Video game teaches children Ditidaht language

Game is designed to prepare three to six year olds for language classes at the First Nation’s community school

By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Nitinaht Lake, BC - Ditidaht First Nation has released a kid’s video game that takes players on a cultural journey by canoe through the nation’s traditional territory, off the coast of Vancouver Island. The game was designed as a tool to prepare children aged 3 to 6 for attending kindergarten at Ditidaht Community School (DCS), where they begin taking diiʔdiiʔtidq language classes. Through songs and traditional teachings voiced by community elders and speakers, children are provided with an opportunity to learn their traditional language “in a fun way,” said Tina Joseph, Ditidaht Kids research and production manager. “It’s hard to believe that something like this was developed so tailored to our children in our language,” she said. “To see the representation of my own people is amazing … it helps kids identify with culture and feel like they’re a part of something.” Illustrated scenes, such as community members hanging fi sh in a smokehouse, also expose children to traditional ways of life, said Joseph. “[Smoking fi sh] was and still is a huge part of our culture,” she said. “It sustains us and nourishes us.” Funded by the First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC), Ditidaht Kids was created by DCS’ language department, which collaborated with fl uent elders, knowledge keepers, singers, historians, teachers, parents, and children. While gaming may not be a holistic method for language revitalization, FPCC Language Technology Programs Coordinator Kyra Borland said it’s an important tool that supports language revitalization eff orts. Not only is gamifi cation a “great way” to merge cultural roots with modern technology, Borland said it also makes language learning available to anyone living outside of the community who doesn’t have access to elders or knowledge keepers. “Making that context available is a really important way of reconnecting folks who have become disconnected from their community with the language

Submitted photo Amanda Peter uses the Ditidaht Kids video game after it was released. The game can be downloaded for free onto mobile devices. revitalization opportunities that exist,” she said. Since its release on September 23, there have been over 350 downloads of the game, which is available for free through the Apple Store app, and will soon be available through the Google Play app store. Debbie Jeff rey, who voiced one of the game’s characters, was fi rst introduced to her language through her grandparents as a young child. By modernizing the tools used to teach language, the semi-fl uent speaker said it will have a wider reach among the nation’s younger population. Jeff rey said previous attempts to teach language to her 8-year-old weren’t as effective as the video game. “Now that she has the app downloaded, she’s hooked,” said Jeff rey. “It’s important to keep our language and culture alive … utilizing technology is defi nitely benefi cial as this is where our kids are going today.” In 2002, Jeff rey started taking language classes at DCS when she was 23 years old. At the time, she said the nation had around 10 fl uent speakers. “Now, we’re down to four,” she said. By continuing to speak her traditional language, Jeff rey said she’s preserving her elders’ teachings and making them accessible others. Like many other nations along the coast, diiʔdiiʔtidq language revitalization is challenging because there aren’t many fl uent speakers left, said Ditidaht Kids Project Coordinator Dave Mason. “The normal means of [revitalizing language] is to sit on your grandparents’ knee and listen to them,” he said. “But that’s no longer possible because there are so few speakers left.” Developing an adventure game that would allow kids to become acquainted with their language was one solution, said Mason. Critical to language revitalization is supporting Indigenous communities’ right to self-determination, said Borland. “The ability to identify and meet [their] needs without external interference is an important part of reconciliation in our country,” she said. “To give folks the power to determine what, why, how, when, and where language revitalization will happen for them in their communities.” The other piece, Borland said, is providing nations with data sovereignty. “Having these games developed inhouse by teams that are from the community allows the community to control where that data ultimately ends up,” she said. Looking back on the two-year project, Jeff rey said it has been an “honour.” “Our culture is stored in language and our work to save our language is gaining momentum,” she said. “This game is a part of that work.”

Phrase†of†the†week:†Qwac’ałʔiš ʔał ʕay’iič ḥ huupʔatuʔaƛquu hupał

Pronounced ‘qwa calth ish alth ah r ich who butt alt qu who pulth’, it means ‘autumn season sure brings beautiful sunsets’. Supplied by ciisma.

The former fi sh processing plant has been reinvented, now off ering a new commercial food production facility

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Port Alberni, BC – An offi cial opening ceremony of an innovative new commercial food production service opened at Port Alberni’s waterfront on Oct. 1. Several dignitaries were on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony of The Dock+, located at 3140 Harbour Road. The former fi sh processing plant has been reinvented and now off ers a commercial food production facility with a focus on local, sustainable foods. The Dock+ will have business tenants selling locally harvested and processed food like smoked salmon, seaweed products, and other items made from sustainably harvested produce and seafood. It is part of the BC Food Hub Network, whose mission is the help the province’s food and beverage businesses grow, innovate and commercialize. They do this by improving entrepreneur access to facilities, equipment, technology, technical services and business supports. “The Network is being developed in collaboration with industry, communities and post-secondary institutions to build provincial food and beverage processing while serving the regional and sector diversity of the province,” states the Ministry of Agriculture’s website. The celebration began with words of welcome from Hupacasath elder Ron Hamilton, who spoke on behalf of Ha’wilth Alton Watts. He thanked the organizers for inviting Hupacasath to the celebration, recognizing their rights in the Alberni Valley. Hamilton recalled that early residential schools attempted to make farmers of their Indigenous children. “They had us raising chickens, slaughtering pigs and cows,” Hamilton shared. He noted his late uncle Dr. George Clutesi said none of them became farmers. “When I was a small child, we would pick small, wild onions that we traded – it was a valuable food commodity,” he said, noting that nobody harvests them anymore. Hupacasath Councillor Jolleen Dick thanked the City of Port Alberni and the Port Alberni Port Authority for their forward thinking and collaborative approach in making the food hub a reality. “In our language food is ha’oom,” she said. Ha’oom Fisheries Society was created to support the fi ve Nuu-chah-nulth nations implement their court-won right to fi sheries resources. “We are always having to fi ght for food resources,” she noted. Ken Watts, elected Tseshaht chief, welcomed people and gave a brief history of the site that The Dock+ stands on. “This place is not only culturally important (having been used for important ceremonies by the Tseshaht) but also important economically for fi sh,” he said. PAPA Chair Shelley Chrest thanked all the stakeholders for being there. “The pandemic reminds us that we need each other in order to survive and thrive,” she said. “The Dock+ exemplifi es that we’re better when we work together.” According to Chrest, the City of Port Alberni secured funding from the Island Coast Economic Trust, which made a signifi cant contribution to The Dock+. “They took a dormant fi sh processing plant and transformed it,” said Chrest. Chrest also acknowledged government offi cials who helped make The Dock+ a reality: Lana Popham, minister of Agriculture, MP Gord Johns and MLA Josie Osborne. Minister Popham said it has been her dream to launch a regenerative agricultural network to combat climate change and to bring back food systems. “There is space for Indigenous knowledge,” she said, adding that she hopes Ron Hamilton will take her to the place he harvested wild onions one day. “It is important that the community gets access to resources in their area and bring it together…food brings people together like sitting around the kitchen table,” Popham said. Popham told the crowd that everyone wants B.C. food so the possibilities for economic development are endless. Mayor Sharie Minions concurred, saying that with the recent purchase of the adjacent 43-acre Somass lands, the potential is limitless. “We are incredibly excited to work with PAPA as we move forward,” she said. The City of Port Alberni calls The Dock+ promising future for the production, harvesting, processing and sales growth of local foods and natural products. Minister Popham and Chrest offi cially opened the facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a public tour of The Dock+. Tenants and businesses off ered up locally harvested and or produced foods. Flurer Smokery off ered up freshly smoked candied salmon samples. Kove Ocean, a seaweed producer, gave away popcorn seasoned with their bottled, dried sea spice. Wildfl ower Bakeshop & Café had samples of fresh seafood appetizers while Effi ngham Oysters off ered fresh oysters on the half-shell. To date, there are food hubs operating or under development in thirteen communities in B.C.

B.C. Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham and Shelly Chrest, chair of the Port Alberni Port Authority, cut the ribbon to offi cially open the Dock+ at Port Alberni’s Harbour Quay on Oct. 1.

‘We can talk to it’: Pole’s name references fi rst woman

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Port Alberni, BC - As its eyes look east toward the rising sun this autumn, the carver behind a totem pole recently raised by the Somass River is stressing the piece’s importance of honouring women. “The pole stands for our women,” said Tim Paul, who unveiled project on Sept. 18 at Port Alberni’s waterfront, “most importantly is language, the cultural teaching.” The Hesquiaht caver named the pole naasnaasʔaqsa (pronounced ‘naas naas uksa’), referencing the fi rst woman. Paul recalls a story told by his aunt Alice Paul in 1989, when another totem pole he carved was raised in the Canadian Museum of History’s Grand Hall in Ottawa. “This is where she referred to the beginning, the fi rst woman, naasnaasʔaqsa, because women are our knowledge keepers,” he recalled. “That’s where that name comes from. But defi nitely the pole is honouring our ladies.” What began as a windfallen cedar found in the forest of Huu-ay-aht territory eventually became the 37-foot piece that now stands over Port Alberni’s Victoria Quay. The project was initiated by the First Nations Education Foundation in 2018 to mark the United Nations International

Photo by Eric Plummer Unveiled Sept. 18 by Port Alberni’s Victoria Quay, naasnaasʔaqsa is now available for the public to see. The totem pole’s name was given in reference to the fi rst woman, according to its carver Tim Paul. Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019. When the pole was unveiled the education foundation noted that almost three quarters of the 60 or so Indigenous languages that are still spoken in Canada are at risk of being lost within a generation. Thirty-four of these Aboriginal languages exist in British Columbia. “If these languages become extinct, Indigenous nations risk losing their cultural identities forever,” stated the education foundation. naasnaasʔaqsa stands on the site of Noopts’ikapis, a historical Tsehshaht village where people once lived by the Somass River. On a patch near a former helicopter pad, the pole is accessible to the public at the edge of San Group Property, where the company operates a sawmill. As has been in the case with his other totem poles, maintenance will be required as the elements take their toll on the piece, said Paul. “It will have to be touched up, as years, the weather and everything else gets a hold of it,” said Paul. “It will be up to the young people, the local tribes.” The pole has so far attracted considerable interest over its fi rst days of standing. Hundreds showed up for the unveiling on Sept. 18, and a Sept. 30 walk organized by the Tseshaht First Nation for Orange Short Day, or the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is scheduled to stop at naasnaasʔaqsa. “It’s alive now and we can talk to it,” explained Paul. “It’s really up to the young people now to approach that with all of the history, all of the names and all of the songs that are attached to it – that they lay out to making change, making a good life and good path for themselves.”

Health Corner Health benefi ts of Nuuchah-nulth principles

Nuu-chah-nulth Principles remind us to respect ourselves, our ancestors, our environment, and to be humane to all living things because everything makes our life possible. Principles: his^uk%is^†c`awaak

“Everything†is†one”†is†a†well-known† saying†amongst†Nuu-chah-nulth†people† and†is†the†primary†principle†guiding†the† others.†his^uk%is~†c`awaak†is†the†foundation† our†peoples†have†built†upon.†Our†principles†teach†us†to†look†at†things†in†their† simplest†form.†The†right†to†be†comes† from†living†in†a†manner†that†is†sustainable.†In†order†to†survive†and†govern†effectively,†we†must†continue†as†strong†people† and†have†the†resources†to†sustain†those† people†and†future†generations.

%iisaak

“Respect†with†caring”†means†not†only† respect†for†ourselves,†but†also†respect†for† our†environment†and†the†right†to†live.† %iisaak†is†a†reminder†that†we†are†dependent†on†the†air†we†breathe,†the†water†we† drink,†and†the†food†we†eat.†Like†breathing,†this†respect†must†be†an†exchange,†a† reciprocal†relationship†of†give†and†take.† We†must†also†respect†others,†their†surroundings†and†ways†of†being,†and†recognize†diversity†as†a†strength†and†Nuu-chahnulth†birthright. hupiist`u>

“Helpful†and†kind†to†one†another”†begings†from†within†(helping†yourself†first)† and†being†mindful†of†what†you†hope†to† make†of†each†day.†The†positive†outcome† of†practising†this†principle†will†ripple†out† and†benefit†community†at†large.†An†act†of† kindness†and†being†helpful†can†also†have† an†impact†on†yourself†and†those†you†have† surrounded†yourself†with.†Again,†it†is† implied†that†we†are†also†to†be†kind†to†the† environment†in†which†we†live.

%uu%aa>uk

“Taking†Care†Of”†refers†to†caring†for† ourselves†as†individuals†and†the†natural† environment†in†which†we†live.†Even† today†the†basic†needs†of†people†are†food,† clean†water,†shelter†and†clothing,†all†of† which†we†get†from†our†environment.†It†is† our†duty†to†take†care†of†this†environment† and†maintain†it,†not†only†for†the†present,† but†also†for†future†generations.†This†principle†reminds†us†that†we†are†part†of†the† continuum†of†life.†We†need†to†think†of† what†we†are†doing†today†and†what†we†will† model†for†our†next†generation,†since†it†is† up†to†the†present†to†think†of†tomorrow.

Source:†Uu-a-thluk/Nuu-chah-nulth† Fisheries††Practices†and†Principles…Traditional†Management†Series.

Le er to the Editor

Our people barely survived smallpox and now we never have cases of it because of vaccines. And now that we’ve protected our elders, its time to protect our future generations, children that can’t be vaccinated because they are too young. And tuberculosis was a problem of children in residential schools. We don’t need any more unnecessary deaths from a disease that has a vaccine

-Barb Audet, Tla-o-qui-aht.

October 7, 2021—Ha-Shilth-Sa—Page 13 ---Employment Opportunities---

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

More stories and job postings at www.hashilthsa.com

Ten-minute piece delves into Joe Martin’s past as a logger and his role in protecting Meares Island’s old growth

By Sam Laskaris Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Vancouver, BC – A fi lm featuring Tlao-qui-aht First Nation master carver Joe Martin had its world premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 6. But Martin was not planning to be at the screening, part of the Vancouver International Film Festival, which began Oct. 1 and continues until Oct. 10. Though he was also one of the writers for the short fi lm titled ƛaʔuukʷiatḥ (Tlao-qui-aht) Dugout Canoe, Martin has yet to view the fi nished product, which is 10 minutes long. “I haven’t seen it yet,” he said. “I’m carving a canoe right now. And I’m also working on two totem poles. I’m pretty busy.” Those unable to attend the world premiere can still watch Tla-o-qui-aht Dugout Canoe online. Canadian audiences can purchase fi lms being screened at this year’s festival up until Oct. 11 through the website www.viff .org The fi lm was written and directed by Steven Davies, a Coast Salish fi lmmaker with Snuneymuxw and European-Canadian ancestry. Davies makes fi lms that centre on spiritual, cultural and political themes in order to reconnect with Indigenous histories and epistemologies. Davies made Tla-o-qui-aht Dugout Canoe through the National Screen Institute’s IndigiDocs program. This venture off ers Indigenous fi lmmakers who have a concept for a 10-minute documentary the opportunity to create their fi lm. Tla-o-qui-aht Dugout Canoe will be shown as part of a program through VIFF’s Short Forum. “I think it would be really sad, without having canoes around, dugout canoes,” Martin said in the fi lm’s opening scene. In the fi lm Martin tells viewers how he had started working as a clearcut logger when he was 18. He was employed at a logging camp on Kennedy Lake and was furious logging was taking place over a creek, thus destroying the salmon stream. “I refused to log a great big log over it, so they fi red me,” Martin said. “And actually, when I got fi red, it seemed there was a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. I felt guilty about doing that.” Later on, in 1984, Martin was part of a blockade staged on Meares Island, located on Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation territory. Those who were also part of the blockade include Martin’s late father, his late brother Bill and his brother Carl. “We stayed there for three months,” Martin said. That’s also when his passion began. “We started carving canoes,” Martin said. “That’s why I’m still doing it I guess.” Martin said besides being an act of resistance a canoe is also a symbol of freedom. “I don’t see myself as an activist,” he said. “I’m just protecting our rights.” Martin is also glad he’s found a lifelong pursuit. “If I didn’t learn about making canoes, I think I would probably be dead by now,” he said. “I would have just got drinking and drugging, or maybe in jail or something. But I’m glad I learned how to do this.” And it’s also extremely rewarding. “Transforming a tree into a canoe is certainly transforming it into a life,” Martin said. “And that’s really a satisfying feeling.” He also said canoe making fulfi lls another important part. “If you’re working on canoes, you can certainly learn a lot about yourself,” he said. “Learning about patience and stuff like that can be a challenge sometimes.” Martin is often assisted by others while making a canoe. The time required to carve a canoe depends on its size. Martin said to make a 22-foot canoe typically takes 15 days, if three individuals are working on it for 12 hours per day. Martin also said he enjoys passing on his knowledge. “I really like to inspire other people to work like this, to go out into nature and take only what you need,” he said. “There’s one teaching left by our ancestors that says Mother Nature will provide for our need but not our greed.” Martin’s daughter Gisele is also featured in the fi lm. “I’ve been really lucky to witness what my dad does throughout my life, and it feels much deeper than just art, as art is perceived as something beautiful to look at,” she said. “It is like the practice of our traditional laws. It is our cultural lifeways that are being continued.” Martin considers himself lucky to be doing what he’s doing as a carver. “I feel like I’m very fortunate that I was able to learn to do this stuff ,” he said. “Making harpoons and paddles and all these things I learned how to do with my hands. It’s a blessing. But also, it’s a responsibility to pass that on. And it’s a huge responsibility. “Every time I carve a canoe it’s putting a canoe in the water that will serve our communities and families for years to come.”

Photo by Tla-o-qui-aht Dugout Canoe Tla-o-qui-aht carver Joe Martin is featured in a fi lm that is part of the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Nuu-chah-nulth story retold on Knowledge Network

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

British Columbia – A new four-part documentary that shines a light on British Columbia’s complex multi-cultural history is about to debut on the Knowledge Network. The series features interviews with people from a variety of cultures knowledgeable about history from their perspective, including Nuu-chah-nulthaht Joe Martin, Cliff Atleo Jr., and Carlos Mack. Produced by Leena Minifi e (of Gitxaala/ British ancestry), British Columbia: An Untold History begins in the late 18th century, following through the next two hundred years. Minifi e says she comes from a matrilineal culture: Gitxaala, Gispudwada (Killer Whale Clan) House of Wii’ta’lii. Her father has British lineage. She is a media, fi lm and television producer and digital strategist based in Vancouver. Minifi e is the CEO of Stories First Productions and has made projects that include fi lms, television series, documentaries, webinars, as well as radio. With her own diverse background, Minifi e thought it was important to examine the history of the province from other perspectives. “It doesn’t centre around a white, male-oriented lens; we talked to academics, historians, people with cultural knowledge and people that lived it,” said Minifi e. “The project off ers a more inclusive and diverse perspective as told from those who have lived and studied B.C.’s shared past and features the voices of authors, historians, elders and descendants of historical fi gures.” “This is one of the fi rst times a series has covered racialized Indigenous history through pluralistic and multi-narrative lens,” she told Ha-Shilth-Sa. Dozens of people from many cultures were interviewed for the documentary, their stories pieced together like a quilt. The series was commissioned by Knowledge Network. “It highlights the history, the people, the families, the rebels and the dreamers that shaped this province,” say the producers. The series includes perspectives from Chinese, Japanese, Punjabi, black and European Canadians. The series begins with the Indigenous landscape before contact and takes the viewer through the colonization and industrialization of the province. According to Minifi e, episode one looks at the early Indigenous resistance to settlers in B.C. and a war that prevented British Columbians from becoming American. Episode two examines the transformative history of labour and the fi ght for equality by those who helped build this province. Episode three uncovers the myriad migrant narratives that helped turn B.C. into a centre for social activism. Episode four is where Tla-o-qui-aht’s Joe martin and Cliff Atleo Jr. of Ahousaht appear. Both speak about the current political landscape as it relates to their respective nations. Minifi e says they talk about modern environmental and land movements in British Columbia. Titled Nature & Co-existence, Episode 4 examines how the history of British Columbia is inseparably fused with the history of natural resources. “The careful stewardship of the land by First Nations over millennia was disregarded when settlers arrived with industrial mega-projects. Indigenous peoples were among the fi rst to fi ght deforestation, standing up against logging companies in Lyell and Meares Island,” say the producers. “When the government off ered to designate the land as a national park, Indigenous leaders countered with an idea that had never been tried before: co-management. This push for co-existence succeeded, and today the land is jointly overseen by the Haida Nation and the provincial government, much like the Nuu-chahnulth in Clayoquot territory. First nation, non-Indigenous environmentalists, and Greenpeace set an example that spread across the world,” the producer says. Minifi e says Joe Martin and Cliff Atleo Jr. were selected as interviewees because they are both very articulate and passionate about their perspectives in life. “I think it’s the biggest show like this ever premiered,” said Minifi e. More than two hundred stories were researched with 160 of them making it into production. Minifi e says not every interview made it into the show, but they can be found on the Knowledge Network website after Oct. 12. The series premiers Oct. 12, 9 p.m. on Knowledge Network. A new episode will be released each week. Visit the Knowledge Network website after Oct. 12 to stream online or to view more interviews.