is supporting this work by supplying $50,000 for a 54 kWh battery energy storage system, according to Sarah Holden, planner and climate action coordinator with the UTG.

“Barkley Project Group LTD, Son Solar and Tectonica are working with UTG on the construction of the Wellness Centre and to install the solar and battery storage system,” Holden said. “Construction for the building began in summer 2022. The solar panels and batteries will be installed spring 2023. Overall construction is projected to commence late spring or early

summer 2023.”

The Wellness Centre is sited on a hill overlooking Uchucklesit Inlet and Ehthlateese.

Holden said Ehthlateese is not connected to the hydroelectric grid and is 100 per cent dependent on fossil fuels for electricity.

She said BC Hydro currently operates three diesel generators with a combined capacity of 219 kW to supply power to the community and that emissions associated with electricity generation in Ehthlateese makes up 69 per cent of overall UTG emissions.

Holden said it’s estimated that the solarbattery system will reduce UTG’s diesel usage by 21,300 kWh, or 7,100 litres, annually.

Looking to the future of the tiny remote village, Holdan says UTG has many plans for Ehthlateese.

“Near-term plans include renovating our UTG-owned six-plex to be more energy efficient and construction of a waste handling wharf to allow for the Frances Barkley to dock and remove recycling, compost and waste safely from the village and deliver materials,” Holden said.

She added that UTG has undergone a rebuilding of Ehthlateese since all of the housing was removed in 2019.

“Fourteen new houses have been built with more residential construction planned for the future,” Holden said.

“Currently, there are 20-25 residents in Ehthlateese and UTG plans to work with interested Uchucklesaht citizens to make land available for residential development.”

Program seeks new seafood avenues besides salmon

By Konnar Oliver and Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor and Editor

As the latest effort to help those who subsist off of the ocean, a new program aims to empower people seeking opportunity amid a challenging climate for the commercial fishing industry.

The goal of the Seafood BusinessAccelerator program is to provide selfemployed fishers and farmers skills to become self-sufficient businesses and food providers. The initiative was announced in January, a partnership from Vancouver Island University’s Centre for Seafood Innovation and the BC Commercial Fishing Caucus, with additional funding from the Island Coastal Economic Trust.

Running for four months, the program will provide seafood-specific training to 20 applicants.Among the training will be early business coaching and food industry specialization.

“Small-scale harvesters have huge socio-economic importance in B.C.’s coastal communities and their inability to compete has led to a declining number of harvesters,” says Debra Hellbach, manager of Vancouver Island University’s Centre for Seafood Innovation in a press release. “This reality has had a major impact on the Indigenous and non-Indigenous rural and remote coastal communities where they are based. Our new program endeavours to address this issue with practical support.”

According to the Island Coastal Economic Trust, there are approximately 1,900-2,000 small-scale harvesters within the province, all of whom are competing with national and international companies. The organization believes that train-

ing provided by the accelerator program will give participants a leg up that they do not currently have.

Training will be provided through workshops and webinars on topics such as food industry and business advice, as well as expert-in-residence sessions that will cover product development, marketing, financing, or other participant needs. Successful completion of the program will provide participants with a business plan, as well as a product or prototype to show to buyers or investors.

The announcement of the program comes less than a month after Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced another wave of commercial salmon fishing license buy backs. The Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program, as it is known, is the latest phase of the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI), which aims to slow the decline of populations of the species on the West

Coast. The department also announced that the Pacific Salmon Indigenous Communal Commercial LicenceAlternation Program will begin rolling out in stages in the coming months, a long-winded name for a program which aims to support First Nations transition from salmon licenses to other commercial avenues. At the time of writing, details on this program have not been announced.

As a salmon fisher who started harvesting independently as a child,Andy Webster has lived through the decline of the commercial fishing industry.

“I was about 10 years old when I first took off with my mom’s canoe, when there used to be a canoe fishery in front of the village,” recalled theAhousaht member. “I’ve got about 65 years under my belt.”

Webster remembers being pulled out of bed by his father to go fishing, a tough “work ethic” education that the lifelong fisherman came to appreciate with age.

“It always really annoyed me because a lot of my friends were staying at home, having a good time in the summertime and I would be out fishing with my dad,” he said. “In my growing up years he showed me how to operate a boat. That was before GPS, he’d make me sit with him when we were travelling in and out of the harbours, show me where the rock piles and reefs were. He was teaching me continuously.”

But as the decades passedAhousaht’s number of commercial boats declined, part of a generational transition that, sadly, prevented Webster from carrying on the tradition with his two sons. Now Webster harvests for part of the year with his nation’s Taaq-wihaaq rights-based

fishery, after retiring hisArea G commercial licence years ago.

“It was to the point where I fished by myself for four or five years with no crew because it wasn’t viable. I wasn’t even able to pay a living wage to my sons,” he said. “My boys, one is in construction, the other one is a bus driver in Nanaimo.” By providing training focused around other seafood sources, the Seafood BusinessAccelerator aims to help bridge the gap for those currently operating as commercial salmon harvesters as they move into new money-making ventures.

The problem of declining salmon populations has been on the minds of researchers for some years now. University of British Columbia Zoology Professor Dr. Eric Taylor has been running a website since 2019, detailing salmon populations in an accessible way. He notes that, between 2013 and 2019, the number of salmon caught in British Columbia’s waters dropped from approximately 15.6 million to 1.4 million, according to numbers provided by the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission.

Island Coastal Economic Trust Board ChairAaron Stone says in a statement that “[w]e are honoured to be part of such a valuable effort that will have profound economic ripple effects in coastal communities and also help establish new business relationships that last well into the future.”

The Seafood BusinessAccelerator program is currently accepting applicants to a wait list. Those interested can apply for the wait list and to receive more information through the Centre for Seafood Innovation’s page on Vancouver Island University’s website.

Photo supplied by Uchucklesaht Tribe Located in the Uchucklesaht Inlet near Barkley Sound, Ethlateese is home to about 25 residents.

Debra Hellbach

Revenge, gunboats and the kidnapping of ‘Maggie Sutlej’, told

A historian shares the 1864 war and abduction story that was handed down from his ancestors, an Ahousaht account that diff

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Ahousaht, BC – She was in the Victoriabased newspapers back in the 1860s and she reappeared in modern news media in 2018 when a charitable organization heard about her story. The name Maggie Sutlej has appeared in newspapers and books since 1864, but that wasn’t her real name and it wasn’t the true story.

It all started in 1864, following the disappearance of the trading vessel Kingfisher and its crew. Stories made it back to Victoria that the crew was killed byAhousaht people, and the boat scuttled. The government of the day sent warships toAhousaht territory with orders to bring back the murderers to stand trial. Rather than looking for the truth about why it happened, their mission was to capture anAhousaht chief and his warriors.

Dave Jacobson, Quamiina, a knowledgekeeper fromAhousaht, said that the story he knows is different than what was told in the books and newspaper articles, because they tell only one side, from the colonized perspective, he said.

Quamiina says he was raised to be a historian. He listened carefully as his grandmother and other relatives told him stories handed down the generations.

“I was taught to carry these histories, these stories and the way that I was taught may not be the same as [how] someone else was taught,” he shared. “Other knowledge carriers may tell the same story differently but there’s always truth in their stories –they’re just telling it another way.”

Quamiina said he felt offended when he read the 2018 Ha-Shilth-Sa story about Maggie Sutlej.At the time KhalsaAid reached out toAhousaht with a $200,000 donation in honor of her memory and of the Sutlej name, which is sacred to the Sikh community.

“It wasn’t told from theAhousaht perspective,” said Quamiina.

He added that he appreciates what Khalsa Aid did for his people. He confirmed that there was a gunboat attack on anAhousaht

village andAhousahts were killed.Asmall child was pulled alive from beneath her mother’s body by crewmen from the Sutlej. The little girl was given to the captain’s wife, who renamed her Maggie Sutlej.

Quamiina was willing to share what he knows about the story with Ha-Shilth-Sa after following cultural protocols. The story, he said, relates directly to the second Ha’wilth or chief ofAhousaht, and is told with his permission.

“Nobody was talking about the incident that precipitated the bombing ofAhousaht villages; they don’t know why Cap-cha

(theAhousaht chief) ordered his men to do what they did,” said Quamiina. Fighting started by ‘abduction of native women’

The story begins inAugust 1864, when the trading vessel Kingfisher anchored in Matilda Inlet at the present-day village of Maaqtusiis,Ahousaht’s main settlement on Flores Island. Captain James Stevenson and his two crew members were there to trade goods for animal pelts.

Quamiina’s grandmother, Nellie Bishop, born 1891, was the great granddaughter of Chief Cap-cha. It was the older sisters of Nellie’s grandmother, born 1851, who went to see the crew of the Kingfisher.At that timeAhousaht people usedAhousaht names with no surnames.

“They must have been about 12 – 16 years old, they were just kids,” said Jacobson. The story goes that the girls, lured by sugary treats and shiny trinkets, went to the boat where they were subsequently given alcohol.

“They took advantage of them, those girls, they were raped,” said Quamiina. According to the book Voices from the Sound, written by Margaret Horsfield, Captain Stevenson had been convicted of selling liquor toAboriginals the year before, in 1863, and was fined $500 in a New Westminster court.

Horsfield writes, “possibly due to alcoholrelated incidents and the abduction of Native women by the traders, theAhousahts’ anger ignited.”

According to Quamiina, girls are held in high esteem, especially the daughter of a chief. So, when Cap-cha’s daughter reported what had happened, the chief had to respond.

“He got his warriors and they went to punish them – they had to let them know there’s consequences for what they done,” said Quamiina of the attack on the Kingfisher’s crew. “They were killed and the Kingfisher was sunk.”

Word of the incident had gotten back to Victoria and in late September 1864, the

gunboats HMS Devastation and the Sutlej were sent toAhousaht territory to demand the surrender of Cap-cha and his warriors. “They were looking for Cap-cha, but he didn’t feel like he did anything wrong, so he refused to surrender or give up his warriors,” said Jacobson.

This illustration depicts the 1864 attack onAhousaht villages by Royal Navy gunboats. Nine villages were bombed with multiple deaths, butAhousaht Chief Cap-cha escaped.Ayoung girl was abducted from the attacks (right photo), named ‘Maggie Sutlej’ after the boat that took her.

Photo by Denise Titian Dave Jacobson, Quamiina, is a knowledge-keeper fromAhousaht. The story he knows of Maggie Sutlej is different than what was told in the books and newspaper articles of the time, because they tell only the colonized perspective, he said.

Acentury after the attack, three cannon balls fired atAhousaht turned over to the Maritime Museum of B.C. Pictur L. Panabaker, commanding officer of the Margaree, Commodore chairman of the board of the Maritime Museum, and Col. J. tor of the museum.

Sutlej’, told by Ahousaht voices

Ahousaht account that differs greatly from what was reported in the press

Captain J.W. Pike sailed the HMS Devastation toAhousaht territory to demand the surrender of Cap-cha and his warriors. Instead, he found the Matilda Inlet village deserted.At the Herbert Inlet village they found “a large body of Indians in their fighting paint,” wrote Horsfield.

daughter.”

According to Jacobson, it was the initial bombing at Maaqtusiis that caught the Ahousahts off guard. Most hid in the forest, however, there were dozens of people killed. When the crew of the Sutlej rowed ashore to what is now the front beach at Ahousaht, they found the lifeless body of a young woman lying in the sand. Her body partially covered the little girl she was shielding from the gunfire.

The toddler was pulled from beneath her mother’s body and given to Captain Denman and his wife.

“She was given the name Maggie Sutlej. I guess you could say she was a trophy,” said Quamiina.

Little Maggie Sutlej became a symbol for what those aboard the gunboats did to Ahousaht, he stated.

Quamiina knows that the gunboats went on to attack moreAhousaht villages in their search for Cap-cha and his men, but after the initial assault on Maaqtusiis, the Ahousahts were prepared and had time to hide. There were fewAhousaht casualties after the initial attack.

In the final attack at White Pine Cove on October 7, 1864, the gunboats found Cap-cha and some of his men. Cap-cha managed to escape with some buckshot in his shoulder. Some of his warriors were captured and taken to Victoria to stand trial for the murders of the Kingfisher crew.

bombed with multiple ‘Maggie Sutlej’

After reporting to Captain Denman, the gunboats went back toAhousaht territory, this time with Denman at the helm

Warriors put on trial

According to Horsfield, the navy took 11 prisoners, including Cap-cha’s wife and child. In his 2003 book ‘Living on the Edge’, lateAhousaht Tyee Ha’wilth Earl Maquinna George wrote that the chief’s child was Kitlamuxin (later to become head of the Keitlah family).

In due time theAhousahts stood trial, accused of murdering the crew of the Kingfisher. They were eventually acquitted and released, not because they were found innocent or justified in their actions, but because they were not Christians.

Tried in the Supreme Court in Victoria, B.C., Chief Justice David Cameron acquitted them on the grounds that he could not accept evidence from non-Christians.

“These people do not believe in the existence of a Supreme Being and therefore they are not competent to take an oath,” he stated.

Ahousaht saw the battle as a victory.

“They had not given up their chief to the white man; they had lost houses, canoes and iktas (things), but these they could and would build again; some of their number were taken prisoner, but were afterwards returned to them…therefore they claimed a big victory over the man-of-war and big guns,” wrote FatherAugustin Brabant in his memoirs, a 19th century missionary who served for many years in Hesquiaht.

Did Maggie Sutlej really die at sea?

after Canada showed aggression against Ahousaht.”

So, who was Maggie Sutlej? IfAhousaht historians knew her real name, they haven’t shared it. But they know she came from the Charlie family ofAhousaht.According to Quamiina, the late John Charlie’s grandmother would have been a sister to Maggie.

David Frank II also knows the history and said Maggie came from the Charlie/Hunter/ Frank families. The present-day Franks of Ahousaht changed their surnames from Hunter.

“John Charlie used to tell us we should change our names back to Hunter,” said Frank, who is anotherAhousaht historian.

“She (Maggie) came from Kelsmaht.”

Kelsmaht is located on Vargas Island, across from Tofino. They amalgamated withAhousaht in the 1950s.

Quamiina knows that his own grandmother, Nellie Bishop, descended from an aunt of Maggie Sutlej.

where the boat had landed or how Maggie escaped. She eventually learned the local language, married and had children. She taught her children both languages she knew.

Several decades later people from Ahousaht went to work in the Fraser Valley picking hops.As they worked, they spoke theirAhousaht language to one another.

According to Frank, they were approached by people from Washington state who told them that they used to hear their mother and grandmother speak that same language.

“She said she was a Hunter,” they told the Ahousahts.

David Frank Sr, 1901 – 1985, was Dave Frank’s father. David Sr. had an uncle named Charlie.

“They (American relatives) really wanted him (Charlie) to move down to the states –they had an orchard there in recognition of their mother and grandmother,” said Frank.

Devastation and the Sutlej territory to demand and his warriors.

Cap-cha, but he anything wrong, so or give up his war-

of the Sutlej. They set about bombing nineAhousaht villages and encampments over several days.

“Through all the bombing and firing, there was lots of damage and loss of life,” said Jacobson. “One was a young mother who died protecting her little

Just over 100 years later in 1967, John Jacobson, anAhousaht historian, Second World War veteran and artist, took part in a celebration recognizing Canada’s 100th anniversary.According to Quamiina, his uncle John Jacobson, or Kamiina as he preferred to be called, presented carved totem poles to George Pearkes, the lieutenant governor of British Columbia. He was joined by otherAhousaht elders, one being David Frank Senior.

“At the same time he gave them cannon balls or unexploded shots from the Sutlej from when they had bombarded Muuyahi whereAhousaht had an encampment,” said Quamiina. “Giving back the cannon balls was a way of saying we are here even

According to the history books, Maggie was dressed in the finest clothes and spoilt by all around her. They say she died less than two years after her abduction, or adoption as the history books call it. The story is Maggie died aboard the Sutlej as it sailed off SouthAmerica and she was buried at sea. Her name is inscribed on a memorial marker along with other Sutlej sailors who died at sea. The marker is in an old cemetery in downtown Victoria on Quadra Street.

ButAhousaht historians know that there is much more to the story than what has been documented.

“You just have to look at her picture and you can see a sad girl,” said Quamiina. “We believe that because she was so unhappy, she was put ashore in Washington State.”

According to Frank, Maggie Sutlej managed to escape the boat while it was in Washington State. He doesn’t know

It seemed they wanted a connection with their grandmother’s family to live nearby, but Charlie never did move.

“My father used to get Christmas gifts every year from the family,” said Frank, adding that he would love to go down there and find them, but he doesn’t know where to look.

“I imagine they go by the Hunter name,” said Frank.

In recent years, Frank’s nephew accompanied relatives taking part in Canoe Journeys, hosted by a Washington State tribe. He was in his boat which had the name Frank-Hunter painted on the cabin.

“The people came and asked them about the name and said they were family,” said Frank.

“It would be good to find them and connect with them,” he added.

“There’s family there, that exists today. They come from Maggie,” said Quamiina.

Girl found under mother’s lifeless body

attack, three cannon balls fired atAhousaht villages were Maritime Museum of B.C. Pictured from the left are Cdr. J. cer of the Margaree, CommodoreA. G. Boulton, of the Maritime Museum, and Col. J. W. D. Symons, direc-

In 1967, John Jacobson, anAhousaht historian, Second World War veteran and artist, took part in a celebration recognizing Canada’s 100th anniversary. Kamiina as he preferred to be called, presented carved totem poles to George Pearkes, the lieutenant governor of British Columbia.

Tseshaht weighs in as Royal BC Museum seeks a future

Six months after a $789-million rebuild is called off, RBCM begins input sessions to help determine its direction

By Jessie Levene Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Victoria, B.C. – The Royal B.C. Museum (RBCM) has announced a number of in-person and online public engagement sessions to discuss its future.

Over the next few months, members of the public are invited to join the museum’s “multi-year, province-wide engagement plan to listen to the people of B.C. and gather feedback,” according to the museum’s website. This engagement comes six months after the province suspended controversial plans for a $789-million rebuild and multi-year closure of the downtown Victoria institution, following a public outcry and criticism by First Nations.

Waamiiš, Elected Chief Councillor Ken Watts of Tseshaht First Nation, was among those who reacted strongly to the news of the province’s initial plans for the museum, announced by Melanie Mark, then minister of Tourism,Arts, Culture and Sport, in May 2022.

“The amount of money wasn’t the biggest issue for me,” Watts said in a recent interview with Ha-Shilth-Sa. “Rather, that the museum knew they have a bunch of our stuff, but just didn’t mention that when they announced the plans.”

This led Tseshaht First Nation to write an open letter to minister Mark, Mid Island-Pacific Rim MLAJosie Osbourne, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Murray Rankin and others. In the letter, which received considerable media attention, Tseshaht argued that “the province needs to put the brakes on this work, develop plans to empower Nations and return items back to their rightful owners.”

To the surprise of Watts and others, less than six weeks after announcing the plans, then premier John Horgan suspended the controversial rebuild, saying that it was “the wrong decision at the wrong time” and that the government had heard dissenting B.C. voices “loud and clear.”

“I made the wrong call,” Horgan said at a press conference in June 2022. “I made a call when British Columbians were thinking about other concerns.”

“The premier took the most accountability of any premier that I can remem-

ber. I think that’s awesome. We need more displays of humility like that from governments,” said Watts. “But at the end of the day, the province needs to step up financially. More funding is needed for repatriation, but capacity is an issue for First Nations, as we have so much on the go.”

Since Horgan’s announcement, Tseshaht has been working with the RBCM, who have shared with the First Nation their policy and the process for getting funding for repatriation.

“But the capacity to apply for, administer and manage such grants is just not there right now,” said Watts. “To improve relations between museums and First Nations, they should make that process easier.”

Calls for the repatriation of Indigenous cultural artefacts from museums, universities and private collections across Canada and worldwide have been growing in recent years. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission instructed the federal government to provide funds for the Canadian MuseumsAssociation to review their policies and practices in preserving Indigenous culture.And 2021, the B.C. MuseumsAssociation called on publicly funded institutions to return ancestral human remains and burial artifacts from their collections to their rightful Indigenous owners.

“I am hopeful that in my lifetime a lot of those items will be returned,” said Watts. “Some are sacred, and are not meant to be on display, or handled by just anyone. But it should be up to each Nation to decide what stays and what goes.”

“Some items could come to our band office tomorrow, but others require climate control and other special facilities,” he continued. “Many items may well stay there at the museum – there needs to be recognition of the Indigenous story at the Victoria museum too, and there is also a desire to share our culture – but we need to have that conversation.”

Furthermore, Watts said the province should redistribute the funds intended for the RBCM rebuild to support First Nations that want to build their own museums or facilities.

“We are located in the corridor to the west coast, one of the busiest areas for tourism in the province,” said Watts.

“Whether here or over in Tofino or

Buit in the 1960’s, the Royal B.C. Museum’s current building in Downtown Vicotria has not been deemed seismically safe, but a plan to close it for years to allow a $789-million rebuild was cancelled. Ucluelet, building our own museum or a Nuu-chah-nulth-wide cultural centre for these items, it could really help with our own tourism development. But to build our own facilities, we need time, effort, space, and money.”

Backtracking the museum rebuild plans comes after years of controversy over systemic racism at RBCM. In 2020, Lucy Bell, a Haida Nation member and the first head of the Indigenous Collections and Repatriation Department, resigned after alleging she had experienced years of anti-Indigenous and discriminatory behaviour from her museum colleagues at all levels.

In 2021, the museum released an investigation conducted by the B.C. Public ServiceAgency, confirming that many Indigenous staff at the museum experienced it as “a toxic workplace characterized by fear and mistrust,” according to the report.

Troy Sebastian, a Ktunaxa curator of the Indigenous collection, also left his

position, calling the RBCM a “wicked place” on Twitter. The B.C. Public ServiceAgency report led to the resignation of three museum board members, a new CEO, a new vice-president of Indigenous Partnerships and DRIPAImplementation, and the creation of other Indigenous-led and focused positions.

In December 2021, the museum closed all the third-floor galleries, including the ‘Old Town’and First Peoples exhibits, in support of decolonization efforts.

But whatever happens to the approximately 225,000 Indigenous artefacts held by the RBCM, it’s almost certain that the 1960s downtown Victoria building will eventually be coming down.

The province has identified various structural and safety problems at the museum, related to seismic, flooding, access, asbestos and lead issues.And construction of a new $224-million Museum Collections and Research Building in Colwood continues. The new building is expected to be complete by 2025.

Phrase†of†the†week:†Qwiiyuumitkin†t’an’aa%us†naa%aatah†mitniš†%a>†%aa%ic^um†himwitsa†+aawaa†tuup†wiqsii%a>kuu Pronounced ‘qii you mit kin taann’aas ish wik see alth koo nah aa tarh mit nish alth himwitsa tla waa toop’, it means ‘When we were young, we would gather around the stove and listen to teaching stories from our Elders, when it was so stormy outside.’Supplied by ciisma.

Illustration by Ivy Cargill-Martin

Photo from Ha-Shilth-Sa Archive Collection

Human interactions threaten wildlife, says specialists

Easy food sources lure bears to towns, but certain measures can push animals back to the safety of their habitat

By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Vancouver Island, BC - Vancouver Island is known for its predatory wildlife, such as black bears, coastal wolves and cougars, that roam the rugged coastline.

Amidst the coast many towns and villages sit in areas with high populations of predatory wildlife, making interactions with humans often inevitable, unless effective coexistence management is in place.

Dennis Hetu is the program administrator for lands, resources and public works for Toquaht Nation, working and living in the First Nation’s village of Macoach. His job entails educating on and implementing strategies to avoid human-wildlife interactions within his community.

Macoah is located between two highly productive salmon-bearing streams, explains Hetu, and during the spawning season there is a higher risk of bears traveling through the village. During this time, Macoah’s hazing program is on guard.

With the hazing program, when a bear is reported, two to three individuals will drive to the site and check out the area, explains Hetu.

“If [the bear is] still there, we actually go out of our way to scare them off,” said Hetu. “We make them feel very unwelcome in our community, and it’s not because we don’t like them, we love them…. we want them to remain alive.”

Hetu encourages community members to report bear and wildlife sightings, and to not stop, feed, or take photos.

“Every tiny interaction that [a person has] with this animal changes the way that [the animal] feels about humans,” explained Hetu. “When you stop and take a picture, you may think you’re being completely harmless to that animal… just the fact that nothing happened between you and that bear makes that bear believe that it’s safe.And we’re not safe, we’re definitely not safe for bears.”

Other efforts, such as proper garbage disposal and recycling storage, helps with effective coexistence.

Since the implementation of a proper garbage disposal and recycling storage, human-wildlife interactions in the community have decreased from 20 to 30 per year to zero in the last three years, said Hetu.

When predatory animals like bears enter the village, it’s usually because they are following their nose, he said.

“If you take away a food source of theirs, there’s no reason for them to stick around, they will cruise through,” said Hetu. “If there’s no reason for them to

stay then they’ll move on.”

Hetu said that habitat coexistence occurs when animals no longer have a reason to remain in and around areas populated with humans; they are then forced to return to their habitat.

“If we can restore it to the point where they can actually survive and thrive in their own habitat, which we are taking away strip by strip, it gives them a better chance of not only surviving in the wild, but not having to come into town and beg for scraps,” said Hetu.

He notes that salmon restoration projects in fish-bearing streams and bear dens models in areas they frequent contributes to habitat restoration.

Bob Hansen is a retired human-wildlife coexistence specialist with Parks Canada and a seasonal community coordinator with WildSafe BC. He notes that he is not speaking on behalf of either organization.

Hansen explains that historically, and up until the late ‘60s and early ‘70s in

Canada, the strategy to manage humanwildlife conflict was focused on reducing and controlling the number of animals.

“In the decades since, that thinking has really evolved to the point now where we have such a greater understanding of wildlife ecology and wildlife behaviors, and the dynamics that can lead to conflict,” said Hansen. “Now the emphasis is on the human side of the equation, you know, what can we do in terms of preventing conflict in the first place is the biggest emphasis.”

Hansen said programs, such as WildSafe BC, focus on prevention, education, and outreach, which then avoids human-wildlife conflict.

“What are the root…sources of the conflict in the first place?And almost always there’s something we can do on the human side to prevent that,” said Hansen.

Hansen said that some solutions include

urban planning, management of attractants and understanding wildlife.

“There’s lots of things that we can do on the human side, and where that happens, you see real reductions in conflicts,” said Hansen.

“Keeping wildlife wild is really a shared responsibility, and everybody has a role to play in that.” said Todd Windle, coordinator of Parks Canada’s Wild about Wolves program. “Everything is interconnected, and to have a healthy ecosystem for all of us we need to have all those parts of the ecosystem.”

“Changing our behaviors [and] the way we think is the answer,” added Hetu.

“And of course, engaging with the youth. The youth are the future, and if anybody’s going to pass on the message positively, it’s going to be our youth.”

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Garbage is an attractant for bears travelling into communities. With the implementation of proper garbage disposal, Macoah has seen a significant decrease in bears coming into the community. Residents bring their garbage out in the morning, and once it is picked up, they spray their bins out.

President’s message to Nuu-chah-nulth-aht

Hello everyone. 2023 started off with a bang and so many things are happening, it is sometimes hard to keep up.

As you know, our vice-president Mariah Charleson resigned and we are looking for a new VP. No one put their name in and so we extended the deadline. You have until January 30th to get your name in and voting will take place on Feb. 22nd. This will be for a two-and-ahalf-year term ending September 2025. There is lots of work to do and it is very rewarding work.

There are a lot of different groups working on changing both federal and provincial laws and policies around the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Both governments have passed laws that compel them to change laws to be consistent with UNDRIP.And also to do an action plan where they are to do things other than changing laws. Changes to police acts, water acts, emergency acts and risk reduction are some of the things I have been involved in.

I also attended the first-ever in-person ReconciliationAwards at Government House to honor the honorees from 2021 and 2022. Due to COVID ceremonies were not held until now. It was great to hear how people are working together to right the wrongs of the past as determined by First Nation people. These reconciliation awards are the only ones of their kind in Canada and it was a good initiative of the lieutenant governor.

I also attended and spoke at a two-day First Nation clean energy conference. It was well attended by First Nations people from all around the province. We talked about how everything needs to change with UNDRIP and we need to push the government faster to get more economic opportunities for Nuu-chah-nulth nations. There haven’t been any economic opportunities in many years. There was a lot of discussion around hydrogen as an electricity source and forming our own utilities like BC Hydro or Fortis. Getting the provincial government to live up to its commitment to create economic opportunities in the electricity sector has been an uphill battle.

I am preparing to attend an international conference in a few weeks. It is called IMPAC 5, the fifth international marine protected areas conference. I will be presenting twice and moderating a panel. The conference is about global support for marine conservation efforts, such as networks of marine protected areas and marine spatial planning, to provide an opportunity to celebrate and galvanize global cooperation in marine conservation. The conference also shares what is uniquely Canadian: the vast marine and coastal environment, the rich diversity of local and Indigenous peoples and coastal cultures, our collective efforts, and our world-class ocean science and management regime. Many indigenous people will be at the conference and I am looking forward to promoting Nuu-chah-nulth world views and promoting our right to management and in the exercise of our rights.

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the use of status cards. Some groups are opposed to using status cards to identify First Nations people. Others are in support. ISC is looking at amending the IndianAct and are seeking input on various subjects. The issue of Indigenous identity has become a very contro-

versial subject. There have been people who have benefitted from saying they are Indigenous when they are not. These benefits can range from getting positions in employment or with government or getting honours such as an honorary degree - or being the first Indigenous person to hold certain positions, such as judges. The most recent incident dealt with Mary-Ellen Turpel Lafond. She recently returned her honorary doctor of laws to Vancouver Island University due to the controversy. The university if now putting in place a process of how an honorary degree can be taken back and also ways to verify Indigenous identity.

If one had a status card, showing it does provide proof of First Nations status. If you didn’t have status cards, how would a person prove they are registered? In Nuu-chah-nulth, we would get up and give our traditional names, and tell who our parents and grandparents are and identify what community our parents are from. It is an important part of telling people who we are.

Universities and other organizations have allowed for self identification of Indigenous ancestry, thinking that was respectful. We have now run into people who are being called “pretendians” who are saying they are Indigenous and are not. Within the university system there are scholarships, benefits and programs that are set aside for Indigenous people, and if people are claiming to be Indigenous and are not, then they are taking away benefits from Indigenous people.

First Nations across the country are grappling with this issue, these are still issues that arise due to the IndianAct. Maa-nulth Nations have the power to determine their own citizens and I would assume a citizen of one of their nations can ask to verify membership. In the end, it is up to the First Nations to determine how they identify their members.

The BC First Nations Justice Council has been working on opening five Indigenous centres.After Premier Eby was sworn in, he announced funding for another 10 centres. These are places that are available to First Nations to seek legal advice and guidance. There will also be police accountability units where people can seek help when they have been mistreated in any way by police. This is a much-needed service. There will be centres in Nanaimo and Campbell River as the closest centres to PortAlberni and the northern nations. I am not on the board of the First Nation Justice Council, as Nuu-chah-nulth have had so many issues around justice, policing and courts.

Respectfully Submitted, Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers

Employment and Training

Port Alberni Friendship Centre Volunteers Needed

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

Uchucklesaht Maintenance Worker

The Uchucklesaht Tribe Government is currently accepting applications for a Full Time Building Maintenance Worker Assistant.

Job Summary: Performs mechanical and structural maintenance and repairs related to three main buildings owned by Uchucklesaht Tribe (The Thunderbird Building on Argyle Street, Nucii Building on Redford Street and The Thunderbird Spirit Water Plant located at the waterfront), Grounds and equipment, in one or more areas such as electrical, plumbing; painting and grounds-keeping. Also cleans both interior and exterior building areas as per maintenance schedule per building.

Must be familiar with maintenance and mechanical schedules in all Mechanical and Utility Rooms of all three buildings.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Establishes, monitors, and carries out preventative maintenance and mechanical procedures and schedules for buildings, equipment and grounds. Ensures building and equipment meet all safety, security and fire regulations and policies. Makes recommendations for major repairs and purchases to supervisor.

2. Performs carpentry, electrical, painting, mechanical and plumbing maintenance and repairs such as repairing fomiture, constructing shelves, installing switches, replacing plugs and other basic appliance repairs.

3. Transports equipment, famiture and supplies manually and/or using aides such as dollies and carts. Operates a motor vehicle to pick up and move goods and supplies. Arranges furniture for special events.

4. Performs other related duties as required which also include maintenance needs/call outs to various rental units within the building.

Required Qualifications Education and Knowledge:

• Grade 10, plus related vocational ti-aining such as building maintenance and mechanical maintenance

Training and Experience:

• Two (2) years recent related experience.

• Or and Equivalent combination of education, training and experience in mechanical and stmctiral maintenance

• Criminal Record Check Required

• Driver’s License Required

Applications Deadline: Please forward a resume and cover letter by Friday Febmary 3,2023 to: Lysa.Ray@Uchucklesaht.ca

Uchucklesaht Tribe Government 5251 Argyle St. Port Albemi, BC V9Y 1 VI

Fax: 250-724-1806

Attention: Lysa Ray

Singh talks doc recruitment, grocery greed during stop

NDP leader looks to advantages of an agreement with the Liberals, giving coastal voices more weight in O awa

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC - Despite comprising a relatively small portion of the House of Commons, the federal NDP is in a position to “disproportionally” represent the interests of coastal residents and First Nations in Ottawa, says the party’s leader during a recent visit to PortAlberni.

Over the past few federal elections an orange wave has swept across Nuu-chahnulth territory – and, for the most part, Vancouver Island as well – enabling the NDP to represent the region in the face of larger Liberal and Conservative contingents. During the last vote in September 2021 all three NDP incumbents in Nuu-chah-nulth territory kept their seats, making Rachel Blaney, Gord Johns andAlistair MacGregor part of the 25 NDP candidates who won representation among the 338 in the House.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals didn’t gain the majority they hoped for, instead retaining a minority government with 158 seats. With the ongoing risk of losing power through a vote of no confidence, the Liberals announced an agreement with the NDP in March of last year. The Supply and Confidence Agreement prioritises reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, improving health care and affordability among its key elements.

“Though only 25 MPs in size, we are disproportionally influential for people,” said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in Port Alberni on Jan. 24, one of several Vancouver Island stops this month. “Though we only have 25 MPs, we actually play a really strong role in government right now because of the agreement that we have, which allows us to put a lot of pressure on the Liberals to deliver.”

Primary care crisis

For many Nuu-chah-nulth-aht, the delivery of reliable primary care continues to be a top concern.Across British Columbia one fifth of residents are without a family doctor, but this systemic shortcoming is disproportionately affecting First Nations people, according to In Plain Sight, a 2020 report on discrimination in the health care system. The study notes that Indigenous seniors are not connected to a family physician at a rate 89 per cent higher than others who are over 65 in the province.

In PortAlberni, which has an Indigenous population of nearly 20 per cent, there is one family doctor for every 700 residents, according to census data and numbers from the College of Physician and Surgeons of B.C.As a result, walk in clinics regularly see long line ups, while others seeking medical attention are often forced to visit an emergency department that sees almost 20,000 visits a year from patients across the region.

In November 2021 the Ha-Shilth-Sa publicized the challenges of Tseshaht elder CherylAmos, who visited the West Coast General 25 times in one year as she struggled to get answers for a persistent pain in her lower abdomen.Amos was eventually referred to a kidney specialist, but many others continue to rely on the ER when a primary care physician isn’t available in the clinic.

“This is a national crisis,” said Singh. “On the island it’s even more acute in some ways, the fact that people can’t get a family doctor.”

The NDP leader commented that he sits between a Liberal leader who isn’t taking the issue seriously enough, and the Conservatives’encouragement of more for-profit health care, and option that is currently opening up in Ontario.

“The for-profit system cannibalises the health care workers in the public system,” said Singh. “What we need to do is recruit, retain and train more health care workers, that’s really the solution here.”

Recently the Province of B.C. introduced a new payment model for family doctors, designed to compensate them more fairly for the time they spend with patients and dealing with complex medical issues. The Longitudinal Family Physician Payment Model is due to come into effect Feb. 1, paying general practitioners about $130 an hour for their work, translating into approximately $385,000 annually, up from $250,000 under the existing payment system. This is intended

Have You Moved?

If you should be getting a copy of the Ha-Shilth-Sa paper delivered to your home, please contact: Holly Stocking at 250-724-5757

to assist doctors shoulder office costs, while employing staff and acquiring equipment. Under the new model family doctors can also bill the province for each patient interaction, ranging from $25-110, depending on its complexity.

“The new payment program is very promising, it will be something that I think supports family doctors,” said Singh, although he believes that more funding from Ottawa is needed to help B.C.’s doctors. “They can only do so much without federal support. That’s why I’m fighting to get Prime Minister Trudeau to realise that this is serious and it requires additional supports as well.”

Grocery ‘gouging’of Canadians

After a 10 per cent rise in grocery costs over the previous year, last fall the NDP called for a Parliamentary probe into escalating food prices. This year grocery bills are projected to continue to rise by seven per cent, according to the Canadian Food Price report compiled by researchers from a group of universities across the

country.

“The major grocery store chains are using inflation as a cover to rip people off, because their profits are hitting record levels,” said Singh.

He points to taxes imposed on oil and gas companies in the United Kingdom, where Shell and BP reported considerable profits amid increased demand after the lifting of COVID restrictions and limitations on global supply due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“We need to disincentivize this ripping off of Canadians, this gouging of Canadians, and to do that we need to put in an excess profit tax on these corporate grocery stores that continue to raise their prices,” stressed Singh. “If we make them pay their fair share as they increase prices, we can disincentivize them from increasing them that way.”

After his visit to PortAlberni Singh was scheduled to head to Nanaimo on Jan. 25 to discuss health care, meet with municipal leaders, and tour a pulp mill.

Looking for......

Usma Nuu-chah-nulth Family and Child Services are looking for individual/s or families who are interested in caregiving for teens with high-risk behaviors.

The Caregiver(s) would provide 24-hour care in a culturally safe and suppor!ve environment, responding effec!vely to challenging behaviours.

Compensa!on would be built around the specific needs of the youth and the Caregiver, and could include both direct services and financial support to allow Caregivers to meet the needs of the youth.

For more informa on, please call Joni or Julia at 250-724-3232.

Photo by Eric Plummer

Jagmeet Singh is pictured with Courtenay-Alberni MPGord Johns at a PortAlberni campaign stop in 2019, preceding Singh first election as leader of the federal NDP.