INTERESTING NEWS Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Canadian Publications Mail Product Vol. 44 - No. 03—March 16, 2017 haas^i>sa Sales Agreement No. 40047776 th
NETP hosts 4 Annual Career Fair at Athletic Hall By Shayne Morrow Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor
grams, Community Partnership Coordinator Bill Brown said AVEC receives funding from both the province and the federal government, and is able to work with individual clients to obtain funding from any programs they may be eligible for. The Huu-ay-aht Group of Businesses represents a wide variety of operations, from fisheries to forestry to hospitality. The hospitality field is relatively new, according to Tracy Walker. On Jan. 11, 2016, Huu-ay-aht acquired a block of vacant properties in Bamfield once owned by Jack Purdy. “We’ve done a lot of renovations to the motel, and in the pub. We’ve put in new flooring in the pub, new windows in the motel. We’ve re-painted and re-decorated and were re-doing the rooms,” she said. “The Huu-ay-aht Business Group is growing very quickly, with a lot of support from the Bamfield community, the Port Alberni community and the Huu-ayaht government.” Also on hand was the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Post-Secondary Department. “We have the schools coming in. We also have members of the community,” said Randy Ginger. “We also can refer [non-aboriginal] students to the appropriate sources if they don’t fall under our umbrella for education.” Ginger added that the students he had already spoken to “had come in prepared and asked the right questions.” Along with the exhibits on the ground floor, the event also included scheduled presentations in the areas of Health, Tourism, Child Care and Forestry, spread throughout the day.
Port Alberni—The Nuu-chah-nulth Education and Training Program held its annual Career Fair at Athletic Hall on March 9. The doors opened at 9 a.m., with a wide array of exhibits already set up and representatives on hand to meet with prospective students and business contacts. A steady stream of students from Alberni District Secondary School passed through, along with members of the general public. The first order of business was a welcome from Luke George of Tseshaht Photos by Shayne Morrow First Nation and Jolleen Dick from Students from Haahuupayak sing their School Song, which was written in the Hupacasath, in whose traditional territory Chinook language by elder Doug Robinson. Athletic Hall is located. For those more interested in visual arts, member of Ucluelet First Nation. Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council VicePacific Design Academy director Oliver “I am the First Nations program liaiPresident Ken Watts and Nuu-chah-nulth Drew was on hand to explain his availson,” Touchie explained. Parks Canada Employment and Training Program able programs. manager Marissa Bennett then introduced regularly employs summer students, and “We’re a post-secondary design colposts full-time positions on its website, guests to the NETP lege in Victoria,” Drew said. “We do she said. staff. film, television, photography, fashion, Janice Johnson Following the landscape design, interior design and is the commuwelcome, students architectural design. These are mostly nity engagement from Haahuupayak two-year diploma programs where people coordinator for School took to the get the training they need to get a job.” the First Nations floor to perform Other exhibitors focused on direct emHealth Authority, a pair of songs, ployment, like the Alberni Valley Emwhich is gradually first the Welcome ployment Centre. assuming a greater Song, followed by The first step is to set up an appointment role in providing the Haahuupayak care for Aboriginal with a case manager, according to Naomi Song (sometimes Moran. people in B.C. referred to as the “We also have a Resource Centre that is “I am here to School Song). self-serve,” she added. “We offer workencourage young “If you come Luke George (Tseshaht) and Jolleen Dick shops and different levels of services. We people to work toto Haahuupayak (Hupacasath) receive a gift after welcomalso help with self-employment as well.” wards some form School, first thing ing guests to Tseshaht and Hupacasath On the issue of aboriginal-specific proof education that in the morning this traditional territory. will lead them into is what you hear,” the health care instructor Trevor field. There are a lot of career opportuniLittle told the audience. “The song says, ties because we are taking over our own ‘I come from Haahuupayak. We welcome health care,” she said. “This is our chalyou’.” Later, Little explained that the Welcome lenge: to have our own people looking Song evolved when Nuu-chah-nulth trad- after our own people.” Those young people have a number of ers travelled up and down the B.C. coast, avenues to achieve the appropriate educatrading with other nations. In fact, the tion, and a number of institutions were on song itself might be the result of a trade, hand to explain their programs. he said. Jennifer Aspden of Discovery CommuThe School Song, however, was writnity College said her school offers a wide ten by Little’s grandfather, elder Doug range of health care training. Robinson. “Health care assisting, nursing, com“It was written in Chinook, the jargon munity support worker... and we’ve got that was used for communicating bea Police Foundations course that is just tween different nations and cultures,” opening up,” she said. These are diploma Little explained. “He said there were programs. And Discovery College will Chinook songs that he remembered when work with an individual’s funding agency they were travelling between camps and to ensure a smooth transition to student canneries. He said he wanted to write a life, she noted. song in Chinook – ‘and it came just like “We have certificates, diplomas and that’.” degree programs,” said Gina Mowatt of Ha-Shilth-Sa dropped by some of the Vancouver Island University. “Currently, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Vice-President Ken Watts introduces NETP staff. booths to get a flavor of the event. The eight per cent of our exhibits represented a range of employstudent body is AbIf undeliverable, please return to: Ha-Shilth-Sa ment and education opportunities. There original, and we have P.O. Box 1383, Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 7M2 were recruiters from federal agencies lots of supports on such as the RCMP, Corrections Canada campus, and we have and Parks Canada. a beautiful building Parks Canada runs a First Nations prothat houses our sergram with nine Nuu-chah-nulth Nations, vices for Aboriginal according to Lorrie Touchie, who is a Services.”