Ha Shilth Sa Newspaper October 31, 2024

INTERESTING NEWS

RCMP introduces body-worn cameras this winter

and

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In effort to increase transparency in policing and improve accountability, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada’s federal police force, will soon be equipped with body-worn cameras. Frontline general duty officers that work in the communities of: Ucluelet,Ahousaht, Tofino, Mission, Prince George, Cranbrook and Kamloops will be amongst the first to start recording evidence from the first-person perspective or point of view (POV), according to B.C. RCMP, or “E” Division, senior media relations officer Staff Sgt. Kris Clark.

“This initiative will see more than 10,000 cameras rolled-out across the country when rollout is complete. E Division will rollout over 3,000 cameras to the frontline beginning this winter,” said Clark.

“The RCMP is committed to taking the necessary steps to enhance trust between the RCMP and the communities it serves, and we believe the use of body-worn cameras will assist us with this goal,” Clark continued.

Ucluelet RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Marc Jones has been working as a police officer for almost 28 years. He told the Ha-shilth-sa Newspaper he thinks body-worn cameras are going to be a “great tool” and that he’s happy to see them rolling out.

“We’re now going to be introducing video evidence into court trials, so from my perspective, I believe it’s going to be great,” Jones said. “I do believe that my members and most members in the RCMP act appropriately, and they do what they are supposed to do and I think the camera will catch a lot of situations where evidence will be presented and it might look differently in a court setting now; the video will show a lot more detail than the officer will be able to explain.”

He went on to say that if an officer was, for example, dealing with an impaired driver, the video would show considerably a lot more detail than was expected.

“That may be of advantage in a court setting,” he said.

Cloy-e-iis (Dr. Judith Sayers), Nuuchah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) president, says Nuu-chah-nulth have been calling for body-worn cameras since the tragic shooting of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation member Chantel Moore on June 4, 2020 at her New Brunswick home. Moore was fatally shot by Edmundston City Police Const. Jeremy Son on a “wellness check” after she allegedly ad-

are among the first locations to use body cams, intended to improve public trust

vanced toward him with a steak knife.

“The only story we knew about Chantel’s shooting was given by the police officer that shot her – his biased account and some of the evidence. We will never really know the true story of what happened that fateful night as Chantel is unable to tell her story. Had the officer been wearing a body cam, we would know more about what happened. The same happened with Julian Jones, a Tlao-qui-aht man who was shot and killed on the Opitsaht reserve,” said Sayers in an email.

On February 27, 2021, two officers from Tofino came to a home in the First Nation’s village of Opitsaht on Meares Island to “locate a woman in distress,” according to an RCMP press release.An altercation occurred, resulting in Jones being shot, while another was taken into police custody.

Moore was 26 when she was fatally shot by a police officer. Jones was 28.

“We know that body cams are one good solution and are very glad that all these years later they are finally being rolled out to two communities where our NuuChah-nulth live,” Sayers said. “We still need more trauma-informed trained police officers and other trained people investigating wellness checks. We also need training for shoot to disarm and not

shoot to kill. Training of police officers to be more respectful of our people and getting rid of racist actions and attitudes are also things we need to pursue so our people are properly treated and not shot and killed needlessly.”

With new computer software to learn and privacy concerns to navigate, Jones says there is going to be a lot of “growing pains and adjustments for everybody”.

When it comes to privacy, RCMP say body-worn cameras are not intended to be used for 24-hour recording, surveillance and when intimate searches are conducted.

“Even if we want to keep it on all the time we couldn’t,” said Jones. “We’re just one small portion of the world over here in Tofino, Ucluelet andAhousaht, but you gotta think, when this goes across Canada, everybody is going to be uploading these images. The only time the police officers are going to turn their cameras on and off would be when they are dealing with a police situation.”

RCMP say officers will activate their body-worn cameras during calls for service, including mental health calls, interactions with people in crisis, crimes in progress and for investigations.

But handling privacy concerns is a bit of a grey topic, Jones points out.

“Sometimes when you are going into

various situations, does the camera get turned on? Do we redact certain things? Do people’s images get protected? Say if you walk into a home and there are a whole bunch of people in there and you are investigating a domestic, suddenly all these people are getting their faces caught on this video, so we have to take out anyone that’s not involved,” Jones said.

He went on to reiterate that the bodyworn cameras only capture one POV.

“The police officers’notes and their understanding of the situation still comes into effect because the cameras don’t always capture the whole 360 degrees of what’s going on,” he said.

“I’m hoping that it doesn’t have a negative effect where people don’t speak because maybe they’re afraid to talk knowing that that might be something that is going to be automatically put into a court document,” Jones continued.

When it comes to sharing recordings, the RCMP “may proactively disclose footage from a body-worn camera where it is in the public interest to do so.”

Members of the public can seek access to the recordings by filing a formal request under the federal PrivacyAct orAccess to InformationAct.

More information will be released as RCMP body-worn cameras come into action.

Melissa Renwick photo

Constable Yannick Harry (left) and Sgt. Steve Mancini take a knee beside the late elder Richard Mundy in a display of solidarity during a peaceful protest in honour of Chantel Moore and George Floyd, in Ucluelet, on Sunday, June 6, 2020. The public service is introducing body cameras this winter to promote more trust among the public.

Ucluelet, Ahousaht

Tofino

Hesquiaht demands justice for young man

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC – He had life that he loved living, and he had a proud name. His family wanted to be the first to share it publicly at a press conference held Oct. 17, as they demanded justice for a life taken too soon.

Patrick Charleson IV, also known as Heman, was only 24 years old when he was shot to death in the Ditidaht community of Nitinaht on Sept. 28. Court records show that Derian Tate, 24, has been charged with first degree murder in the death of Patrick Charleson IV.According to the family, the two men likely didn’t know one another personally.

In a written statement, Hesquiaht Chief Councillor Mariah Charleson demanded justice for He-man Charleson on behalf of Hesquiaht First Nation.

“This loss has impacted Hesquiaht First Nation as well as neighbouring communities and Nations in a tremendous way. Hesquiaht sends our deepest condolences to the family and many friends of He-man that have been impacted by this tragic loss. This loss will be felt for a long time,” she wrote.

According to the family, some of the Charlesons were in the Ditidaht community of Nitinaht in late September. He-man was visiting with his father, who has family connections there.

Details of what exactly happened cannot be shared with the public as the matter is before the courts. What is known is that one man, Derian Tate, was charged with first degree murder but, according to Hesquiaht Chief Mariah Charleson, there was at least one more involved.

“The family hopes that the other person will be held accountable,” she said.

Chief Charleson said her community of Hot Springs Cove is grieving the loss of the much-loved young man.

“He was a hunter, a fisherman, and he provided for family and for the community,” she said.

Known by his friends and family as He-man, Charleson would have turned 25 in December. While his great grandfather Patrick Charleson Sr. mourns, an uncle, Preston Campbell, said sadly that there will be no Patrick Charleson V, as the young man didn’t have children.

“We want the first-degree murder charge to stand,” said Mariah, adding that the family is willing to sit through a trial if that is what it takes.

Victim’s names are not usually released, she noted, but today the family chooses to identify He-man to the public because they want to make sure that information comes from them.

“He was stolen from us in a senseless act of violence,” Chief Charleson stated.

“And we know how the court system works…we see how First Nations men are treated (in court). We know that there’s plea deals and other ways to shorten sentences. His life mattered. We want to ensure that this is taken seriously.”

Chief Charleson told Ha-Shilth-Sa that the family of He-man wants to be proactive in seeking justice on his behalf. She cited Gladue reports which played a role in reducing the sentences of Hannah and Mitchell Frank, who admitted to causing the death of six-year-old Dontay Lucas.

The Hesquiaht boy died on March 13, 2018 due to blunt force trauma to the head.

“That was a slap on the wrist,” said Chief Charleson of the sentences for Dontay’s death, adding that they don’t want to see that happen again.

In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled in R v. Gladue that courts must consider an Aboriginal offender’s background when he or she is being sentenced for a crime. Factors that are considered include discrimination and physical abuse suffered by the accused, separation from culture or family, or drug and alcohol abuse.

The Hesquiaht community is asking that the other person allegedly involved or anyone else with information to come forward and contact the authorities.

after ‘He-man’ Charleson killed in Nitinaht Sept. 28

“Watching your baby be born is the best feeling in the world,” said Patrick ‘Man’ Charleson III, father of He-man. “Having to bury your baby is the worst,” he continued, adding, “I just want what is right – justice for my son.”

“It’s been really tough,” added the father. “He was my pal, my right-hand man – he was always with me. We will carry on what he loved doing. He had a passion for providing. He loved family and we’re all here. He planned to fill our freezers and we’re going to do that for him. The void will always be there, and we’ll just have to learn to live with it.”

Pat Charleson Sr., the 94-year-old patriarch of the family, recalled the morning he got that terrible phone call.

“I have many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren but this one is the very first one ever to be shot. It was a shock. I couldn’t believe it,” he shared.

He-Man Charleson lived in Hot Springs Cove, an isolated community north of Tofino, accessible only by boat or float plane. Chief Charleson says crisis support continues to be made available to the family with assistance coming in from the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and

the First Nations HealthAuthority. But with the weather set to turn bad, she is concerned about the continued availability of that support.

The nation is grateful to Ditidaht for giving their support immediately after the incident.

“Hesquiaht would also like to thank Ditidaht First Nation for hosting the family of He-man in the days following the murder with such care and respect. Thank you for providing space for the family to sleep, eat, and sit with one another,” said Chief Charleson

“To this day I’ve been thinking of Heman. Every day I say a prayer for him,” said great grandfather, Patrick Sr.

“Hesquiaht will not sit silent until justice is achieved in the death of our valuable and loved member, Patrick Charleson IV,” Chief Charleson stated.

She vowed to stand with the family, offering them her love and support.

“His life mattered. He was a valued member of our nation and community,” said Chief Charleson. “As we grieve and walk forward after this tragic event, we ask you all to take good care of one another, walk gently, and check on all our loved ones, especially our youth.”

Denise Titian photo

Patrick Charleson III holds a photo of his son, Patrick IV, who was killed in Nitinaht on Sept. 28, during a press conference held by the Hesquiaht First Nation.

First Nation wants first-degree murder charge to remain,

Patrick Charleson IV, also known as He-man, was 24 years old.

Fatal weekend on Bamfield road as Sarita River floods

Two Bamfield residents are washed away at high tide as heavy rainfall creates several feet of water on the road

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Bamfield, BC - The West Coast’s first major storm of the season became fatal over the weekend when the Sarita River overtook sections of the Bamfield Road, claiming the lives of two Bamfield residents.

The deceased have been identified as Ken Duncan and Bob Baden, victims of a rapidly rising Sarita River that had completely submerged the road in feet of water by the early afternoon on Saturday, Oct. 19. Duncan worked as a property manager for the Huu-ay-aht Group of Businesses, while Baden owned and ran a lumber store in Bamfield for many years. Over the weekend an atmospheric river hit the B.C. coast, starting on Oct. 18. By the end of the following day 164 millimetres had poured on Bamfield – two days of heavy rain that approached the monthly average of 195 millimetres in the region.

While a provincial election was underway on Saturday, Oct. 19, images circulated on social media showing the road to Bamfield completely overtaken by the swelling Sarita River early in the afternoon at the 58-kilometre mark.Avideo shows two men braving the flood to save a small dog paddling in the water. Online comments warned people of the flooded section, advising to wait until low tide that evening.

By 5:45 p.m. PortAlberni RCMP received a report of a missing person who didn’t arrive in Victoria after leaving Bamfield earlier that day.An hour later another individual who was expected to reach Bamfield from PortAlberni was reported missing, the owner of the dog rescued hours earlier. Family had been contacted at approximately 1 p.m., according to police.

On Saturday, Oct. 19, images circulated on social media showing the road to Bamfield completely overtaken by the swelling Sarita River early in the afternoon at the 58-kilometre mark.

“RCMP were able to ping the cell phones belonging to the missing, which returned that one of the phones last connected with a cell tower within a threekilometre-radius of the 58-kilometre mark on Bamfield Road,” stated a press release from the RCMP. “Ahelicopter was deployed to the area to conduct an aerial search andAlberni Valley Search and Rescue were requested to assist in the search.”

Just before 9 p.m. family of one of the missing told police that the individual’s truck was found completely submerged in the Sarita.

“Due to the fast-flowing water and darkness, emergency services were unable to confirm if the vehicle was occupied,” stated the RCMP. “The missing driver was later located deceased a short dis-

tance away.”

The second vehicle was also found with the deceased occupant inside, but emergency responders were unable to pull it from the river on the weekend.

On Monday, Oct. 21 theAlberni Valley Rescue Squad was still on the scene, who have received help from theArrowsmith, Comox, and West Coast search and rescue teams.

“Search and rescue are monitoring the water today awaiting the opportunity to conduct a swift water recovery of the vehicle which is believed to contain the second missing person,” stated police on Oct. 21.

There have been many deaths on the 77-kilometre road from PortAlberni to Bamfield since the route opened in the early 1970s. Last fall a major upgrade

to the road was completed, bringing a more stable chip-sealed surface that has cut down the blinding summertime dust while minimizing the potholes that made Bamfield Main a suspension-busting hazard during the rainy months.

But the Sarita still runs next to the road in its southern sections.Although the upgrade raised the road, a continued flooding risk continues during heavy rain.

“RCMP are urging people to stay away from the area of Sarita River as water is flowing fast and this portion of the Bamfield road is susceptible to flooding especially around high tides,” said the police.

“Also, police want to remind everyone that attempting to cross flooded roadways can be extremely dangerous.”

Tragedies show need for be!er road monitoring: Chief

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Bamfield, BC -Apair of tragedies on a flooded Bamfield road during a recent heavy rainfall is bringing up critical questions about how the public should be alerted on the route, says Huu-ay-aht’s elected chief.

On Oct. 18 Bob Baden and Ken Duncan, two Bamfield locals with years of familiarity with the area, lost their lives when a section Bamfield Main became submerged in water, sending their vehicles into a rapidly swelling Sarita River. This occurred at high tide early that afternoon, during an atmospheric river that brought a month’s worth of rainfall to the region over three days. Days after the rain ceased, emergency personnel were still working to retrieve the submerged vehicles.

As the water was rising on Oct. 18, some travellers managed to pass the road’s hazardous section next to the Sarita, while others turned back to wait until the tide lowered. While the Bamfield community and its Huu-ay-aht neighbours reflect on the tragedies, the First Nation’s chief councillor believes that serious discussions are needed to better inform the public of hazards in the future.

“Would those individuals have made different decisions if the risks were understood and communicated more clearly and more promptly?” asked John Jack.

“I definitely think that other things can be done. Whether or not they are done will depend on the conversations that we have with the province, and whether or not we’re able to access resources for the purpose of climate change mitigation and adaptation.”

“The most impactful thing we can change, I think, is monitoring, communication and who makes the call if closing the road or a section of the road is needed,” added Jack.

After decades of lobbying, three years of construction and multiple fatalities, an upgrade to the 77-kilometre stretch from PortAlberni to Bamfield was completed a year ago.Almost 300,000 cubic metres of gravel was dispersed to build up the road, which received a more durable chip-sealed surface to improve safety for travellers to Bamfield, the neighbouring Huu-ay-aht village ofAnacla and the Ditidaht community of Nitinaht, which uses half of Bamfield Main before branching east. The project cost over $40 million with most of this covered by the province and at least $5 million contributed by the Huu-ay-aht.

Almost 300 culverts were replaced or repaired to improve drainage over the route, and Jack said that an average of 30 centimetres of gravel was laid onto the road. But this didn’t stop the surging waters on that fatal Saturday afternoon. Elsewhere in B.C. at least one other person died due to the heavy rainfall, while another man is missing after being seen

by a swelling Coquitlam River. “From what I’ve been told, this wasn’t any old storm; this was something special that was over and above what normally happens,” said Jack. “As I understand, and I’m not an expert, the water came from more than just the river. It was pouring off of the slopes in ways that aren’t typical.”

Although it received millions in upgrades, with hopes of allowing more Huu-ay-aht members to move to their home territory while the region opens up to tourism, Bamfield Main remains an industrial road under the same classification it had when forestry companies first built it in the early 1970s. Negotiations for the Maa-nulth treaty specified that the provincial government technically owns the

route, said Jack, although maintenance falls under those responsible for forestry operations in the area. This includes the Huu-ay-aht, Mosaic Forest Services and Cawak ʔqin Forestry, a joint partnership between the Huu-ay-aht and Western Forest Products.

Despite this, personnel from the Ministry of Forests came to look at the road after the tragic weekend, while staff from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure are expected to assess the route in late October.

“There’s some real responsiveness there and it’s a good sign on the relationship building that we’re doing,” said Jack of the provincial government’s attention.

“It’s not a highway and it’s not falling under municipal roads at all, so they’re coming to the table out of pure goodwill, I think.”

Meanwhile, the neighbouring Ditidaht First Nation has been in the final stage of treaty negotiations for the past five years, discussions that could bring in the need to upgrade the road to Nitinaht after it branches off of Bamfield Main. This route served as a detour for essential transport while a wildfire closed Highway 4 in the summer of 2023.

“Things are changing and they’re changing in a way that needs to be directly considered,” commented Jack. “We can’t ignore this anymore because it’s challenging, or it’s inconvenient or it costs a lot of money. Is the money question more important than the lives?”

Jeffrey Stites photo

John Jack

What really happened to Amber Manthorne?

Police release video of ex-boyfriend with her car, large tote in the back that was later removed from the vehicle

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC – The PortAlberni RCMP are turning to the public in search of new information in the case of missing personAmber Manthorne. Included in the new information shared with the public, the RCMP confirmed that the popular PortAlberni woman’s disappearance is probably the result of foul play and that she is not likely to be found alive.

Amber Manthorne, 40, went missing from her home near Great Central Lake on July 8, 2022.Aregular patron of Tseshaht Market, Manthorne’s final trip home was caught on a surveillance system either at or near the market. In the days following her disappearance, the First Nation allowed friends and family to set up a check point for searchers in their parking lot.

At the time Tseshaht Chief Councillor Ken Watts told Ha-Shilth-Sa he grew up with Manthorne and went to school with her.

“This store, the staff loved seeingAmber up here,” he added. “She was always so great to come and visit us here, hopefully we’ll get to see her again, laughing here and smiling.”

But the news from the PortAlberni RCMP two years later will dampen that hope. In a press conference held at the RCMP detachment on Oct. 16 they presented a troubling timeline along with information about Justin Hall,Amber’s former boyfriend, now deceased.

July 7, 2022. 3:27 p.m. – Manthorne is seen alone on CCTV at Buy-Low Foods in PortAlberni, purchasing groceries and leaving in her vehicle.

July 7, 2022. 3:35 p.m. -Awhite SUV consistent with Manthorne’s 2021 Jeep Compass drives west on Pacific Rim Highway near Tseshaht Market.Amber arrives at her residence around this time.

July 8, 2022. 12:22 a.m. – Justin Hall places a call to United Cabs from the Petro Canada on River Road.At 12:44 a.m. a cab is observed on CCTV near Tseshaht Market travelling west.

July 8, 2022. 4:17 a.m. –Awhite SUV consistent withAmber’s is captured on CCTV driving east on Pacific Rim Highway towards PortAlberni.

July 8, 2022. 4:50 a.m. – Manthorne’s vehicle enters the Husky fuel station on 3rd Avenue in PortAlberni. The vehicle pulls up to the pump. Justin Hall exits the driver’s seat, enters the store and pays for fuel. Mr. Hall then tries to place a suitcase from the backseat into the hatchback of the vehicle, but it won’t fit and is returned to the back seat.Atote can be observed in the hatchback of the vehicle. This tote and suitcase have never been recovered.

July 8, 2022. 7:02 a.m. –Amber’s vehicle is observed on CCTV at the McDonald’s restaurant on Johnston Road where Hall makes a purchase.

July 8, 2022. 8:00 a.m. –Amber fails to show up for work.

July 8, 2022. 9:22 a.m. – Hall makes a purchase at Walmart in Nanaimo.

July 8, 2022. 10:26 a.m. –Amber’s vehicle is captured on CCTV at the BC Ferries terminal at Duke Point. Justin Hall, the lone occupant, purchases a ferry ticket and proceeds to the line up to await the ferry.

July 8, 2022. 11:03 a.m. –Amber’s vehicle is captured on CCTV leaving the BC Ferry terminal with Justin Hall driving.

July 9, 2022. 3:08 p.m. – Ladysmith RCMP respond to a report and locate Amber’s vehicle abandoned at McGillivray Way and Creekwood Place.

OnAug. 1, 2023, one year afterAmber Manthorne’s disappearance, Justin Hall was found deceased in Kelowna, according to the RCMP. The police say he is the only person of interest inAmber’s disappearance and they hope that by releasing new information people who knew Hall

would come forward to help bringAmber back home to her loved ones.

“We feel it’s important to release information, it might trigger people to call,” said RCMP Sgt. Chet Carroll. In addition, the RCMP are asking people to call if they have any information about Amber Manthorne’s missing cell phone or the large tote seen in the hatchback of her vehicle in the July 8, 2022 Husky fuel station video.

The large plastic tote container is black with a grey, domed, hinged lid, with built-in handles.

“If anyone has located, or locates, a bin similar to the one in the CCTV, or a cell phone similar to the one in the photographs, they are urged to call us immediately, says Const. Beth O’Connor, spokesperson for the PortAlberni RCMP. Amber’s cell phone has never been recovered, but police revealed that she was active on her phone until late on the night of July 7, 2022 and that the phone continued to ping in PortAlberni for several days after her disappearance. It is described as having a cover that holds credit cards and is shown in some photographs ofAmber.

“We will keep searching until she’s found but we need your help to bring Amber home to her family,” said Const. O’Conner.

“Please help us findAmber and bring her home,” addedAmber’s mother, Lor-

raine Murray. Amber Manthorne is 5 foot 1, 40 years old in 2022, with a slim 120-pound build, according to police.Any information can be directed to the PortAlberni RCMP at 250-723-2424.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts ofAmber Manthorne, or anyone who may know what happened to her, is asked to report this to their local police. Or, you can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477 (TIPS).

Amber Manthorne, 40, went missing from her home near Great Central Lake on July 8, 2022. Police have asked for the public’s help in getting any information about a large tote container and the location of her cell phone.

City of Nanaimo plants memorial tree for Lisa Marie

The missing Tla-o-qui-aht woman was last seen on June 30, 2002 during a night out with friends in Nanaimo

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Nanaimo, BC – It been 22 years since Lisa Marie Young went missing after a night out with friends – a longer period than the young woman had been living when she was last seen.

Lisa Young went missing June 30, 2002, following a night out with friends. Though family and friends have over the decades continued searching and working to keep Lisa in the public eye, they’ve accepted that sad fact that she is no longer living. They are now looking for information that will allow them to bring her home to her family.

On a stormy Oct. 18 morning, guests were invited to a tree dedication ceremony at the north end of Nanaimo’s Departure Bay waterfront walkway in memory of Lisa and all MMIWG2S+.

According to the City of Nanaimo, the dedication is supported by the City of Nanaimo’s Tree Donation Program, which began in the spring of 2024. They state that city staff worked closely with Lisa Marie Young’s family, friends, and supporters for the special dedication of a tree.

“The loss of this talented young person is deeply felt by her family, her friends, and her entire community,” said Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog. “It is our hope that the dedication of this tree at Departure Bay will provide comfort to everyone that loves and misses Lisa. We hope, too, that this tree will be meaningful for the families, friends and loved ones of all other missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people.”

Mayor Krog told Don Young that he and his late wife Joanne raised a good daughter, but, he said, it’s important to also raise good sons.

“Stop the gender violence,” he told the crowd.

Krog said it is our duty as citizens to step in to stop the violence. But it also the duty of leaders to stand against violence. He thanked other leaders for attending the event including MP Lisa Marie Barron, MLASheila Malcomson and the Nanaimo councillors that attended the ceremony.

Moses Martin, Lisa’s grandfather, said a prayer in his Tla-o-qui-aht language before thanking Mayor Krog and Cindy Hall for tirelessly helping his family in their search for Lisa.

“I want to express my family’s gratitude for your ongoing support. It’s uplifting for myself and my family that you’re always there for us,” he told the crowd.

Lisa’s mother Joanne Young has passed away in the years since her only daughter went missing. Her sister Carol Frank has taken on the role of being the voice of Lisa and the family. Standing with her mother, CeceliaArnet, Carol thanked the people for being by their side for the past 22 years.

She recalled the efforts her late sister Joanne made to find her daughter, and the pain she suffered, never having answers.

“It broke her heart. It changed her and she got sick. She did everything she could to find her,” said Carol.

Nanaimo Parks, Recreation and Culture arranged to have the cherry tree planted at the beautiful waterfront Departure Bay walkway in Nanaimo.

Don Young, Lisa’s father, liked the site.

He told the crowd that his family, at one point, lived nearby.

“We’d bring the three kids down to the park all the time…there were a lot of

picnics and stuff…lots of memories,” he shared.

Thanking the media for attending the event during a wind and rainstorm, Carol Frank vowed to continue the search for her niece.

“We’ll never stop until we get answers,” she promised.

The ceremony ended with a solemn reading of names of missing women followed by a moment of silence. Members of Lisa’s family assisted in planting the cherry tree.

CYPRESS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

Denise Titian photos

On a stormy Oct. 18 a cherry tree was planted at the Departure Bay walkway to recognise Lisa Marie Young. Pictured above is Lisa Marie’s father, Don Young, and her grandfather, Moses Martin (below).

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

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Denise Titian (Ext. 240) (250) 724-5757 Fax: (250) 723-0463 denise.titian@nuuchahnulth.org

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Urban housing sabotages recovery

Shelter for the marginalized can be the worst place to stay straight, says addict

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC - Critch desperately wants to get clean.

An admitted crack and crystal meth addict for most of his life, RichardAnthony Dick, also known as ‘Critch’, has been in and out of treatment facilities many times over the years. But as he heads to a longterm stint at the Pathway to Freedom recovery house in Surrey, he’s determined this time the future will unfold differently. Dick envisions eventually living by his parents on the Tseshaht reserve.

The 56-year-old admits that there will be a long past to overcome, including rebuilding the trust of those who care about him.

“I didn’t care about nothing but my crack, but I’ve hurt my family so many times,” said Dick. “It’s unreal how much they love me and have taken me back. They worry and pray about me every day.”

He’s struggled to hold down employment in logging and at sawmills over the years, and blames his addiction for the collapse of his second marriage.

“I’ve been dead to my family by stealing from them and manipulating them. I was a good manipulator,” admitted Dick. “I’ve been married twice. In my first marriage we had two daughters and a son. It just didn’t work out because we were so young.And the second marriage, she left me because of my addiction. I had two daughters with her.”

Dick expects to be at the Vancouver-area recovery house for as long as six months, but fears that when he returns to Port Alberni he’ll again end up at a shelter on EighthAvenue. This was where he was living when he spoke to Ha-Shilth-Sa in mid October, one week before he planned to move to Pathway to Freedom.

“When I come home from recovery, right away I’m at the shelter. That’s a bad place,” said Dick. “You can get it anywhere. There’s people that know what I do”

Dick described his struggles while at a family member’s PortAlberni home. He looked across the Somass River, where his Tseshaht First Nation’s reserve lies.

“Every time I come home I end up at the shelter,” he reflected. “But my home is here, across the bridge.”

Drug use is common at the shelter facility, said Dick, where substances are often consumed behind the building at an outdoor table known as “The Pit”. He’s overdosed twice at the shelter, and both times staff saved his life.

“I’ve OD’ed twice smoking crack with fentanyl in it,” said Dick, who was saved by naloxone. “The first time it was three Narcans, the second time 6 Narcans.”

As he hustles through the downpour of an October day, hauling garbage bags full of cans to cash in at a depot in PortAlberni’s poorest neighbourhood, Critch’s story is one among the thousands that comprise a drug crisis that has gripped British Columbia in a public health emergency for over eight years. The most recent data from the B.C. Coroners service offers some encouraging news, as over the first nine months of 2024 fatal overdoses have declined from last year by eight per cent. But with 1,749 deaths over this period, an average of six people are still being lost due to illicit drug use every day in B.C. – a tally that surpasses homicides, suicides, car crashes and natural causes combined for those under 60. Indigenous people are dying by overdose at a rate six times that of the rest of the province, according to the First Nations HealthAuthority. The continued devastation to families prompted the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council to declare a state of emergency on Sept. 19, citing the urgent need for more government support if the tragic tide is to change.

But something is being left out of this message, stresses Dick.

“We need a safe house on reserve.A safe place for people to come home to, to

Ha-Shilth-Sa belongs to every Nuu-chah-nulth person including those who have passed on, and those who are not yet born.Acommunity newspaper cannot exist without community involvement. If you have any great pictures you’ve taken, stories or poems you’ve written, or artwork you have done, please let us know so we can include it in your newspaper. E-mail holly.stocking@nuuchahnulth.org. This year is Ha-Shilth-Sa’s 50th year of serving the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. We look forward to your continued input and support. Kleco! Kleco!

continue their recovery,” he said. “Nuuchah-nulth leaders don’t understand, some of us do want to come home but it’s hard to come home because there’s nowhere to go.”

This brings in the issue of housing those with the lowest incomes, an urban dynamic that seems to inevitably lead to higher concentrations of substance addiction in certain areas. The problem feeds upon itself as pushers and addicts seek out each other. It’s a world where one hit of crack costs $10, enough to get high for a few minutes, said Dick.

“I just want more,” he admitted about the drug.

Ron Merk is co-chair of the PortAlberni CommunityAction Team, a collaborative initiative assembled to tackle the drug crisis in the small city and its surrounding communities. Merk observes that government-funded housing for marginalized people usually entails sheltering many in close quarters.

“It creates structures like the shelter, or say assisted living facilities. It’s all in one building and, unfortunately, the demographics of that building are the same,” he said. “That might be okay when you’re still actively using. But when you start to shift and get on the healing journey, all of a sudden all of the people around you are still actively involved, but you don’t want to be.”

Currently the waiting lists for other more private housing is “extremely long”, explained Merk, a challenge that often places recovering addicts into sheltertype living situations.

“We put him into the same bubbling cauldron of boiling water that he came out of, and then we’re surprised that he relapses and goes back to it,” he added.

“If you weren’t physically or mentally dependent on a substance, maybe you would be strong enough to resist that - but when you’ve already had those dependencies your ability to do that is like one in 10,000.”

Dick hoped that the cans he cashed in would pay for his ferry ticket to the mainland. Besides social assistance, over the last month he’s panhandled at the busy Tim Horton’s on Redford Street to gain cash.As he looks to the future, the hope of recovery has pushed him to use less.

“I just want a normal life. Just be normal for once.”

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RichardAnthony Dick

‘Enough is enough’: Election threatens harm reduction

On Oct. 19 the NDP barely won a majority, as public opinion seems to be turning from drug decriminalization

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Editor’s note: The following story contains profanity and reference to child abuse.

British Columbia’s political landscape has changed overnight, creating a dynamic that has some concerned about how the complexities of an ongoing drug crisis will be handled.

On the Oct.19 election night the Conservative Party of B.C. emerged from the province’s political fringe to come within a percentage point of the incumbent NDP’s share of the popular vote, creating razor-thin results in some polls that prompted recounts over the following 10 days. The latest vote count, which includes absentee and special ballots, has the NDP with 47 seats – the bare minimum for a majority government – the Conservatives with 44 and the Greens winning two. Judicial recounts are still possible for the closest ridings.

If the most recent count holds, the Conservatives will replace BC United as the official opposition in the legislature. The Liberal Party rebranded itself BC United last year, then collapsed before this fall’s election to allow John Rustad’s Conservatives to claim their place in Victoria.

The Conservative’s overnight election success is destined to have an impact on how the government handles the opioid crisis, and policy announcements made this year show that the NDP has already wavered from an approach deemed politically risky. This policy shift includes recriminalizing the consumption of illicit drugs in public spaces and hospitals in May, as well as the expansion of involuntary treatment for those with addiction issues.

More than eight years into a provincial public health emergency, the Conservatives have criticized the NDP’s handling of the crisis, calling it a “chaotic and permissive” approach that prioritizes “short term fixes”. In early October the upstart party released its platform on the issue, titled ‘BC Recovers:APlan to End the Overdose Crisis and Restore Mental Health Services In BC’.

“The Conservative Party of BC will never normalize drug addiction as a lifestyle choice: it is a cancer that destroys people, rips families apart and leads to deteriorating communities,” stated Conservative Leader John Rustad.

The latest data from the BC Coroners Service reports 1,749 deaths over the first nine months this year. This shows an eight-per-cent decrease in illicit drug fatalities from the same period in 2023, but an average of six people continue to die each day due to overdose.

In recent years the NDP has fought the opioid crisis by introducing a three-year decriminalization trial in early 2023 that allows people to carry small amounts of illicit substances. There has also been a push to get more users onto safer prescribed alternatives like hydromorphone. Meanwhile supervised drug consumption sites have grown to over 350 across B.C., where just one death has been reported since the start of the public health emergency.

“The so-called ‘solutions’of reckless experiments like decriminalization and ‘safe supply’have done nothing to stop the tragic record deaths, while creating turmoil in our communities,” stated the Conservative election platform, which speaks of restricting safe consumption sites. “As a temporary and emergency

measure, some existing overdose prevention sites may be required. Unlike Eby, we will not hesitate [to] shut down any site that refuses to abide by strict standards of conduct. No more free-for-all drug use near schools and playgrounds, no more spilling out onto residential streets.”

The sudden popularity of the Conservative Party of BC has some who are working to manage the opioid crisis concerned. Ron Merk is co-chair of the PortAlberni CommunityAction Team, a local initiative assembled to tackle the drug crisis.

“I’m really concerned,” said Merk after seeing the election results. “The NDP was more in tuned with the concepts of harm reduction, but clearly they’ve been told by the electorate of British Columbia that the electorate is not on board.”

“The current political climate is not very favourable,” said Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, deputy chief medical health officer with Vancouver Coastal Health, during an interview with Ha-Shilth-Sa inAugust. “We’re in a bit of a tricky situation: We need to do more to help people, but the public is not really supportive, even of what we’re doing currently.”

Lysyshyn works in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, an urban neighbourhood that for many years has posted by far the highest rate of drug-related fatality in B.C. He believes that much has been done in the province to help illicit drug users – but it’s not enough, and now Lysyshyn fears that progress could be lost

due to public intolerance.

“Recently we’ve been offering services in downtown Vancouver, in an area near Yaletown,” he said. “We faced lawsuits over our overdose prevention site because they feel it’s changing the character of the neighbourhood and harming the residents who don’t use it. People just don’t want to see people using drugs, and they feel entitled to have that view because using drugs is illegal.”

What’s being lost in the debate is the underlying roots of drug addiction, noted Lysyshyn.

“When we think about the causes of addiction, a lot of it has to do with adverse childhood events, things that happened to people when they were very little, essentially not getting the type of support they need at a time when they’re not able to support themselves,” he explained. “These things can happen to anyone, but in our Indigenous community, families have been disrupted and people have been removed from their communities, removed from the places where they get love and support from their communities.”

Acrack and crystal methamphetamine user for over 30 years, RichardAnthony Dick is well aware of why he’s addicted. It goes back to his childhood on the Tseshaht reserve in PortAlberni.

“When I was a kid, at the age of 7 and up for six years of my life, I was sexually abused. Both my uncles and one time with their friend,” recalled Dick, who commonly goes by the name ‘Critch’.

“I hate thinking about the past period, it really fucks me up.”

Dick’s refuge became clear in his early 20s with the first blast of cocaine through his nose.

“Woah, it was pretty good. It numbed my feelings right away,” he said.

For years Dick blamed himself for being sexually abused as a child, dulling the pain with drugs that are abundantly available in sections of PortAlberni.

“I’ve had good jobs and I’ve lost good jobs because of addiction,” he admitted.

“It’s hard to say that we need help.”

As pressure grows to get drug use off the streets, Merk believes that the government and those in public health need to better educate a fed-up public about the complexities of the crisis.

“Somehow, we as a society are separating ourselves from the people that are most marginalized,” he said. “They’re not understanding that the root causes of those people standing in front of them on the sidewalk are racism, intergenerational trauma, homelessness, poverty. If we’re not willing as a society to address those systemic issues, then they’re not going to fix it by thinking that they’re going to put those people in jail or punish them in some way.”

Dick wants to kick his addiction, and eventually move to the Tseshaht reserve to be with the family who love him. This fall he’s working on recovery through a residential facility in Surrey.

“It’s my choice to use or not, but it’s my choice to say enough is enough,” he said.

Eric Plummer photo

RichardAnthony Dick (above) carries cans to cash in at a bottle depot, money he hopes will pay for his ferry ticket to the mainland so he can move into a recovery home. Below is B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad during the campaign.

Ron Merk

Seal is served: How coastal First Nations are reclaiming the

Nuu-chah-nulth Youth Warriors Family harvested four harbour seals for food in October with hopes of reviving the largely forgo

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Before there was an Island highway connecting the west coast to the rest of Canada and long before there was a food store bringing in fresh supplies, coastal First Nations hunted and ate seal for subsistence.

To bring back this forgotten tradition, young Indigenous men from the Nuu-chahnulth Youth Warriors Family harvested four harbour seals in October – two from Sarita Bay in Huu-ay-aht First Nations (HFN) modern treaty territory and two from unceded Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations (TFN) territory.

For most of the Warriors, the whole experience of harbour seal hunting, or kuukuḥwisa ʔuʔuʔiiḥ as they say in Nuuchah-nulth language, was a first.

“There were a lot of emotions and tears of joy and pride in bringing this back and revitalizing this knowledge that’s asleep that existed up and down the coast,” said Spencer Greening (La’goot).

Greening, an Indigenous scholar from the Ts’myen (Tsimshian) People of the Pacific northwest, was trained by his elders in how to hunt seal. He was invited by the Warriors Family to mentor the team and show them how to harvest, gut and butcher the marine mammal as his ancestors did.

“It was a total privilege to be in this territory and mentor like they mentored me,” said Greening.

HFN member Leonard Nookemis, 24, joined fellow Warrior and HFN member Andrew Clappis Jr. with HFN knowledge keeper Tommy Joe and Greening on the hunt in Sarita Bay.

Sporting a wetsuit for the mission, Nookemis says they ventured into a shallow estuary in their little tin boat and saw seals scooting around everywhere.

“Fifteen or 20 popped up. It was a pick which one you want kind of deal,” said Nookemis. “I got to shoot it and had to dive through all his blood. I was snorkeling around trying to find it. It was my first big-game kill.”

“If you make a clean shot on a seal, often they’ll float because of their blubber content and because of the salt. Sometimes they do sink,” Greening noted.

Upon returning to shore, the rest of the

Spencer Greening crouches with harbour seals recently harvested from Sarita Bay with members of the Nuu-chah-nulth Youth Warrior Family for a Warriors team were called up to help with the butchering.

“We cut open one of the guts and there was a whole spring salmon in there. It just fell right out,” Nookemis shared, adding that the bone was really easy to butcher. “It was way softer than a deer.”

As you take apart a seal, Greening explained, the hide comes off first then the blubber is separated from the hide, cleaned and cubed for rendering into oil.After the blubber, the seal meat is butchered into cuts

for jarring and cuts for cooking.

“We used everything we could,” said Greening.

The Warriors will learn how to tan the hides, or pelt, at a future workshop.

Traditionally, seal pelts were used for all sorts of regalia like boots, gloves, earrings and coats. In a 1969 Fisheries and Research Board of Canada report on the harbour seal in B.C., author Michael Bigg wrote that: “Since 1962 this seal has been hunted for its commercially valued pelt. Seal hunters generally receive between $5 and $35 for a prime raw pelt and up to $50 when the demand is high.”

Ecological benefits of hunting seal

In his 1969 report, Bigg states that the harbour seal “gained notoriety from the fishing industry and sports fishermen as a predator on commercially valuable fish species.”

To reduce predation, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans put a bounty on the seal from 1914 to 1964, Bigg reports.

The commercial seal hunt ended in 1967 and the Pacific harbour seal population in B.C. has since increased to around 100,000, according to a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) species bulletin from 2019.

Ke-Lee-OnAtleo, left, and Ivan Wells Jr of the Youth Warriors jar seal for gifting out to family.

Spencer Greening, centre, and members Nuu-chah-nulth Youth Warrior Family inspect a harbour seal they recently harvested for a community feast.

reclaiming the hunt

reviving the largely forgo en practice

Rachel Dickens-Greening photos Nuu-chah-nulth Youth Warrior Family for a community feast.

Greening currently a Ph.D. student at Simon Fraser University investigating how using Indigenous knowledge and language in stewardship can create more sustainable Canadian land management practices. He says the plight of wild salmon is another reason why modern day coastal First Nations are keen on reviving seal hunting practices.

“Salmon stocks and salmon numbers are some of the worst they’ve ever been within memory. Seal and sea lions play a big part of that,” said Greening. “Becoming seal hunters again, we’re introducing ourselves back into the ecosystem as Indigenous

family.

people; an ecosystem where we were able to influence and sustain amazing fish populations for millennia. This is just one tool to help salmon populations.”

Community feast

Everything harvested was feasted with community and gifted out.

Rachel Dickens-Greening, a diabetes dietician and Ph.D. candidate at UBC studying land and food systems, spent two days teaching the Warriors how to process and cook the seal for a community feast.

“The act of hunting the seal was just as important as cooking it and gifting it. We fed over 30 people in Opitsaht and there was jarred meat for people to take home,” said Dickens-Greening, a new mother to baby girl Maaya’ol, which means ‘berry of the bears’in the Ts’msyen language.

Seal meat is very dark, notes Greening, who is Rachel’s husband, and it’s like gelatin when you butcher it.

“But it firms right up once you cook it,” said Dickens-Greening. “Often we are cooking it on a low and slow temperature to get it tender.”

Seal dishes served included ribs, burgers, tacos, seal and gravy, crispy fried heart, liver and onions and a sweet and salty recipe based off a Vietnamese caramelized pork recipe – a favourite amongst the Warriors.

“The plates were empty,” said Nookemis, noting that he thought the seal meat tasted a lot like roast beef. “It was really good.”

One elder shared at the community feast that he hadn’t eaten seal since the 1940s.

The flipper, a delicacy that was traditionally served to chiefs, matriarchs and the highest elder, was scorched and boiled like pigs’feet.

Seal harvesting rights in B.C.

Status-Indians don’t need a licence and have the right to hunt seal and sea lion in their territory for food, social and ceremonial purposes, according the 2017 Legal Services Society publication ‘AGuide to Aboriginal Harvesting Rights’.

Greening relays that back home in Ts’msyen territory “it’s no questions asked, it’s totally fine, as long as you have status and you’re in your traditional territory.”

As a modern treaty Nation, Huu-ay-aht was required to submit a Wildlife Harvest Plan to DFO and undergo a year-long permissions process to harvest seal, whereas Tla-o-qui-aht went internally for permissions with knowledge holders and the First Nation.

For non-status Indians, LegalAid says the regulations in B.C. do not recognize your right to hunt, trap, or freshwater fish without a licence, and when it comes to hunting seals, it’s illegal in the province unless you are a status-Indian.

In Eastern Canada however, seal hunters in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick can seek a personal licence to harvest up to six harp and/or grey seals, according to a recent announcement from DFO.

“Previously, DFO’s Commercial Fisheries Licensing Policy for Eastern Canada only allowed harvesters in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador to apply for personal-use seal licences,” reads the DFO announcement. “In addition to expanding the personal-use seal harvest into new provinces, amendments to the policy have also incorporated the long-standing practice of requiring harvesters to participate in humane harvesting information sessions.”

DFO went on to say they will work with provinces on options to further expand access to the personal use seal harvest next year.

Nookemis is already looking forward to harvesting his next seal. He says he wants to get a pelt for his grandparents and thinks seal meat could one day be distributed in community just like food fish.

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Elder teaches making medicine from local plants

Teas and tinctures treat anxiety, headaches, or support immunity - there’s even a plant to reduce booze cravings

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC –Awalk in the forest, or even a gander around your house, could yield a basket load of medicinal plants if one knows what to look for. That is what Darlene Leonew shared with a group of local elders wanting to learn about medicinal plants at the PortAlberni Friendship Center.

Surrounded by mason jars of dried leaves, roots, flowers and other concoctions, Leonew invited the elders to learn about each plant and what it is used for at a PAFC event held Oct. 21 at their Wellness Centre on 4th Avenue.

“I’m passionate about medicine plants – I can talk about it all day long,” she laughed.

She was thrilled that her boyfriend gifted her six tubs of coconut oil for her birthday.

“He knows what I love to do, and he sometimes sits in the truck while I’m picking plants in the forest,” she shared. Leonew, whose roots reach back to Ojibwe territory in Ontario, says she has elders there that have taught her about medicinal plants from their home. But she has lived most of her life in Nuuchah-nulth territory where she became inspired by late Hupacasath elder Ed ‘Tat’Tatoosh, who taught others what he knows through local medicine walks.

She also learned from elder Della Rice who is well known for teaching medicinal plants.

“There’s also been a lot of book learning, the internet and hands-on learning,” Leonew told Ha-Shilth-Sa.

She has experimented with recipes and perfected them through trial and error.

She offered her guests hot bay leaf water, more like a tea, telling them it is high in vitamin c. The bay leaf can be grown locally. Leonew has a friend that grows the plant and offers her leaves every year. She dries the leaves and stores them in mason jars.

Leonew passed around jars of different medicines, briefly explaining what each one is made of, how it is made and what it can be used for. She had chickweed

salve made with coconut oil and a little beeswax. It is used for minor skin conditions like eczema, abrasions, and burns.

The cannabis and devils’club salve is used for muscle or arthritic pain. Her collection of prepared plants included eucalyptus, rosemary, lilac, lavender, sage, horsetail, yarrow, chamomile, devil’s club, rosehips, dandelion and much more. There were teas and tinctures used for treating anxiety, headaches, or providing immune support.And there’s even a plant preparation that Leonew says helps reduce cravings for alcohol, helpful for those that are in early recovery.

Many of her medicines are made in her home from plants found in local forests or even just from a walk along the

waterfront trail in PortAlberni, according to Leonew. But she warns, its important to confirm what plant you are harvesting because there are some look-alikes that may not be good for consumption.

Besides learning medicine recipes from elders, Leonew has a collection of books that she learns from. There are two things to keep in mind when using traditional medicinal plants: you must give them time to work, and you must believe in the healing power of the plants.

Leonew shares her medicinal plant knowledge at PAFC events like elders groups or in the daycare. She’s attended events and delivered classes for local groups.

She credits several Nuu-chah-nulth

elders for sharing their teachings with her and is aware that some warn that certain medicine ingredients and/or recipes are supposed to be kept secret.

“There are some things I can’t sharebut we also can’t gate-keep either, or else nobody could learn,” she said.

Leonew recalls advice given to her by late Hesquiaht elder, Tupaat (Julia Lucas): “When you learn something new, you share it with four people.” That is how teachings are kept alive, Leonew shared.

Calling her hobby fun, Leonew says she hopes someday to write a book about medicinal plants or teach in schools.

Phrase†of†the†week:†Hii†in%a+%iš††mii+mis†kiimiitup†c’a%uk%i†muu>uk%a>%iš††%uupi†piis†%uu%a>uk%ic^

Pronounced ‘he nin alt ish mil t miss kaa me tup saa ugk muu luk alt ish who pii wal sup ooh a luk piis ich’, it means ‘the heavy rains have come now to fill our rivers for the fish to spawn in their grounds. Be careful out there!’Supplied by ciisma.

Illustration by Maddexx george

Denise Titian photo

On Oct. 21 Darlene Leonew shared with a group of local elders wanting to learn about medicinal plants at the PortAlberni Friendship Center.

PAFC celebrates new life at baby welcoming ceremony

Nine babies were the stars of the gathering Oct. 25, an event the friendship centre holds a couple times annually

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC – Nine little babies were the stars of a recent celebration of newness at the PortAlberni Friendship Center on Oct. 25.

Darlene Leonew of the PortAlberni Friendship Center planned the celebration, complete with lunch for the proud parents, grandparents, and babies.

“We did this in Spring 2024…we try to do it a couple times a year,” said Leonew.

The PortAlberni Friendship Center offers many programs and services including support for infants, children, and young families.

Sharean Van Volsen, Hupacasath elder, thanked the people for joining in the celebration on behalf of her nation. Elder Irene Robinson did the same on behalf of Tseshaht First Nation.

Robinson recalled the words of late Hesquiaht elderAlice Paul who talked about how precious children are.

“It is one of the highest honors, to be here welcoming the babies,” said Robinson.

The mothers and babies were invited to sit in a circle of chairs, where each infant was introduced to the crowd before being given hand-made headbands and gift bags.

Elder Marie Rush of Uchucklesaht said her grandmother was a midwife, delivering many babies in her time.

“She had many lullaby songs,” Marie

& babies:

Erin and Isaac

She sang one of those songs to the babies before lunch was served.

The event was sponsored by the Port Alberni Friendship Center with support of staff from the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and community donors.

Denise Titian photos

Moms

Above,

sit with Serena & Skylar. Below, Chyanne & Oaklyn with Michelle & Isreal. told the crowd.

First Nation land.

RCMP raids Vancouver Island pot dispensaries

Raids and arrests include Green Coast Dispensary of Hupacasath reserve, packaged THC candies seized

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

BC RCMP Federal Policing say they have taken down an organized crime group after raiding two Vancouver Island dispensaries, five residences and arresting six suspects who were believed to be involved in the distribution of illicit drugs, unregulated cannabis, and contraband tobacco.

The take down was executed on Oct. 3 at the Green Coast Dispensary in Port Alberni located on Hupacasath First Nation land and Coastal Storm Dispensary in Lantzville.

Search warrants were also executed at a suspected stash site in PortAlberni, and a storage and production facility adjacent to Coastal Storm Dispensary, according to RCMP. This included two modular trailers where cannabis edibles were being produced, stored, and distributed.

Police say the raid led to the seizure of over 120,000 cannabis edibles with packaging resembling popular chocolate bars, potato chips, nacho chips, honey, and other candies.Authorities also seized over three kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms, 1,740 psilocybin capsules, over 400 psilocybin chocolate/candies and a multitude of other psilocybin products, 2.2 pounds of pressed cannabis resin; Over 500 pounds of cannabis bud, over 19 pounds of shatter and over 5,000 cannabis vape cartridges.

In a CBC Radio interview, Cpl.Arash Seyed, RCMP Media Relations Officer, said the investigation originally started with illegal cigarettes and that they “stumbled upon” the counterfeit cannabis-laced candy when they raided the properties.

RCMP seized five vehicles, twoATM machines containing cash, over 164 Master Cases of contraband tobacco (equating to 82,000 packs of cigarettes), over

$400,000 in cash, a shotgun, and other paraphernalia.

With Halloween just around the corner, RCMP Pacific Region Chief Superintendent Stephen Lee urged the public to “practice extreme caution if they already possess, or come across such products in the future.”

“Given the highly contaminated and unsanitary conditions of the illicit drug production facility where these cannabis edibles were being produced, it is possible that the consumption of these products can lead to serious health risks,” said Chief Lee.

Police say that although the contraband cannabis-laced candy bars and chips resembled professionally manufactured, packaged, and quality-controlled products, they were produced in the highly unsanitary, and heavily contaminated modular trailers.

“Apreliminary assessment of the edibles also indicates that they had been treated with unknown amounts of THC, and likely cross-contaminated with other drugs and substances present in the trailers where they were being produced and packaged,” stated the RCMP. “Of equal concern were that counterfeit snacks with packaging claims of possessing medicinal properties, and dangerously high drug potency values, with many of the candy wrap labels claiming to be one-hundred times more potent than regulated cannabis products.”

The operation was a collaboration between numerous RCMP Federal Policing units, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit-BC (CFSEU-BC), Criminal Intelligence Service BC (CISBC), Nanaimo and PortAlberni RCMP detachments, and other partner agencies.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and numerous drug-offence-related charges are being pursued.

Netp Bladerunners office administration essentials

November 4-22, 2024

9:00 am – 3:00 pm Tyhistanis – Tofino

2 weeks in person, 1 week online hybrid training model. BladeRunners eligible clients: 15-30 years of age unemployed or underemployed, must have a SIN, not currently attending school, and have not participated in the program in the last 4 years. To register contact Gregory. thoma@nuuchahnulth.org

Nuu-chah-nulth Baby Group

Every Monday

CYS - 4841 Redford Street, Port Alberni

10am-12pm. We offer Prenatal and infant development information, special guests, snacks provide and $20.00 food voucher per family. 250-724-3939. Enter from 4th avenue side, building with orange stripe.

Girls Group

&Community Beyond

Every Tuesday

Usma culture space, PortAlberni

5:00pm-7:00pm Girls ages 13-18. Need a safe space? Want to express yourself? Looking to learn to bake and cook? Do you enjoy doing crafts? Come join us for fun activities with food and refreshments every Tuesday!

Eating in Balance

Wednesdays

PortAlberni Friendship Center

Participants will receive a $10.00 grocery coupon that can be used at Quality Foods and Buy Low Foods. Open to all families with children 0-6. To register please contactAmber at 250-723-8281 ext. 233

Cultural Brushings with Quu asa

Every Friday

RedfordAdministration Building, Port Alberni

9:00am-12:00pm Cultural Brushings in support of the Tseshaht Community.

Kleco Kleco

Vic Pearson’s family sincerely appreciates the tribute article that was published in Ha-Shilth-Sa a year ago after his passing.

Vic was first employed as a Band Financial Officer (BFO). Not being familiar with the location of every community, he asked for travelling advice and was told, “don’t drive through any gates” Each trip, meeting or cultural event was a learning experience to him.

He treasured every moment he spent with Nuu-chah-nulth people. Kleco Kleco

Photo caption: Children play a game of Stealing Sticks at Iusuk all aspects of connecting them back to their culture and identity. Although the Hesquiaht Rediscovery Camps are no longer running, Hesquiaht Elder Stephen Charleson and his wife Karen Charleson continue connecting youth to the land with their own program Hooksum Outdoor School today.

During the summer of 1999, Hesquiaht Rediscovery Camp held four youth camps fostering an increased awareness of oneself, one’s culture and traditional territories. In these camps over 100 participants from various nations learned about gathering and the preparation of red cedar bark and its various uses. Engaging the youth in food-gathering, dancing, singing and storytelling were

- Original submission by Karen Charleson

Eric Plummer photo

On Oct. 3 police conducted multiple raids, including one at the Green Coast Dispensary in PortAlberni, which is located on Hupacasath

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

Project grows food in water with koi fish waste

Aquaponics could help with food sovereignty in remote communities, says Hesquiaht member Jayden Corbeil

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

By using the waste of Koi fish to grow fresh produce, Vancouver Island University (VIU) engineering student Jayden Corbeil (Iversen) is hoping to improve food supply issues in remote communities with an open-source aquaponics project.

Acollaboration with the Haíɫzaqv ClimateAction Team from Bella Bella in the central coast of B.C., the Hesquiaht member’s capstone project looks at manufacturing a small-scale, semi-automated aquaponics system. The project will be placed in a classroom at the Bella Bella Community School.

Haíɫzaqv ClimateAction Team hopes to eventually upscale Corbeil’s proof-ofconcept aquaponics system to a larger unit to increase food security for their region.

“The big goal is to remove reliance on external suppliers,” said Corbeil, the 2019Alberni District Secondary School Valedictorian.

“I don’t want people to have to rely on the grocery store to get food. I don’t want people to have to rely on the barge coming in with their shipments of goods to feed themselves,” he continued. “I would really like to see a future where communities are growing all their own food and if the supply chain is disrupted or we lose contact, it’s not going to put us in a state of starvation.”

Corbeil says the beauty of the aquaponics system is that it’s sustainable, scalable and reliable.

“You can scale these systems down for a hobby system in your house or you could scale it all the way up to an industrial system where you are harvesting hundreds of fish every month and thousands of heads of lettuce every week,” said Corbeil. He opted to design an aquaponics system with Koi fish in an aquarium rather than growing fish for harvest, largely because of the stigma that is often associated with fish farms.

“Particularly among First Nations communities there is a lot of negative connotations with the idea of farming fish, so for now I’m trying to avoid having any fish for harvest purposes,” said the 23-year-old.

“Koi fish are a very hardy and resilient fish,” he continued. “If the water temperature changes on them by a few degrees, they’re not going to get too upset about that and if they lose air supply for a day, due to a critical malfunction, they’re not going to all die immediately whereas

some other fish such as tilapia, salmon or trout are a lot more sensitive to changes in environment.”

Jollity Farm on Thetis Island, part of B.C.’s Gulf Islands, has a commercial aquaponics farm that uses 30 to 50 Koi to help grow roughly 1,800 heads of lettuce. Farmer Noah Bond says they harvest around 50 pounds of lettuce in a week, which they sell at the Jollity market and at their café in Chemainus.

Jollity is working with Corbeil and Haíɫzaqv ClimateAction Team on their aquaponics project.

“I think it’s sustainable. Just like anything, you need someone to be aware of what’s going on and be there to check things. I check it twice a day. I don’t have to do too much; you know a session here and there with planting, but after that the upkeep is pretty easy,” said farmer Bond. He adores the symbiotic relationship he has with the Koi.

“They’re like my buddies. They are kind of working with me and I’m working with them,” he said.

Aquaponics salad tastes a little lighter than lettuce grown in soil, according to farmer Bond.

“I find the leaves are a little lighter. The

weight is a little bit lighter and only for the reason because of the minerals. I’m learning every day,” he said, noting that he adds iron to the deep bath that the lettuces float in.

Corbeil started working on the engineering design for his proof-of-concept aquaponics system in early 2024. Lately, his focus has been on the coding for the semi-automated system.

“There is a microcontroller that is sensing and controlling water levels as well as temperatures for the water and light exposure for the plant beds,” he explains. But the key to the whole system is the nitrifying bacteria that converts the fish waste into nutrient rich food for the plants.

“It turns all the bad stuff in the water into good stuff for the plants,” Corbeil said.

His aquaponics system is sized to grow eight to 10 heads of lettuce and will cost a maximum of $2,000 in materials. The automation aspect of the project makes the price go up, but Corbeil says it can be replicated for under $200 with parts from a hardware store.

Following graduation next year, Corbeil has his sights set on getting his Canada Lands Surveyor certification so he can contribute to infrastructure development in remote communities and First Nation reserves.

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.

Noah Bond photo

Jollity Farms on Thetis Island has a commercial aquaponics farm with around 50 koi fish to grow lettuce.

Jayden Corbeil

Health fair showcases positive mind reprogramming

Free

haircuts, massages, reflexology, mini manicures and the talents of ‘the world’s first Indigenous hypnotist’

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

TheAlberniAthletic Hall was filled with delights on Oct. 23 and 24 as Nuu-chahnulth members soaked up all the offerings at the 2024 Health-Ability Fair.

Spots for free haircuts, massages, reflexology and mini manicures filled up quickly and after digesting a hearty fish soup and fish sandwich lunch, attendees spent the afternoon laughing and learning about inner strength with Indigenous comedy hypnotist Scott Ward.

“We need to reprogram our mind with positive suggestions. You have to program your mind for success, and this is called neuro-linguistic programming. Our minds are like computers. Each and every day it gets stronger and stronger,” Ward said.

“Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it,” he continued. “When I said I was going to be the world’s first Indigenous hypnotist, I had to believe I was a hypnotist before even hypnotizing the first person.”

Ward has helped hundreds of people quit smoking and shared his message of empowerment with over 400 First Nations communities.

During his mentalist act, Ward performed a series of extraordinary feats like mind-reading.At the end of his act, he asked a volunteer from the audience,Alice George, to think of a “deep question”

and mentalist Scott Ward

and write it down on a piece of paper.

Shocking the crowd, Ward guessed George’s question correctly – “How do people heal from residential schools?”

George, a residential school survivor who is 40 years sober, took to the mic and addressed her own question.

“It takes a lifetime to heal. I hope our People will heal and I hope the government will let go of control of us because they still are. It’s sad. Our People deserve to be ourselves and we would be so much greater,” said George.

“How do you take your power back?”

the

Ward asked George. “The key is don’t give your power away and take control of your power.”

“There are so many answers, and you will get hundreds of answers from many survivors, but I think what you said was right on,” he added. “It’s a lifelong healing that needs to take place.”

Andrea Yaulthmuk (Amos-Baker) of the Hesquiaht and Squamish First Nations is a former student of the old Christie Residential School and a cancer survivor. She attended the Health-Ability Fair with her daughter, Veronica, who has autism andADHD.

Twenty-four-year-old Veronica is “mostly happy and doesn’t know how to hold a grudge. She loves her culture,” says Yaulthmuk, who is her main caregiver. She would like to see the Nuu-chahnulth Tribal Council create “our own version of Community Living” that supports adults living with developmental disabilities.

“Where do the kids go when they age out of care? The sharks of society would be gunning for Veronica without a caregiver,” Yaulthmuk told the Ha-shilth-sa.

Keeping the mind healthy with cultural healing

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC – “I’ve been through a lot of things and did a lot of healing,” says Stan Matthews, who has been working with Indigenous people in cultural healing for 36 years.

The Tla-o-qui-aht member shared his experiences during “Keep your mind wiikšaḥii (healthy), a cultural approach to loss”, a feature presentation that led day two of the DAC HealthAbility Fair on Oct. 24 at theAlberniAthletic Hall.

The youngest of nine children, Matthews grew up in Nanaimo. His first, most profound experience of loss was when his father passed away when Mattews was only seven years old.

“I didn’t know what happened,” he said, adding that death was never explained to him.

He didn’t know what his mother meant when she told her young son that his father was gone.

At a very young age Matthews tasted alcohol. By the time he was 14 he was kicked out of school due to drinking. His mother told him if he wasn’t going to school, then he would have to work. So, he did. But that didn’t bring the results his mother had hoped for.

“Now I was making money, and guess what I spent that on?” he asked the crowd.

By the age of 25, Matthews became disenchanted with alcohol and drugs, but he needed help to break free of addiction. He reached out to Tillicum Haus, the Friendship Centre in Nanaimo, where he not only got clean, but also launched a career, helping others.

His first job in this role was at the Nuuchah-nulth Tribal Council, where his mentor was the Ditidaht elder Charlie Thompson.

“We traveled to the Nuu-chah-nulth communities and knocked on doors. We learned our ways from our people,” he shared.

That was back in the late 1980s. Thirtysix years later, Matthews built on his skill set taking advanced training in the human services areas of addictions, trauma, family dynamics and abuse issues. He has also had training in hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy, or hypnosis, says Matthews, is simply focused attention and can be a tool to help people heal. It is reaching the subconscious part of the mind.

When you’re driving and drift off in your thoughts, and next thing you know you’re further down the road and don’t remember getting there – that’s focused attention, according to Matthews. He went on to explain that when you reach that part of your mind, you can reprogram thoughts, replacing negative ideas with positive ones.

Matthews says people can practice this with their toddlers. When they’ve fallen asleep, Matthews says you should lie next to them and, in a soft and gentle voice, fill them with positivity.

“Tell them how good they are, how smart they are, how well they will do in life,” he advised.

When it comes to death, Matthews said Indigenous people did things differently than how they are done today. Prior to western influence, he said, laying a person to rest was a small, immediate family event.

“The deceased person was brought inside the home through a window,” said Matthews.

He went on to say that the family would sit with their lost loved one for a period of time before the deceased was taken back out through the window and laid to rest, either in a cave or up a tree.

On Oct. 24 Stan Matthews shared strategies to cope with grief and loss he has learned over a 36-year career in healing. His presentation was part of the DAC HealthAbility Fair at theAlberniAthletic Hall.

But then change came and people started having funerals.

“It became monetized,” said Matthews, adding that people now have to pay for caskets and services.

There were cultural, traditional ways to guide us through loss, said Matthews.

“We have cultural and traditional ways for just about everything,” he noted.

“Honor the memory of those you’ve lost.”

He told people to think of the eagle when they’re feeling overwhelmed with grief.

“The eagle spreads its wings and allows the wind to carry it high above the storm,” he shared.

Mental fitness is important. It means keeping your mind challenged and engaged through activities like reading, doing puzzles, taking education programs.

“We keep our minds healthy by keeping it challenged,” said Matthews, adding

that cultural things like singing, dancing, weaving and making art keep our minds healthy.

Spiritual self-care means having the ability to connect to something larger than ourselves. For some Nuu-chah-nulth people, that entity is Naas, the Creator.

Calming the mind is important. Having the ability to tune out the world and relax for a few minutes can help. Practicing yoga is one way to calm the mind and connect with self, said Matthews.Another way is to connect with elders.

“Sit with them, reignite that sense of connection,” said Matthews.

He warned that we can’t let social media take the place of in-person interaction.

“Our culture and tradition are not to keep things. We pass things on – we share,” said Matthews. “We have the tools – the medicine to reconnect spiritually, to cleanse.And if you don’t know how, you can learn.”

Denise Titian photo

Nora O’Malley photo

Hypnotist

gathers

group in a circle for introductions during his empowerment workshop.