25 minute read
Teaching from inside the womb
Norah Jack (centre) lays down the ling cod she caught for her father, Matthew, to fi llet outside their home in Kyuquot.
Photo by Melissa Renwick
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Teaching survival lessons from inside the womb
By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Kyuquot, BC - During each of Elizabeth Jack’s pregnancies, her husband talked to his unborn daughters from inside her womb. Whether the couple was out hunting or fi shing, Matthew would speak to his wife’s stomach as if it could talk back. It wasn’t anything poetic. He approached those conversations practically, explaining where they were, what they were fi shing for and which lure he was using. Now, when you ask his eldest daughter, Norah, how long she has been hunting for, the 11-year-old proudly replies, “ever since I was in my mom’s belly.” Mathew’s father was a logger, which meant that he was often away working at camp. Largely raised by his grandmother and mother, he feels like one of the “lucky ones.” Deeply rooted in their spiritual teachings, Matthew has always felt a strong connection to his Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/ Che:k:tles7et’h’ First Nations’ culture. While he aims to instil those values within his daughters, his lessons are primarily for survival. “I’m trying to teach my girls that they can do anything,” he said. “Anything can happen – if I’m not there I want them to be prepared. Whether it be earthquakes or tsunamis, I want them to be able to take care of themselves and those around them.” As a six-year-old boy, Matthew’s mother, Norah, used to paddle him out in a hand-made rowboat around Aktis Island. Carrying a .22-calibre rifl e, Norah would aim at the fl ock of cor morants that predictably sat on the nearby rocks, oblivious that they would be served as the family’s next meal. “We survived off the land when I was young,” said Matthew. While many First Nations are focused on the loss of language, Matthew has concentrated on imparting his grandmother’s teachings on traditional food
gathering. “That’s a big part of our heritage,” he said. “Knowing all the foods you can harvest from the ocean or the land and knowing the connection with each one of them.” As many youth forgo their traditional foods – like shellfi sh – in favour of pizza pockets, Matthew said his daughters crave the food they have reeled in from the ocean or shot out of the sky. On their hunting trips, they say a prayer after the killing of each deer, “letting go and giving thanks for the life of that deer,” said Matthew. There is sternness to his teachings. When his youngest, Bella, left a knife turned upright in the boat, he sharply told the nine-year-old to turn the blade down. And yet, there is softness. He has been teaching his three daughters, Norah, Bella and Matty, how to use a knife “since they learned to walk.” When Bella cut her hand while learning to carve, he reassured her not to worry. “That’s part of learning,” he gently told Phrase†of†the†week:†%uuqmis%is^%ak†c^apyiqpaanuc^ Pronounced ‘ooh q miss ish alth chup yik pa nic’, this means, ‘it is so much fun to ride around in a canoe’. Supplied by ciisma. her. “You’ll get cut and hurt, but it happens – you’ll heal.’” His pride as a father is unmistakeable. As he recounted the story of Norah shooting a duck through its beak from a boat that was travelling 28 miles per hour, he beamed with a smile that spread cheek to cheek. Elizabeth shares in his delight. “Proud,” is the word she uses when describing her children. “Proud – because I never grew up that way,” she said. “I’m glad these guys are learning when they’re young. Hopefully they keep passing it on to their kids.” While the land might not be as plentiful when the couple’s daughters have children of their own, there are certain teachings that will remain constant. “When we’re on the boat, we have to know our surroundings,” said Bella. “We memorize the mountain tops so we can
always fi nd our way home.”
Participation in Tla-o-qui-aht program is necessary of off set environmental impacts of tourism, says manager
By Karly Blats Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor
Tofi no, BC - Driving into Tofi no now looks a little brighter with the addition of Hotel Zed—a colourful new accommodation equiped with 70s-themed décor, a disco room and a bike path running through the front lobby. Located at 1258 Pacifi c Rim Hwy, formerly Jamie’s Rainforest Inn, Tofi no’s Hotel Zed is the third Hotel Zed for the company, with the other two in Victoria and Kelowna. A brand-new building constructed on the property, off ering 58 guest rooms, opened on Aug. 27. Once renovations are complete on the former Jamie’s Rainforest Inn there will be 91 rooms available. As businesses navigate how to safely operate and welcome guests during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s no diff erent for the staff at Hotel Zed. “My fi rst day of work was March 9 and I got a two-day tour of the head offi ce, and then basically everything shut down; so I spent the next six months working from home without really any contact with the company or the people, so it was all really Zoom calls,” said Hotel Zed general manager and Tofi no councillor Britt Chalmers. “We had daily meetings going over COVID procedures and the hotels that stayed open were really able to perfect them and grow with them.” Victoria’s Hotel Zed was able to stay open throughout the pandemic and off ered essential service workers who didn’t feel safe staying at their homes accommodation for weeks at a cost of $59. Donations from the public helped Hotel Zed off er the lower prices that basically just covered operating costs, Chalmers said. “This company has very strong values that they live by,” Chalmers said. “Our values are make things better, have each other’s backs, have fun and be yourself.
Submitted photo Hotel Zed, Tofi no’s newest hotel, opened on Aug. 27, 2020 and off ers 70s-themed decor, a psychic room, arcade room and mini disco. Every decision that I’ve seen made since Chalmers said participating in the Tribal a sustainable solution cannot be achieved I started - even with the essential workers Parks Allies Program was important to by engaging widespread participation in - is how can we make things better, how her personally as she sees the impact a the Tribal Parks Allies program, “it will can we help people. There’s a lot of that large amount of tourists can have on the not be possible for the Tla-o-qui-aht First that I think this town will benefi t from.” West Coast community. Nation to continue welcoming guests into Another way Hotel Zed is helping the “I think it’s the right thing to do as we our Tribal Parks.” community in which they operate is see tourism grow in Tofi no and the area,” “The safety of our community members through participation in the Tla-o-quiChalmers said. “Tourism does have an cannot continue to be compromised by a aht First Nation’s Tribal Parks Allies environmental impact and the more it tourism economy which does not contribProgram that supports the First Nation’s grows, the bigger the impact is… I think ute to crucial community services like our safety precautions and procedures amidst it’s important for us to balance out the Emergency Operations Centre and Tribal COVID-19. impact we have.” Parks Guardians,” states the release. “We’re the fi rst large contributors to In an Aug. 31 press release, the Tla-oChalmers said she believes tourists often the Tribal Parks Alliance, which I think qui-aht First Nation thanked their existing look for ways to contribute to nature and is incredible,” Chalmers said. “Support37 members with the Tribal Parks Allies the environment when they travel. ing a group that wants to clean up the Program, but put out another call for “That’s ecotourism,” she said. streams, protect the environment, steward more businesses operating within their Other unique features of Hotel Zed the land…I think it’s important for us to territories to get on board. include an arcade room (which is a work balance out the impact we have.” “Increasing daily diagnosis of COVin progress) and a psychic room where a The Tribal Parks Allies Program funds ID-19 in B.C. and ongoing peak tourism local woman will do readings. the Tla-o-qui-aht’s Guardians and other conditions have intensifi ed the risk to our “It’s also open if there’s any local tarot social programs integral to improving and communities,” states the press release. readers that want to come down and use maintaining community health. So far, “It is clear that the virus is here to stay, the space, they’re more than welcome 37 businesses in Tofi no participate in the and that a long-term solution is needed to,” Chalmers said. program and contribute one per cent of immediately.” A disco room, a mini golf course and a their sales to the First Nation. The press release goes on to say that if restaurant are also in the works.
By Sam Laskaris Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor
British Columbia – Almost six months after the pandemic forced lockdowns and restrictions worldwide, the Indigenous tourism industry continues to take a beating. Especially for those operating businesses in one of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. “If I had to give a rough estimate, I would say a good chunk of them, maybe 75 per cent of them have not reopened,” Paula Amos, the chief marketing and development offi cer for Indigenous Tourism BC, said of NCN businesses. This fi gure though can be misleading. That’s because Amos said there are only about 20 Nuu-chah-nulth businesses that are members of Indigenous Tourism BC. She said there’s up to about 10 others who are not members. Plus, the association does not keep track of the hundreds of Nuu-chah-nulth fi shermen or artists who run a business but are not Indigenous Tourism BC members. Further complicating matters is the fact even if some Nuu-chah-nulth tourism businesses did want to reopen this year, it wouldn’t make sense for them to do so. “Many of the Nuu-chah-nulth nations are not open for visitors,” said Amos, who now lives in Vancouver but is a member of Hesquiaht First Nation. As a result, tourist attractions including Hesquiaht’s Hot Springs Cove and Ahousaht First Nation’s heritage walking trail, Walk the Wild Side, have remained closed. Amos said even for those few Indigenous tourism businesses which have been able to open their doors again, it has not been business as usual. “It’s defi nitely challenging for sure,” she said. “It’s a diff erent market domestically and businesses have had to pivot. Many of them rely on international visitors. And this is their high season now. They make their business in the four months of the year (during the summer).” The pandemic has certainly had a tremendous eff ect on Tseshaht First Nation member Naomi Nicholson, who owned a pair of Indigenous tourism businesses. For the past eight years she owned Secluded Wellness Centre in Port Alberni. “I’m not going to reopen the wellness centre at all,” Nicholson said. And it was only this past week, on Sept. 1, that Nicholson was able to reopen her other business Chims Guest House, an Indigenous-themed getaway. Instead of daily and weekly rentals, however, for the immediate future Chims will only have a monthly rental available. Nicholson said Chims has taken a fi nancial beating in 2020. And she’s not sure what 2021 will look like. “We’ve lost thousands and thousands of dollars,” she said. “And who knows about next year, whether we’ll be able to have daily and weekly rentals.” For now, Nicholson is actually happy that she will only allow members of the community to rent out her guest house on a monthly basis. “I just can’t have strangers coming in on my conscience,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if B.C. says hotels can reopen.” Amos said Indigenous Tourism BC is doing its best to have its members survive. “We want to make sure none of these businesses fall through the cracks,” she said. To that end, Amos said the association is doing what it can to assist businesses and not just fi nancially. Early on in the pandemic the association reallocated $300,000 from its budget to assist various operations. More than 70 businesses applied to the provincial association to receive a maximum $5,000 grant that was off ered in April and May. Indigenous Tourism BC has had a second intake of grant applicants since early August. More than 35 businesses have applied for this funding, worth a maximum of $10,000 (or $5,000 more for those that applied and received the maximum funds during the fi rst intake and have reapplied again). Amos said several of those Indigenous tourism businesses that are seeking funding from the provincial association are operated by First Nations. “We are also working closely with the privately-owned businesses,” she said. Since numerous questions remain concerning the pandemic, Amos said it’s diffi cult for business owners to speculate on their futures. “I think generally there’s some uncertainties for any long-term planning,” she said. But she’s hopeful Indigenous tourism businesses will be able to bounce back eventually. “I’m hoping they won’t close permanently,” she said. “The longer this lasts though, the deeper it’s going to take for us to get out of this economic recovery.” Brenda Baptiste, Indigenous Tourism BC’s chair, is also hoping for better days ahead. “The overall tourism industry has been heavily impacted by the bleak 2020 tourism season,” Baptiste said. “At Indigenous Tourism BC we are working on a long-term recovery and planning strategically on getting through this downturn and see that the businesses survive and reopen for 2021 and beyond.”
Expansion is expected to breed a new generation of ‘briefcase warriors’ fi ghting in court for Aboriginal rights
By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter
Victoria, BC – The University of Victoria is proud to announce that it will soon begin expansion of its Law School to house the fi rst of its kind in the world, National Centre for Indigenous Laws. The $27.1 million project will be built thanks to funding from the governments of British Columbia ($13 million), Canada ($9.1 million) and the Law Foundation of BC ($5 million). The new National Centre for Indigenous Laws will be home to the worlds’ fi rst joint degree in Indigenous legal orders and Canadian common law and to the Indigenous Law Research Unit. Launched in 2018, the joint degree law program has 26 students of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous ancestry. It is anticipated that the program will reach its capacity of 100 full-time students over the next four years. “The National Centre for Indigenous Laws will be home to the fi rst Indigenous law program in the world to combine the intensive study of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous law, and will help Canada build a new nation-to-nation relationship based on the recognition – and renaissance – of Indigenous legal traditions,” statedJamie Cassels, president of UVic. “This is an historic moment in history for the university,” said Melanie Mark, BC Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “We can make change when we work together and we can make change when we invest in stuff like this. Think of the investment that went into residential school.” She noted that in 2019, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act passed unanimously in the B.C. legisla
Photo by Uvic Photo Services Professor Val Napoleon speaks about the opening of the National Centre for Indigenous Laws in Victoria. Next to her stands UVic President Jamie Cassels and Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training Melanie Mark.
ture. “When the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act passed unanimously in the B.C. legislature in 2019, we voted for systemic change,” said Mark. “The new National Centre for Indigenous Laws will be a place where the rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada will be recognized and upheld. This new space is being designed to allow for the unique ways in which Indigenous laws have been and are being practiced - in
corporating ceremony and oral traditions - all within a culturally relevant space and expected to meet LEED Gold standards.” The 2016 Truth and Reconciliation report listed 94 calls to action in order to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of improving relations with Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Number 50 in the report calls for equity for Aboriginal people in the legal system. “In keeping with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we call upon the federal government, in collaboration with the Aboriginal organizations, to fund the establishment of Indigenous law institutes for the development, use and understanding of Indigenous laws and access to justice in accordance with the unique cultures of Aboriginal peoples in Canada,” states the TRC report. Mark, the fi rst female First Nations member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and the fi rst female First Nations cabinet minister, pointed out that in her lifetime she has seen changes in Canada’s laws with respect to Indigenous peoples. “At one point in time Canada’s legal system was off -limits to Indigenous peoples, it was against the law for Indigenous people to become lawyers,” said Mark. Today Indigenous Canadians can practice law and the National Centre for Indigenous Law could see the rise of a new generation of “briefcase warriors”, as she called them. “This is a historic step toward reconciliation and will be a positive legacy for social, economic and environmental justice,” Mark stated. Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennet said Canada is proud to be part of this new initiative, stating that the center will project inclusion and diversity. She said that the government of Canada recognizes importance of the resurgence of Indigenous law and this is a step towards fulfi lment of the calls to action. Lindsay LeBlanc, representative of the Law Foundation of BC, said she is proud to support the vital work at UVic law and to support the resurgence of Indigenous law. She said the foundation is thankful that the federal and provincial governments stepped up and supported this project. She noted that much work needs to be done to research and recover longsuppressed Indigenous laws. “The research and teachings at the center will play a vital role in helping to create are more just and inclusive Canada,” said Judith Sayers, Kekinusuqs, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council.
Have You Moved?
If you should be getting a copy of the Ha-Shilth-Sa paper delivered to your home, please contact : Holly Stocking at 250-724-5757 or holly.stocking@nuuchahnulth.org
Employment Opportunity
Position: Literacy Outreach Coordinator Location: Tofi no BC Wage: $30.66/hour The Coastal Family Resource Coalition (CFRC), in partnership with the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT), is seeking a part time employee to work an average of 8 hours per week dependant on funding from Decoda Literacy Solutions to support the Coastal Family Resource Coalitions implementation of the Dual Language Literacy Plan. Applicants are requested to submit a resume and a cover letter describing how their skills and experience meet the requirements of the role. Please also include the name and contact details for two references. The closing date for applications is September 18 2020, 23.59 PST. Interviews will be held online as necessary. Please submit completed applications to literacy@coastalcoalition.ca. or view full job posting at hashilthsa.com/jobs Please contact Brooke Wood if you have any questions or to discuss the position, 250-725-8227 or brooke@clayoquotbiosphere.ca.
Only qualifi ed candidates living within the Clayoquot Biosphere Region will be considered.
Port Alberni Friendship Centre Volunteers Needed
Need work experience? The Port Alberni Friendship Centre is looking for interested applicants for various positions. Hours per week vary. Call 250-723-8281
View more job postings at: www.hashilthsa.com
Page 14— Ha-Shilth-Sa—September 10, 2020 President’s message to Nuu-chah-nulth-aht
Greetings to all Nuu-chah-nulth-aht. Hoping all is well with all of you and you are continuing to be take good care in wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding larger groups. We all must take responsibility to prevent the COVID virus from spreading. August was a very busy month with many issues keeping me busy. We have lost two important leaders in Nuu-chah-nulth territories. Legislative Chief Richard Leo of Kyuquot/ Cheklesaht and the Hawiih Norman George from Mowachaht Muchalaht. We send out our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these two men and their communities. They both contributed a lot of work and energy into making their communities a better place in this world, and promoted for the rights and title of their people. The hardest thing we have had to do through these COVID times is not be able to go and sit with the family before the funeral and attend at the funeral to pay our respects. We communicate however we can with family members and send prayers and strength and good energy their way. It is so hard to stay away when people need us. From across B.C. and Canada, we lost the great Nisga’a leader Joe Gosnell who helped conclude the Nisga’a Final Agreement. He assisted Nuu-chah-nulth in the early days of our own treaty negotiations advising on pitfalls and letting us know what was possible. Grand Chief Joe Norton of the Mohawks of Kanawake also passed away in his own territory and was one of the main players during Oka and played a role in many issues nationally. We sent our sympathies out to their family and communities. Nuu-chah-nulth have now recorded our fi rst COVID case on reserve. The Community is doing everything they can to stop the spread of the virus and using all the resources available to them. Our communities have worked hard to keep the virus out and will continue to do so. We issued a press release and called on the government to work with and fi nd solutions to our four criteria that we set out in early June. It has taken longer than we would like to get government cooperation. We continue to have almost weekly calls on the main table and sub tables we set up to deal with the four issues. The one point that we cannot agree on is having health authorities tell us when there is a case of COVID in a nearby community. We are working on other ways to get this information and will let you know when we launch the new idea. School districts are opening schools in the next two weeks. Our Education manager and our community representatives have been working hard to fi nd alternatives to our children not going to school. Hopefully there will be options to consider beyond just sending children back to school. A new health study was released that found there were far more deaths from overdoses than COVID. Clearly, a lot more eff ort has to be put into preventing overdoses. We know that deep-rooted trauma will not end in a day and it will take long-term solutions and resources to allow our people to heal. Access to culture and ways of knowing and being will be critical in the healing of our people. In our press release on this issue, we asked that the governments acknowledge this and take action immediately to respond to this lethal crisis. Our fi sheries team have set up protocols on how they can work in the fi eld and keep physically distanced. They are still working hard at establishing salmon parks and have a partnership with West Coast Environmental Law and I participate in discussions on moving this work forward. They will be working closely with the northern nations. I was honoured to be appointed to be the next chancellor of Vancouver Island University. A chancellor represents the university to the external community. A chancellor plays an essential ambassadorial role in advancing the university’s interests within the local, provincial, national and international arenas. This is a very small time commitment and I will be able to continue to carry out my duties as president of NTC. It is an opportunity to make inroads into education and I look forward to it. My role begins in October. I am still continuing to work on justice for Chantel Moore and will be participating in a rally in Victoria. First Nations need to be part of an oversight body of the police, be part of the independent investigations team and have our own complaints commission. Without our participation, we will never fi nd justice. An Indigenous woman, Regis Porchinski Paquet, fell of her balcony in Toronto during a wellness check. The police were not charged in her death. The special investigations team found them not guilty. There were six offi cers in the apartment and they could not stop her from falling off the balcony. There is something wrong with that picture. Changing the justice system has to be a key in the work I am doing. In the case of Chantel Moore, the Quebec Bureau of Investigations in all of their many investigations have never recommended charges against the police. We are hoping in Chantel’s case they will recommend charges against the police offi cer that shot her senselessly on a wellness check. Our Vice-President Mariah Charleson and I are dealing with several issues with the police and advocating for Nuu-chahnulth people. We are looking at systemic changes to processes and procedures in the justice system, courts, police and other legal services. We have put off our annual general meeting that we would hold in September. We are looking to hold it in December. We hope that maybe we can meet in person and if not we will have to do it over the computer. Doing meetings over the computer has become our way of life right now but it is nothing like being able to meet in person, see other people and communicate more easily with each other. Wishing you the best during these times. General Principles
1. Prior approval is required.
2. The client must: a. Be eligible for the NIHB Program; and b. Be currently enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in a provincial or territorial health insurance plan and continue to meet residency requirements for provincial/territorial health coverage.
3. For Transportation to Medical Services: For transportation to medical services outside of the country the client must be referred for provincially/territorially insured medical services by a provincial or territorial health care plan for treatment Shaganappi Plaza: wage change for Building Maintenance and Superintendent Windspeaker.com http://www.windspeaker.com/news/sweetgrass-news/building-maintenanceand-superintendent/ ammsa.com http://www.ammsa.com/content/careers/shaganappi-plaza-ltd-calgary outside of Canada.
4. For Supplemental Health Insurance Premiums: Full-time students enrolled in a post-secondary institution to study outside of Canada must provide a letter of confi rmation that tuition, which is not an eligible benefi t under the NIHB Program, has been paid.
What is covered?
For Supplemental Health Insurance Premiums: -
The cost of privately acquired health insurance premiums for approved students or migrant workers and their legal dependents will be reimbursed.
For Transportation to Medical Services: -
Transportation benefi ts when eligible clients are medically referred and approved for treatment outside of Canada by a provincial or territorial health care plan.
For further information on coverage outside of Country you are encouraged to call First Nations & Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB), Vancouver BC toll free @ 1-800-317-7878
What You Should Know- “Before” Leaving British Columbia
If you are leaving the province, you should be aware that your coverage may not pay all health care costs.
Health services provided outside Canada often cost more than the amount paid by the Ministry of Health Services. Sometimes the diff erence is substantial; for example, the amount we pay for emergency inpatient hospital care will not exceed $75 (Canadian) a day for United States of exceeds $1,000 (US) per day and can be as high as $10,000 a day for intensive care.
In addition, some items/services that may be a benefi t in BC are not covered outside the province; for example, prescription drugs and optometric services. Further, the Ministry does not subsidize fees charged for ambulance service obtained outside BC.
We advise you to buy additional health insurance to supplement your basic coverage before you leave the province, regardless of whether you’ll be in another part of Canada or outside the country – even if your company or travel agency can advise you about extra coverage to pay for any diff erence in fees and to provide benefi ts not covered by the Ministry. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you must mention this when purchasing additional insurance as most policies will not cover treatment of that condition outside the province.
In some cases you may purchase an insurance policy where the insurance company has a signed agreement with the Ministry. This permits the company to pay physician and hospital claims and receive reimbursement on your behalf thus eliminating the need for you to handle your own claims.
NOTE: Ambulance – If you require ambulance service while in another province or outside Canada, you will need to obtain service from an ambulance company in that jurisdiction and will be charged the fee established by the-out-of-province service provider. Fees range from several hundred to several thousand dollars.
When purchasing additional out-of-province health insurance you are advised to obtain insurance that will cover emergency transportation while you are away and, if necessary the cost of transportation back to BC.
