Work begins at Alberni residential school site

Tseshaht start investigating undocumented burial at former residential school, as province commits funding

By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Port Alberni, BC - When Jeff Cooke fi rst heard that the remains of 215 children were found buried in an unmarked grave at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, he was pained with heartache. As the Huu-ay-aht elder thought of all of those children who never made it home, he said he was reminded of his own experience at the Alberni Indian Residential School and the possibility that more burial sites remained uncovered. “It’s pretty emotional,” he said. “Particularly for survivors of residential schools.” Since the missing children were located in Kamloops last month, Tseshaht First Nation elected chief Ken Watts said he’s received at least one call every day from survivors with leads to potential sites. After consulting with hereditary chiefs, residential school survivors, council and staff , the nation applied to Ottawa, requesting some of the $27 million federal funding being made available to help communities locate children who died at residential schools. There are 139 recognized residential schools in Canada. If the $27 million was distributed equally among them all, Tseshaht would receive less than $200,000. “It’s probably not going to be enough to do it right,” said Watts. “I’m hoping they go beyond that … it’s really important to honour those children that never made it home.” Ontario recently pledged $10 million to investigate residential school sites, followed by a $12-million commitment from the province to support work at the locations of B.C.’s 18 former schools. “We are working closely with [the] federal government to support requests from First Nations,” said the B.C. Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. “With respect to investigations at other former residential school sites, we have received several requests and are working through what is needed.” As First Nations determine the next steps, the ministry said they’ll be taking guidance directly from the communities. “Each child has been forever taken from a family and a community that loved them,” said Premier John Horgan in a statement about the burial site at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. “This is a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. And it is a stark example

Photo by Eric Plummer Charlie Thompson speaks during a June 7 gathering at the former site of the Alberni Indian Residential School. Like many former students of the school, Thompson wants recognition of the children buried in the site, and answers as to why they never came home. of the violence the Canadian residential school system infl icted upon Indigenous peoples and how the consequences of these atrocities continue to this day.” Right now, Watts said the nation needs the funding to hire someone to help with the research and to answer phone calls from survivors. “We need to hear the stories, do the scanning, come back with a report, determine next steps and make sure it’s all grounded in our culture,” he said. “It’s not just running a machine through our territory – it’s cleansing the space and cleansing the people that go in to do that work so they don’t have that negative energy on them.” Part of the research will include identifying every student who attended the Alberni Indian Residential School in Port Alberni, said Watts. “We owe it to the people that were there,” he said. “Whether they’re with us now, or they’re gone, or they never made it home, we need to honour them.” Similar to a war memorial, Watts said they would like to commemorate every student that attended the school, including a special list of the names of the students who never returned home. Jack Thompson was sent to the Alberni Indian Residential School when he was eight years old. The abuse from three of his supervisors began during his fi rst year at the school and persisted throughout the 10 years he was there. The Ditidaht elder is still fi lled with anger. In part, because he never got to confront his abusers before they passed. As he continues to care for his open wounds, the 73-year-old said he hopes that fi nding the children who went missing from the Alberni Indian Residential School will help others heal. “It will help when these kids fi nd their way back home,” he said. “Rightly where they should have went.” Buildings from the former residential school still stand within the community of Tseshaht, like the Maht Mahs Gym. Watts described Tseshaht’s territory as a hub for Nuu-chah-nulth people. Cultural gatherings are often held in the gymnasium, but when residential school survivors see the building, many are triggered, said Watts. “It’s such a reminder,” he said. “It’s an open wound that we hope we can take down someday – sooner rather than later.” Recently, the Daylu Dena Council in Lower Post, a remote town near the B.C.Yukon border, received $11.5 million in federal funding and $1.5 million from the province to demolish a former residential school building. A cultural centre is planned to be built in its place. Watts is following their lead by seeking funding from the federal and provincial governments to do the same. “I believe [they] have an obligation, both morally and fi nancially, to help us do the important work we need to do,” he said. “If you’re a survivor from northern B.C., and you want to come back to the site and reclaim who you are, it’d be nice to know that there’s a facility there to support you and your work.” Indigenous people across Canada have heard horror stories about residential schools for decades. “A lot of people knew about the abuse,” said Watts. “People knew that a lot of children didn’t make it home … but these aren’t just stories anymore. This is real. This is solid evidence that the horror stories they say are true.” Even though the Alberni Indian Residential School was placed in Tseshaht territory without the nation’s consent, Watts said they now “have a responsibility to support [the families] to get the answers they need and deserve.” “There’s lots of work to do and this is just the beginning,” he said. “It’s going to be tough, but it will provide some relief.”

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Records show numerous children died at the Flores Island school in the early 1900s, a short walk from village

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Ahousaht, BC – The grounds of the former Ahousaht Indian Residential School are now cleared of all buildings as the fi rst nation begins prepping the site for a new healing center. But in the wake of news of hundreds of undocumented remains found at the former Kamloops residential school site, the nation will have the grounds searched for any unmarked graves. In a media statement issued June 3, Ahousaht Chief Councillor Greg Louie noted that there were two separate residential schools operating in Ahousaht territories. One, the Ahousaht Indian Residential School, was on Flores Island, just a short walk from Ahousaht’s main village, Maaqtusiis. The second was the Catholic-run Christie Indian Residential School, located on Meares Island for about 70 years, before it was relocated to Tin Wis for its last decade of operation. Run by the Presbyterian Church, the Ahousaht Indian Residential School fi rst opened in 1895 on a plot of land just south of the main village. The building and teachers’ quarters could be seen above a small beach as one traveled by boat to the village. The original three-story residential school, built in 1904, housed 50 children. It burnt down in 1916. A day school operated for a few years until a new building could be constructed. Ahousaht boys built the second building as part of their education. The second building was smaller, designed to house 25 children. It too, burned down in 1940. After the fi re, the Ahousaht children were sent home, about a fi ve-minute walk to the village. The children from Kels-

Photo submitted by B.C. Archives Run by the Presbyterian Church, the Ahousaht Indian Residential School fi rst opened in 1895 on a plot of land just south of the main village. maht, Ehattesaht and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ were also sent home. Ahousaht non-Catholic children were required to attend a day school in a building on the residential school grounds that hadn’t been damaged by the fi re. They remained there until the new day school buildings were completed in the village. According to United Church of Canada’s archives, which includes letters and school records kept by principals and Indian agents, there were documented student deaths at the school. It is noted that many children in poor health were sent home. “…in 1907, the death of student Will Maquinna, son of hereditary chief Billy, precipitated a major crisis,” states the UCC website, The Children Remembered. Chief Billy, a high-ranking Ahousaht Ha’wilth, was angry that his son died in the school and pressed for corrective measures from the school. According to the UCC, community leaders petitioned to have the staff replaced and parents pulled their children from the residence. “Billy was angry with the school not just because his son had died on their watch, but because of the way Will’s death had been handled,” states a report written by a school inspector. The inspector wrote further that Chief Billy wanted the situation corrected according to Nuu-chah-nulth protocol. “Billy asked Principal J.L. Millar to give him 50 blankets to potlatch, but Millar refused. Instead he paid for the two blankets used to bury the boy,” wrote the inspector. The UCC states that records show that from 1904 to 1916, deaths among students at Ahousaht IRS averaged one to two a year, from a typical school population of 35. They note that children were generally in poor health, in large part, due to the crowded and unsanitary conditions at the residence. There was no indoor plumbing, the building was cold, the water was not clean and the children slept together in dormitories. Even the staff got sick. “…children died while at these schools and the parents were not told the reasoning for the death of their child. Other stories share that babies were born to children at the school and the babies were not seen after birth,” said Louie in a statement. Ahousaht is not only calling on the federal government to fully implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, but also the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Further, Ahousaht is calling on both the federal and provincial governments to provide the resources to not only Ahousaht, but all First Nations, so that they can conduct searches using ground penetrating radar, in areas where residential schools were located. In the case of remains being found, Ahousaht demands that the governments provide resources to identify and return remains home, where possible. Ahousaht is in the process of developing the land where Ahousaht IRS once stood. They could not be reached for details about the search of the property or the construction of the new healing facility that will be built there. On Meares Island, where Christie Indian 2021 DAC Annual Health Ability Fair Cancelled Residential School once stood, the property has been transformed into a camping Due to the uncertainty of the status of the COVID-19 pandemic for the fall of and hiking destination. It also serves as a 2021, the NTC Disability Access Committee has decided that it is in everyone’s healing retreat for Ahousaht. best interest to cancel the 2021 Annual Health Ability Fair. e health and There is a small cemetery at the Christie well-being of everyone is paramount, and we would not want to put anyone at site, a remnant of the residential school. any risk. It is our hope that we will be able to safely host a DAC Health Ability Fair in the Spring 2022. We will keep you posted. Regional Community Wellness Fairs, NTC Health Promotion TSESHAHT MARKET Our DAC group has been invited to work in collaboration with Matilda Atleo, GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC RIM Health Promotion Worker to plan and host Regional Community Wellness Fairs in October 2021. ese will be on a smaller scale, so we feel that this is something that we support and can be involved with safely. e schedule for the Regional Community Wellness Fairs is provided for planning purposes. More details to follow, when event plans are nalized and in advance of the dates for each location. 1. October 7, 2021 in Port Alberni at the Alberni Athletic Hall 2. October 14, 2021 in To no (location to be con rmed); 3. October 22, 2021 in Campbell River (location to be con rmed) Please mark your calendars. Further details will be shared closer to the event dates. In the meantime, we hope that you take good care of yourselves, be safe and have a wonderful summer! Chuu, Helen Dick, DAC Chairperson & Florence Wylie, DAC Coordinator

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Although we would like to be able to cover all stories and events, we will only do so subject to: - Suffi cient advance notice addressed specifi cally 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. 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 defi nitely 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.

City raises Tseshaht, Hupacasath fl ags

As part of reconciliation, nations’ fl ags permanently fl y at Port Alberni City Hall

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Port Alberni, BC – A block of Argyle Street in front of Port Alberni City Hall was closed off to traffi c for a very special event on June 21, 2021. The street was fi lled with tables and decorated in orange as the City of Port Alberni celebrated National Aboriginal Day. They announced, in the spirit of reconciliation, that they would permanently fl y Hupacasath and Tseshaht fl ags at City Hall. Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions noted that the fl ags of the two First Nations, whose traditional territories make up Port Alberni, have been fl own on National Aboriginal Day in the past but they were taken down at the end of the day. Emcee and City Manager Tim Pley, who is not Indigenous, introduced himself in the Nuu-chah-nulth language. He acknowledged that Port Alberni is within Tseshaht and Hupacasath territories and called the raising of the fl ags a small but very important step toward reconciliation. He called for a moment of silence to allow people to refl ect on the lives of the hundreds of children that were taken from their families, never to return and for those that have yet to be found. The color orange was selected for decorations and clothing in remembrance of the children whose unmarked graves were found at Kamloops Indian Residential School in early June. Mayor Minions said that the fl ag raising ceremony had its beginnings in a reconciliation walk that ended at City Hall a few years before. There were more than 200 people that took part in the walk from Harbour Quay to City Hall on Mar. 27, 2017. The participants included people from Tseshaht, Hupacasath and the greater Port Alberni community. From that walk, a reconciliation committee was formed, made up of Tseshaht, Hupacasath, Indigenous residents from other nations and non-Indigenous locals. According to Minions, the committee came up with 27 recommendations to advance reconciliation in the city. The inclusion of the Indigenous fl ags at City Hall is one of those recommendations that they hope will lead people on the path to healing and respect, said Minions. MLA Josie Osborne said it is signifi cant to see the relationship-building between the city and local First Nations. National Aboriginal Day, she said, is a day to celebrate culture and the contributions of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. But it’s also a time, Osborne noted, for Canadians to recognize that racism and discrimination against Indigenous people still exists. “This is a day of refl ection, it’s a time for settlers to be unsettled,” said Osborne. She asked that people look within at their own biases and colonial history. “We have a lot of work to do,” she said. “It’s hard work, but it’s rewarding work and it’s time to do better.” Jolleen Dick, a member of Hupacasath elected council, reminded people that it’s not just National Aboriginal Day, but the month of June is Aboriginal month. She noted that the First People’s Cultural Council have language learning tools available on their website. “Maybe more people can learn (Nuuchah-nulth language) and we can have a discussion in our language,” she suggested. Tseshaht Chief Councillor Ken Watts also introduced himself in Tseshaht language. He reminded people that Alberni Indian Residential School was located in Tseshaht territory and they have some important work to do. He talked about the progress being made on the road to reconciliation with the city. “Down the road at Harbour Quay there is a stop sign in our language and mural…and A.W. Neil school has been renamed,” he noted. Mayor Minions said she is most proud of the relationship building that has been taking place. She acknowledged the sadness of the Kamloops Indian Residential School discoveries and how it has sparked dialogue among survivors. “Hearing those stories is diffi cult, but it is important to hear those stories because it helps us to understand,” she said. “If we want our future to be better than the past, we have to engage.” Looking to the future, Ken Watts said, “I hope we raise children that will end racism.”

Photo by Denise Titian The fl ags were raised during an event on June 21, marking National Aboriginal Day.

Ha-Shilth-Sa belongs to every Nuu-chah-nulth person including those who have passed on, and those who are not yet born. A community 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 47th year of serving the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. We look forward to your continued input and support. Kleco! Kleco!

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With the need to bring its people out of poverty, the First Nation responds to calls for a logging moratorium

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Calls for a moratorium on old growth logging could go against constitutional rights, warns the Huu-ay-aht, as they weight the need to retain forests for future generations against the immediate task of bringing more of their people out of poverty. As part of the Maa-nulth treaty, the Nuu-chah-nulth nation is stressing its right to be considered in any decisions to halt old growth logging in its territory. Calls for a moratorium have gained prominence recently, as after 10 months the Rainforest Flying Squad continues to occupy blockades near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht territory, resulting in over 340 arrests since mid May. Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor Robert Dennis Sr. referenced Canada’s residential school system while considering a complete halt to old growth harvesting. “One of their policies was establishing residential schools to take the Indian out of the child. This halt to all old-growth logging means taking the culture out of the Indian,” he said. “What this means is that we would have no more access to cedar logs needed for canoes, we would no longer have access to cedar needed for our cultural structures, such as the House of Huu-ay-aht.” Beyond that is the economic gap that remains between many First Nations people and the general B.C. population, something the Huu-ay-aht have worked to improve by acquiring a growing stake in forestry interests in Tree Farm Licence 44, a large section of Crown land south of Port Alberni. There are currently 44 Huu-ay-aht members working in the forest industry in mills, harvesting and at the Western Forest Products offi ce through a partnership the First Nation established with the company. But these positions would be at risk if no more old growth could be cut, argues Dennis. “From an economic standpoint, this would be devastating,” he said. “When you take the average income of the whole nation together, we’re still below the poverty line.” The Huu-ay-aht’s objective is to get another 50 of its members hired in forestry. “We’ve strategically positioned ourselves to be key players in forestry development in our territory,” added Dennis. “We’ve done it on the basis that we want to manage forests and fi shery values to meet the present needs, without compromising the needs of future Huuay-aht generations. In doing that we have to manage the forest to make sure that there’s cedar for future generations.” Pressure continues to be put on the provincial government to follow recommendations of the Old Growth Strategic Review that was release last year, a study that notes a “paradigm shift” in how the public values ancient forests. In late June another study was released by the Ancient Forest Alliance, arguing that old growth has greater economic value standing than harvested. Produced by the consulting fi rm ESSA Technologies, the report presents 17 simulations for the highly contested forests near Port Renfrew, ranging from 30 per cent to all of the old growth trees being protected over the next century. Society would be better off under all scenarios, states the study, stressing the economic benefi ts of carbon storage to reduce Greenhouse gases, tourism, forest recreation, protection of coho salmon habitat and increased real estate values in communities near ancient forests. “Results show that, if all old growth forests were protected in the study area, tourism alone would nearly make up for any losses from not harvesting by adding an equivalent number of jobs and covering 66 per cent of the losses to GDP,” stated the Ancient Forest Alliance. But if this argument were applied to the Huu-ay-aht, Dennis cautions that tourism accounts for just about one per cent of the First Nation’s economy, despite multiple property acquisitions in Bamfi eld over recent years. Meanwhile forestry generates 60 to 75 per cent of revenues annually for the Huu-ay-aht Group of Businesses. In early June the Huu-ay-aht were part of the Hišuk ma cawak Declaration, along with the Ditidaht and Pacheedaht First Nations. Under the First Nations’ sacred principles of utmost respect, taking care of and everything is connected, this document asserts their territorial authority. It was also accompanied by a notice to the province to defer all old growth logging in the Fairy Creek and Central Walbran areas for two years, allowing the nations to undertake resource management plans in consultation with its citizens. With the Huu-ay-aht in a modern-day treaty while the Pacheedaht and Ditidaht are undertaking the last stage of negotiations with the province towards a fi nal agreement, Robert Phillips of the First Nations Summit’s Political Executive saw that it didn’t take long for the provincial government to listen. “It just made sense and moved forward accordingly,” he said. “The premier acknowledged it right away.” Phillips noted that the time has come for industrial heavyweights to acknowledge the interests of a First Nation when a treaty is in place. “Even though a lot of times industry has their hair on fi re when they see such agreements, in the end they just look at it as just another way of doing business with First Nations,” he said. “They fi nd ways to do it because the resources are on the lands.” While protest activity continues on southern Vancouver Island, Dennis is asking those concerned to give the First Nations involved a chance to conduct their integrated resource management plans. “In the meantime, let us do the business we’ve been doing,” he said, expressing frustration with protestors occupying First Nations territory without asking permission from Ha’wiih. “The needs of other people have to be considered,” continued Dennis. “I respect their right to protest when they’re not happy with forestry policy. But, hey, they’re not the only people in British Columbia.”

Robert Dennis Sr.

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Elders share inspiration behind %apsč iik t%aš ii in new video, trail conditionally opens while work still underway

By Mike Youds Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Long Beach, BC - West coast residents and visitors alike are advised to “proceed with caution” while using a 25-kilometre multi-use pathway, part of which is still under construction through Pacifi c Rim National Park Reserve. The $51-million ʔapsč iik taš ii (pronounced ups-cheek ta-shee), located within the hahuuli of Tla-o-qui-aht and YuułuɁiłɁatḥ First Nations, is scheduled for offi cial opening in spring 2022, but Parks Canada announced a partial or “conditional opening,” June 21 on National Aboriginal Day. In conjunction with the soft opening, Parks Canada released a fi ve-minute video, Building ʔapsč iik taš ii: Creating a Pathway Together, which tells the story of the pathway’s design and development through careful guidance from a working group of elders. People have been taking advantage of the new link between communities for some time already, said kweesh kweesh ata aqsa, Tammy Dorward, First Nations program manager at the park. “Since it’s been paved it has been utilized, and so there was a discussion at the park on how to proceed,” Dorward said. Park administration recognized it would be diffi cult to keep people off the pathway until its offi cial completion. A conditional opening comes with a set of eight advisories intended to ensure safety and privacy of communities along the route as fi nal construction continues. “There is still lot of work to be done out there,” Dorward added. In late spring, Parks Canada contracted IWS Excavation to build a fi nal threekilometre section of the pathway called Wayii (meaning hill) on the escarpment overlooking Long Beach between Green Point Campground and parking lots at Long Beach. That last stretch should be fi nished by fall. For much of its length, ʔapsč iik taš ii parallels Pacifi c Rim Highway through the park, meandering through rainforest and along foreshore, and passing near the Tla-o-qui-aht villages of Esowista and Ty-Histanis. Pathway travellers are asked to remain on the route to respect communities and to protect sensitive ecological areas. Occasional highway pullouts connect to the pathway, allowing motorists to park and travel the pathway in sections. Additional work on visitor amenities, interpretive panels and trilingual signage continues into next year, along with restoration, which includes removing invasive species, replanting with native species and adding wood-chip borders to the pathway. In the meantime, trail users are asked to respect the rules. “The idea is to proceed with caution,” Dorward said. “We’re asking all visitors to stay on the trail, to respect community privacy and not be walking through them.” Trail users may encounter construction crews at any point along the route and should be prepared to encounter wildlife as well. They are also urged to use extreme caution at uncontrolled highway crossings near Radar Hill and Wick Road. Dorward said she has seen many people from First Nations and the two neighbouring municipalities cycling the route. “I’ve heard great excitement from people biking the trail, from people wanting to use the trail,” she said. “People are

Photo submitted by Parks Canada ʔapsč iik taš ii extends for 25 kilometres of foreshore between the entrance to Pacifi c Rim National Park and Tofi no. using it, and it’s a great way for people to have an alternative transport for work.” Louis Maddiford, co-owner of Ukee Bikes in nearby Ucluelet, said there has been an increased interest in cycling recently, a trend he thinks was spurred by pandemic isolation and the need for recreation alternatives, as well as the new pathway as it nears completion. “People are understanding the benefi ts from this,” Maddiford said. “Lots of people are trying it out.” Pedalling the entire route is the equivalent of a 25-30 kilometre road trip and will probably appeal most to avid cyclists, he suggested. On the other hand, pedal-assist electronic bikes are increasingly popular. Only Class 1 e-bikes — those without a throttle — are permitted on the pathway. That rule will help to ensure safety by restricting speed. “Practically everything we do is Class 1 — none of our motors is throttled — so they’re allowed on the trails,” Maddiford said. The maximum speed of a Class 1 e-bike is 32 kilometres an hour. Saya Masso, natural resource manager with Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, said the pathway will encourage more people, including youth, to take up cycling for “participaction and fresh air.” “The trail serves as its own youth programming in a way,” he said. There are no cycling paths where he lives at Opitisaht on Meares Island, so the pathway is a welcome addition as a recreational asset and a safe alternative to cycling the highway, Mayo said. “I know that sentiment is echoed throughout,” he said, adding that he looks forward to taking his kids for rides. For years, local residents have wanted a path to connect their communities, a safe alternative to Pacifi c Rim Highway, often a busy route. In February, Tofi no completed a link to the pathway, a $3.9-million, 2.8-kilometre addition to the municipality’s multi-use path. At the south end of the park reserve, Ucluelet was unsuccessful in its bid for grant funding earlier this year but remains committed to providing a similar link. The video production, Building ʔapsč iik taš ii — https://www.youtube.com/watch ?app=desktop&v=Bv0trpgEXMM&feat ure=youtu.be — presents the pathway in fullest form, not only as a vital community link but as a cultur al showpiece and teacher in the making. “In our language it has two meanings,” Levi Martin, Tla-o-qui-aht elder, explains in his introduction. “Ups-cheek is going the right way on a path and, also, Upscheek means to make sure you speak the truth. That was a very important teaching for our people, that you speak the truth.” “You know, you could survive out there all day without bringing lunch from home and we want it to stay that way,” adds Marg Touchie, YuułuɁiłɁatḥ elder, later in the video. “We want everything in that area to stay as natural as possible.”