INTERESTING NEWS Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Canadian Publications Mail Product Vol. 47 - No. 20—October 22, 2020 haas^i>sa Sales Agreement No. 40047776
Lobster fishery violence sparks concern on west coast Same ‘racist policies’ in Nova Scotia are faced by Nuu-chah-nulth nations, says Ahousaht’s fisheries negotiator By Mike Youds Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor As ugly threats and intimidation give way to violence against a Mi’kmaq lobster fishery on Canada’s East Coast, Nuuchah-nulth leaders are demanding that Ottawa upholds the law. NTC President Judith Sayers said she has been shocked by images captured over the past week showing tense confrontations between Indigenous fishermen and non-Indigenous protesters blocking their path in Nova Scotia. On Saturday, a Mi’kmaq lobster storage facility was destroyed by fire, sending what police are calling a “person of suspicion” to hospital with serious injuries. “I think anybody looking at that really finds it shocking,” Sayers said Sunday. “It’s shocking that nothing is happening with the RCMP and it’s shocking that nothing is happening with DFO to try to support the Mi’kmaq fishermen.” Sharing a common interest with the Mi’kmaq in asserting Indigenous fishing rights, the five T’aaq-wiihak nations — Ahousaht, Ehattesaht, Mowachaht/ Muchalaht, Hesquiaht and Tla-o-qui-aht — threw their support squarely behind the M’ikmaq last week. “We support what goes on back there because we are dealing with the same attitudes and same approach by the government,” said Wickanninish, Cliff Atleo, lead negotiator for Ahousaht First Nation. “It’s just not acceptable. The government, because of their racist policies, seems to find it easy to stand by and watch non-
Indigenous people violate the law, violate the Canadian constitution, and it’s OK for them to do that. They say it’s too dangerous for them to go out on the water… but what is it like for the Mi’kmaq?” Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, based on a common bond with the Mi’kmaq in asserting Indigenous fishing rights, is urging Canadians to speak out against the violence and destruction of property. “It is not enough for Prime Minister Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller and Commissioner Brenda Lucki to say systemic racism exists,” Sayers said in a statement released Monday. “They must act now and direct the RCMP to deal with this They must act now and direct the RCMP to deal with this situation to protect Mi’kmaw, and ensure DFO works with the Mi’kmaw to implement their constitutional right to a moderate livelihood in the lobster fishery.” Meanwhile, Tla-o-quiaht donated $1,000 and urged 14 other Nuu-chahnulth nations to follow suit. “Thank you for implementing your fishery plan,” said Tla-o-qui-aht Councilor Terry Dorward, Tweeting his moral support for Mi’kmaq rights on the weekend. “It has a rippling effect right across the country.” “All Canadians should be astounded by these consistent acts of outright hate, racism, and violence,” added Mariah Charleson, NTC vice-president. “We cannot allow this to be accepted and tolerated, all governments need to act immediately.”
Sipekne’katik First Nation photo
A Mi’kmaq fishing boat heads out on the water in southwestern Nova Scotia.
Drug deaths point to need for more support services By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The number of recorded illicit drug deaths in British Columbia has increased by 112 per cent this September compared to the same month last year, according to the BC Coroners Service. The province announced 127 fatalities in September alone. While it did see a 15 per cent decrease from the number of deaths in August, Kevin Hollett of the BC Centre on Substance Use communications said that it’s too early to extract any kind of trend. “We wouldn’t really know if there’s something else that’s going on until we start to see two or three months worth of trends,” he said. The return of key harm reduction
services – including increased access to overdose prevention sites and drug checking services – may account for the reduction in deaths in September compared to August, said a spokesperson from the BC Coroners Service. People between 30 to 59 years old represent those most affected, with males accounting for 80 per cent of the deaths in 2020. First Nations people face a fatality rate five times greater than the rest of the province. Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria continue to experience the highest number of illicit drug deaths within the province. The BC Coroners Service attributes the increase in deaths since September 2019 to a combination of factors, including increased isolation during the pandemic and reduced access to key harm reduction
Inside this issue... Justice for remote communities..................................Page 3 Pacific salmon explorer expands................................Page 7 Hospital changes needed to serve elders..................Page 10 Growing Bamfield’s economy..................................Page 13 Foster parent comes full circle.................................Page 15
services. “The response to the pandemic to reduce infection has led to a reduction in access to services – some services are operating on reduced hours or have closed,” said Hollett. “The drug supply has [also] been really impacted and it’s become more potent and toxic as a result.” Last month, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued a public health order that allows more health professionals to prescribe safer and more accessible alternatives to the street drug supply, in an effort to help slow down the province’s overdose crisis. “We know the pandemic has only made the street drug supply in B.C. more toxic than ever, putting people who use drugs at extremely high risk for overdose,” said Henry in a release. “Giving physicians
and nurse practitioners the ability to prescribe safer pharmaceutical alternatives has been critical to saving lives and linking more people to treatment and other health and social services.” The legal framework around illicit substances needs to be reassessed as an immediate response to the overdose crisis, said Hollett. “We need to do a lot provincially and nationally to develop that substance abuse systems of care,” he said. “That means investing in addiction medicine training, making sure there is more clinicians and health care providers across the province – specifically in rural and remote communities who can start to help connect people to harm reduction services, connect them to medications and connect them to recovery services.”
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