The Aboriginal Newspaper of British Columbia & Yukon Published July 5, 1999 Celebrations Aboriginal Day celebrations were conducted all over the country on June 21. In the north, Deslin Khwan Dancers from Teslin, performed on stage at the Commissioner's Potlatch, 1999. The story and more pictures are here. Photo Credit: Mario Villeneuve Native leaders "disgusted" with salmon deal by David Wiwchar Role model graduates from University of Victoria by Yvonne Irene Gladue Squamish Legends to be broadcast on CTV this fall by Roxane Gregory Second Commissioner's Potlatch a success By Brigitte D. Parker On the western edge of Indian Country - column by Keith Mathew News in brief: Treaty Commission issues annual report Healing Foundation announces first list of projects Fishing tension Here is a full list of additional stories featured in the July, 1999 issue of Raven's Eye. If you are not receiving your own copy of Raven's Eye, then you have missed all this information. Click here for Raven's Eye subscription information. Smithers totem pole completed, blessed and standing Sechelt treaty negotiations proceeding slowly Corbiere decision making waves Judge considering liability ruling Treaty Commission issues annual report Chief Commissioner Miles Richardson says the British Columbia Treaty Commission process is at a crossroads. In the commission's annual report Richardson, appointed to head the commission in late 1998, singled out the need for improved funding for First Nations involved in the process and the need for improved interim measures as the biggest obstacles to the succesful completion of treaties. "The treaty commission has informed Canada and B.C. that, without more funding, many First Nations treaty offices and research efforts will falter," he wrote. "Even those First Nations nearing completion of agreements in principle or otherwise making progress in negotiations will find it difficult if not impossible to sustain the pace of negotiations." Pointing out that traditional lands are being plundered of their resources by outside interests even as the treaty process continues, Richardson stressed the need for some agreements to respect the interests of First Nations. "First Nations, who are taking on substantial debt to negotiate treaties, are increasingly frustrated that they are not sharing enough in the benefits of those resources in their traditional territories," he wrote. Healing Foundation announces first list of projects On June 23, Georges Erasmus, the chairman of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, announced the first 35 community projects that will benefit from the $350 million healing fund established by the federal government almost 17 months previously. Nine different projects will receive a total of $2,328,842.60 in British Columbia. Erasmus told reporters that many applications were either late or didn't meet the standards set by the foundation but he added that his staff will work with the unsuccessful applicants so that the applications will be able to be judged on their own merits in future calls for submissions. Fishing tension There was friction on the water as Reform MP John Cummins and others protested an Aboriginal fishery off Vancouver Island on June 28, prompting Native leaders to call for action. Al Ross, Tseshaht First Nation Aboriginal Fishery Officer, said he will be requesting that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans lay charges immediately. "This Aboriginal Fishing Strategy fishery is a legal fishery," said Ross. "The Sparrow decision gives First Nations a legal priority to the resource. These guys protesting are fishing without a permit and we'll recommend DFO charge them, confiscate their fish, and distribute their catch to our Elders." Native leaders "disgusted" with salmon deal By David Wiwchar Raven's Eye Writer NANAIMO First Nation's leaders across the province are disgusted with what they call the federal Fisheries Minister David Anderson and his department's lack of consultation in developing a salmon treaty with the United States. Although American tribal councils, state governments, and county governments were involved in discussions with the United States before their representatives went to the negotiating table, despite their fiduciary responsibility and duty to consult with First Nations, the Canadian government's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) did no such thing, Native leaders claim. "We're looking at losing 80 per cent of our fish and $10 million out of our economy because of this deal," said Roy Alexander, an advisor to Nuu-chah-nulth commercial fishermen. "They've sold out the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Offshore areas will be a dead zone. It's a nothing deal." "The agreement itself had no First Nations involvement or input despite the fact the law in this country clearly states Aboriginal people must be consulted," said Grand Chief Ed John of the First Nations Summit. "DFO has chosen to ignore the legal rights of First Nations people. There is a high level of frustration and anger within First Nations in dealing with DFO and the federal government with respect to all fisheries issues." To add insult to injury, First Nations leaders say they were even excluded from the initial press conference on the treaty, kept out by Minister Anderson's staff. "They've put our backs against the wall," said Ernie Narcisse, president of the B.C. Aboriginal Fisheries Commission. "I think DFO will be getting the long hot summer they've been expecting for a while." The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council has issued a report that determined the Canada-U.S. Salmon Treaty will have a significant impact on Nuu-chah-nulth commercial fishermen who, the report said, have already been hard hit by this "newfound DFO conservation ethic" designed to save endangered Thompson River coho stocks. According to the NTC fisheries report, provisions in the new treaty will further reduce Nuu-chah-nulth commercial access to migrating chinook and coho stocks. The main points of the treaty are that the United States will take less Fraser River sockeye, and British Columbia agrees to cut back on fisheries targeted at American chinook salmon. The agreement also calls for a conservation fund of more than $200 million to be set up by the American government, with the money distributed amongst British Columbia, Washington State, Oregon and Alaska salmon enhancement projects. What hasn't been released, though, is the fact that it will only be the interest generated from this fund that will go to projects, not the principle base, Raven's Eye has learned. And after the interest from that money is split between British Columbia and four American states, it's doubtful any of that money will trickle down to Nuu-chah-nulth territories, the chiefs say. "Ahousaht and other West Coast communities have been shut down," said Angus Campbell at a recent central region chiefs meeting where the salmon treaty was discussed. "There are no fish for the very few licenses that still exist." "They [DFO] need to be shaken up by whatever means," said Cliff Atleo. "We're about to take a huge leap of faith [signing a treaty] with the governments, and we'll be expecting them to live up to that." Atleo wonders how federal and provincial governments can expect to be trusted by First Nations when their departments so often fail to do their duty in consulting with First Nations directly affected by their decisions. The central region chiefs decided to send a letter to Prime Minister Chretien, the minister of Fisheries, the minister of Indian Affairs, and all other cabinet ministers and MPs, outlining their reasons for being against the Canada­U.S. Salmon Treaty. "As we sit here, the agreement is still being crafted," said Larry Baird, pointing out the actual salmon treaty has not been completed, signed, and passed through the various governments. "We don't want to fight the deal after the fact. It's a 10-year agreement and we have an opportunity to move forward before the language is actually written." Baird believes individual First Nations should make themselves heard on this issue, and other First Nations across the province are looking at many ways of stopping the deal including litigation strategies. "This season is already shot," said southern region co-chair Richard Watts, who along with northern region co-chair Archie Little also attended the chiefs meeting because of the importance of the subject. "I'm reluctant to back litigation since the courts have made it clear they don't want to look at injunctions while treaty negotiations are underway," said Richard. "The way to challenge this is to go out and fish under 35.1 [of the Canadian Constitution]." Role model graduates from University of Victoria By Yvonne Irene Gladue Raven's Eye Writer VICTORIA More than 2,400 students graduated from the University of Victoria on June 2 to 4. One of the students was 25-year-old Raven August who graduated with a BA in Leisure Service Administration. August also holds the Health Canada's National Native Role Model award which she received this year. "I was very surprised that I was selected for the role model award," said August. "I hold the award in high regard, especially where my family is concerned." The awards program originated in 1984 and is held in Ottawa. Health Canada recognized the need for role models in Aboriginal communities after Mohawk Olympic gold medalist Alwin Morris was swamped with calls to speak at several Aboriginal communities across Canada. Every two years Health Canada chooses nine people from across Canada to represent the province they are from. August will represent British Columbia for the next two years. "It is a great honor to represent the youth of British Colombia," said August. "I get to speak at schools and conferences and its been very busy." August, who is from the Halalt First Nation on Vancouver Island grew up in Chemainus. She graduated from high school there and is the youngest of 10 children in her family. She credits her mother Josaphine August for helping her to believe she could do anything she set her mind on. Currently employed at the friendship centre in Victoria, August is taking a year away from school. "I've been in school for the last six years and I now want to take a year off and work," she said. She graduated from the Malspina College University in Nanaimo, with a diploma in Recreation Administration. In 1994 she completed courses towards a Bachelor of Arts Degree at the university. As an exchange student, August got to live and study in Gerzberg, Germany for a year and now speaks German fluently. "It was interesting and exciting while I attended school there. I got to meet a lot of people. I got to learn to speak another language," she said. August's words of wisdom to the young people are to follow their dreams and believe in themselves because anything is possible if they put their hearts and mind into it. "My dream is to eventually become a professor at a university," she said. Squamish Legends to be broadcast on CTV this fall By Roxanne Gregory Raven's Eye Writer SUNSHINE COAST Annie Frazier Henry has been conjuring up another special cinematic feat of magic while working with some new Aboriginal talent in the re-working of an ageless Squamish legend. The award winning filmmaker, best known for her 1998 documentary, Singing Our Stories, recently finished shooting a half hour drama that will air on CTV this fall. Legends translates a timeless, rite-of-passage, Squamish Nation story about the origins of Vancouver's Siwash Rock into a gritty, urban coming-of-age story featuring a cast and crew of emerging Native talent. "We auditioned 150 kids from all of the reserves in the area. Most of these kids had never done anything in front of the camera before, but they were great," said Frazier Henry, who produced, directed and wrote the script. Several members of the production team were involved in the project under the auspices of the National Film Board's Aboriginal training program. Previews of the rough cut demonstrate veteran actor, Dakota House's, (North of 60) formidable talents. "He really kept the young talent pumped," she said. "We rehearsed a lot, but I think a lot of these kids have lived these parts. They were drawing on their real life experiences." The story centres on a young Native couple struggling to prepare for unexpected parenthood. House plays Andrew, the young father-to-be, who's trying to support his teen bride by working at a carwash. Faced by overwhelming challenges, including the ridicule of his friends, Andrew turns to his traditional roots in trying to prepare for his new role as a father. He performs a shokwem - a Coast Salish water purification ritual - and during the anxious pre-birth hours he confronts the ethereal spirits of Elders while swimming to Siwash Rock. While Frazier Henry is hopeful broadcasters will want to use Legends as a pilot for a short series employing multi-tribal myths, she said the most rewarding part about creating the show, which may also screen as a short in the Vancouver Film Festival, was the opportunity for inter-generational work on the set. Legends is narrated in part in the Squamish language by 90-year-old Chief Simon Baker. Frazier Henry praised Baker's performance. "It was an honor and a tribute to his everlasting strength and wisdom. Being able to work with so many young people and so many Native people - the cast and crew - was great. Now some of them are working together on other projects and it was a great opportunity to facilitate that initial meeting. This was a cross-generational experience that spanned 100 years." The Vancouver shoot wrapped during the first week of May and is currently being edited for release in September. One of the scenes required a lot of technical special effects on and under the water in recreating a vision sequence. Tom "Sparky" Archer (Highlander) was behind the special effects. "He was really into this. This [The Siwash Rock vision sequence] is a different use for special effects. You're not blowing anybody up and no one dies in the story. It was an awesome all-night shoot with a full moon and the right tides. It was very spiritual." She added she's hoping to open the story with the song 'Temptation' performed by Canada's rap sensation the RASKALZ. "They're trying to reach out to Native youth and this would be a welcome venue for them." Frazier Henry, of Blackfoot and Sioux descent, and a founder of the Native Cultural and Theatre Arts society, lives on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. Currently, she's working on a comedic feature film script, and she may direct an hour-long PBS drama entitled Grace. The story takes place in an orphanage during the 1950s. She's also co-producing a documentary on adoption that will be done in the Sto:lo language. Frazier Henry's not fazed by the challenges of balancing the diverse hats of producer, director and writer. "It's a survival skill. If you want to work in Canada, it's often a necessity. Hopefully the producer, the writer and the director get along." Legends is produced by Full Regalia and Omni Film Productions in co-production with the National Film Board. Second Commissioner's Potlatch a success By Brigitte D. Parker Raven's Eye Writer WHITEHORSE First Nations from across the territory gathered in Whitehorse on June 21 to celebrate their cultural heritage with pomp and style at the second annual Commissioner's Potlatch. Dressed in the traditional black and red regalia, the Yukon's Aboriginal people shared their culture's crafts, songs, dances and stories in honor of National Aboriginal Day. Among the hundreds assembled to take part in the day's festivities, a beaming Commissioner Judy Gingell stood by the performance tent proudly surveying the crowd. The originator of the annual event, Gingell was a force in ensuring that the event continued beyond its 1998 debut. "The Commissioner's Potlatch was created as an opportunity for all people to come together and share in a spirit of unity and celebration," said Gingell. "Celebrating and sharing our culture and history uplifts and strengthens us. The songs and stories we carry make us who we are today and they must be preserved for future generations." People from as far away as Manitoba, Quebec and California attended the event which offered demonstration workshops on weaving, quillworking, quilting, carving and traditional medicine. A skin tent, pole house, tripod cache, smoke rack and dead-fall trap were also on display. In the artisan tent, meticulously beaded moccasins were sold alongside books, jewelry, crafts and herbs. Throughout the day, people volunteered to help stitch a red crest motif and buttons onto a large black background, transforming the felt pieces into a community button blanket. While last year's creation featured a sun motif, this year's crest design illustrated the story of how raven created life by dropping salmon eggs into the river. Eight eggs were included into the design representing each of the Yukon's Indigenous languages. The design, which is also on the Potlatch's poster, was created by local Native artist Mark Porter. The 26-year-old Teslin man tragically died in a house fire in mid-April. A talented carver and painter, Porter was a direct descendant of well-known Tlingit photographer George Johnston. His sudden death shocked the local community and added a tinge of sadness to the festivities. During the performance, which followed a feast of moose stew, white fish chowder and bannock, Duane Aucoin, of the Deslin Khwan Dancers of Teslin, reminded the crowd of Porter's physical absence and spiritual presence among them. Citing the death of 10 members of the Tlingit First Nation over the last year, Aucoin spoke of a "voice of sorrow" hanging over his people. Yet he optimistically directed a new hope in the voice of the nation's youth who are learning the traditional ways and working together to build a better future for Yukon First Nations. Trondek Hwech'in Chief Steve Taylor echoed Aucoin's sentiments. "This celebration joins all First Nations together and builds unity amongst us. It is a time to build a strong, positive foundation of trust while providing renewal, strength and pride," said Taylor. Aucoin and his group of 30 dancers easily stole the show with their bright costumes, youthful energy and enthusiasm. Other performers included Juno award winner Gerry Alfred, the Ross River drummers and dancers from Williams Lake, B.C. The event ended late in the evening with a massive dance intermingling spectators and dancers into one great spiral bobbing to the beat of the drums. On the western edge of Indian Country By Keith Matthew Raven's Eye Columnist NORTH THOMPSON FIRST NATION Summer in British Columbia - what a wonderful time. It feels so good to be home. I just finished a two-year tour of duty with B.C. Hydro and it feels great to be back in Indian Country. I left the company for personal reasons and not because I didn't feel welcome there and not because I was forced out. I did my job in the face of extreme adversity and paid the price for working for a professional company. In so many ways working for a major corporation as a First Nations person was a challenge that I took personally. It was an invaluable experience that few Aboriginal people have a chance to experience first-hand and yet it came at a steep price. I was a communications coordinator with an Aboriginal relations department and a small cog in a very sophisticated corporate machine. Almost everyone around me in the corporation had a university degree of some kind or had worked in the corporation for many years. It was eye-opening to see how policy is formed within a Crown corporation and how one person can influence how decisions are made. It felt really, really good to be a part of a team where it was just assumed that you knew your stuff and you were consulted and your knowledge made a difference. Contrast that to the Aboriginal community where you have the bucket of crabs mentality. I moved from the Aboriginal community into the corporate world and was dazed by how corporate culture is so much more regimented and paper-driven than operations in Indian Country. As the editor of the Aboriginal relations department's quarterly newsletter, I was at the bottom end of the corporate food chain. I had to go through three different levels of approvals to have the content of the newsletter approved for publication. As a result, there was very little creativity in the position. Corporate messages and corporate-speak were rules of the day. Nothing was done without approvals and sign-offs from managers and other hydro employees with more experience. The position, which I won after competing against almost 200 other applicants, was very demanding. I was responsible for writing for the internal news service that the corporation sends out on the Intranet (only available to company employees) about the Aboriginal relations department's newsworthy events. In addition I was also working on special projects and was responsible for the writing, some of the editing, and photography for the department's quarterly publication. By and large, the people I worked with were very competent and professional while being sensitive to the needs of the Aboriginal community. That isn't to say there aren't a lot of problems you face as an Aboriginal person working for a corporation. Managers with a lot of authority keep things from changing within the corporation and that impacts a lot of people outside of the corporation. A recent study done by human resources revealed the average age of the employees was 44 and that most of the management was male and white. That by itself is not so surprising but it does point out how hard it would be to be an Aboriginal person working in an office dominated by Euro-centric ways of doing things. The stats also pointed out that there were barely more than 100 Aboriginal people working for the corporation out of a workforce of about 5,000. There are also thousands of contract jobs created by the hundreds of millions of dollars that are contracted out on an annual basis. Very few of these positions are contracted to Aboriginal businesses and it is tough because the corporation will not change policies so that Aboriginal companies can have preferential treatment in getting contract work. I am talking about $500 to 600 million annually that is contracted out. Granted, most of the work is stuff that few Aboriginal people have the training for, but a large part of that money is spent by managers who spent most of their time protecting their turf. In order to influence change within the corporation, I would have had to stay another couple of years and met other young management types and hung out with them in my spare hours and been best buddies. I would have had to play the game. I decided in the end that working for a corporation wasn't something that appealed to me as a First Nations person interested in change at the community level. Corporations are traps for Aboriginal people. If you want to change things you have to commit yourself to staying with the corporation for long periods of time and know the right people within the corporation. The trade-off is that unless you are living in the community where you work, you must leave your extended family and everything that makes you an Aboriginal person. I was living in Vancouver and couldn't really practice the things that make me a Shuswap person. My Aboriginal fishing and hunting rights are only viable in my traditional territory. My spirituality can be practiced outside of the Shuswap Nation boundaries but I only felt comfortable doing them at home. There is only one place that I can do those things and that is in the interior of British Columbia and within the traditional territory of the Shuswap Nation. It was a rewarding experience both professionally and personally because the things that I took from there were the friendships that I made with other employees. The experience that I had working with a professional organization is invaluable and I can use the best parts in working for the Aboriginal community in an advisory capacity. Sometime in the future, that will help my community if I decide to run for a leadership position. It wasn't a bad place to work, just very rigid and very different from what I am used to. Not like in the Aboriginal community where you go with the flow and yet get things done, much less stressful and in a lot of ways healthier. This is where my heart is and always will be - nothing will change that.