Elder Connections: Seymour Family

As our Nation fights to revitalize the traditional “Kitselas Way,” Seymour matriarchs provided clear information during an interview on how their cultural ways have changed, and their hopes for upcoming generations.

ELDER CONNECTIONS SERIES: SEYMOUR FAMILY

The Kitselas Way: all about community

by Madison Seymour

We are losing our elders, and with that, we are losing our knowledge and protocol, our history: our ways. Our resources are dwindling, bringing uncertainty for years to come. It is prevalent that not as many younger family members are involved in traditional and cultural practices such as hunting and harvesting, cleansing, and protocols (alongside many others). Fewer members are able to hunt or harvest seafood and if they are, they have lost touch with the cultural practice of sharing. This leaves the rest of their family relying on food sellers. Growing up, we were taught to give and share; “If you give, you will get back in return.” Your wealth and status were measured in how much you gave to those who were in need. Oftentimes, the universe would return the favour by bringing more supply to your family. It is these protocols that have been lost in recent years. Can we blame it on the Covid pandemic, or are families drifting apart and losing the sense of who they are because we lost our elders?

It is no secret that our elders have gone through many traumas, leaving them scared to instill knowledge into their children and grandchildren. The knowledge that was shared was vital and cherished. For instance, the late Rhoda Seymour made sure each of her children were included in the harvesting of fish each year, leaving them to pass on family ways and recipes. Rhoda and Willard Seymour both passed down guidance and knowledge that they were taught. Although these conversations were informational, very few could be relied on or implemented in today’s society. With climate change, it is harder to use seasonal indicators of harvesting times. A well-known indicator of Eulachon is snowflake density. This snowfall was a signal of the run about to start. The wetness, size, and time all contribute to this seasonal gauge used for many generations. Even though this snowfall arrives each year, the eulachons are becoming delayed, much like the fish we harvest during summer. Our climate has become unpredictable, our rivers are becoming polluted and dry of resources. We have fewer fish than, say, 10-15 years ago, and we are seeing more fish being infested by parasites and growths. Late June used to be the peak for fish harvesting, and now we can expect this run to be around 3 weeks late. Due to the change in climate, vegetation is scarce and hard to grow and maintain. Construction and development increase leads to seeing less wildlife and habitat within our regions. Since there is a noticeable decrease of access to disappearing wildlife species, such as moose, hunting has become more challenging and timely, and the wildlife are becoming harder to find. A common worry amongst parents and grandparents is access to these resources that our culture heavily depends on. Will our children’s children enjoy these rich foods? Will they know how to preserve and where to harvest? Can they utilize the Traditional resources in our Territory? Our culture is endangered, and we need to ensure that we revitalize the Kitselas Way so our ever-growing families can cherish and indulge in the same resources we were able to.

Our youth need help reconnecting to who they are. They identify with other societal cultures before their own, such as hip-hop. There is limited access for our youth to rekindle the love and acknowledgment of our ways. Our elders have passed down many valuable teachings, but unfortunately, many parents do not feel confident enough in their memories and understandings to pass on some knowledge. This leads them to rely on the very few elders we have or to guess. They know enough to carry on traditions but not enough to revitalize. When this family was younger, they had delegated tasks at a young age; they had to keep the fire smouldering, collect leaves to cover the fish, bring water for cleaning, and had a helping hand in the preservation process. Today, very few youth and adolescents take part in this tradition. An immediate fear of losing the family’s bologna fish recipe swooped over during this interview. “I know that if anything were to happen to me, my kids will have their aunts to rely on” — but if our youth continue to rely on our elders and matriarchs, they won’t be fully confident in their skills by the time they are the elders and matriarchs of our community.

Introducing more workshops and tours, similar to Culture Camps, will intrigue the generations

of today. A traditional wellness center or a traditional foods restaurant to get not only the kids but the adults who lost touch with their culture interested and excited about revitalizing. Nowadays, children are involved in many different extracurriculars that pull their attention in all different directions. Kids do very well with learning through osmosis which leads us to questions: are they learning more than we realize? Could we possibly integrate our culture into these activities that they are drawn to? Exposing our children to our practices in a way that excites them won’t be challenging. This family mentioned a traditional wellness center, which could teach our children to smudge, prepare, heal, protocols, and how to be prideful in being from Kitselas: teaching them our history.

Growing up, these interviewees mentioned their parents being able to go walk into the forest or along the river and grab something edible from the land. Norma Joseph recalled a memory of when her late father, Willard Seymour, climbed up a rock along the Kleanza Creek and grabbed what he called “liquorice root.” He then talked about how he would use it to keep him awake and to help with anxiety. This was not the first time their parents showed them what they can and cannot eat off the land. Today, we all depend on outside food sources and many do not know what is edible. Thanks to Chelsea Armstrong’s recent book, Silm Da’axk, we are steps closer to reconnecting to the land our people come from.

Our elders have held our families together for the many generations we had with them. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time, talks, or guidance; there is no measure of “enough time” with our knowledgeable loved ones. It is imperative we soak up and learn as much as we can. One day, all we will have left to lead with is our memories. This is our time to stop the effects of colonization within our families and revitalize our cultural ways of language, protocol, respect, and our lands and resources.

The objective of this interview was to understand how culture and harvesting has changed within the author’s family. The author wrote everything in this article based on their personal experiences and opinions.