The Aboriginal Newspaper of British
Columbia & Yukon
Top News - August - 2003
Published August 18, 2003
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Nations extend reserve into park
State of emergency continues
Ceremonial seating of chief celebrated by community
This is only a partial listing of the stories featured in the August 2003 issue of Raven's Eye. If you are not receiving your own copy of Raven's Eye, then you have missed out on a lot.Click here for Raven's Eye subscription information.
Nations extend reserve into parkDavid Wiwchar, Raven's Eye Writer, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation
The federal government and the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation have settled on terms that would allow precedent-setting expansion on the Esowista reserve inside the boundaries of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
The Esowista reserve, located on a long beach on the south side of Schooner Cove, has been the focus of numerous protests as over-crowded families sought relief.
For the past two-and-one-half years, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation leaders have been negotiating with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Parks Canada for expanded reserve boundaries. This normally simple negotiation process was complicated by the fact the reserve is inside the boundaries of an ecologically endangered federal park.
The new reserve will be slightly north of the current beachfront reserve, and will have room for 160 houses as well as a village centre complex.
"The process towards this day has been a long one," said Chief Councillor Moses Martin. Band negotiators worked with engineers to develop a physical infrastructure plan for the old and new Esowista reserves and develop engineering feasibility studies and environmental impact assessment plans.
They took a number of factors into consideration before mapping out the boundary including: airport approaches, bogs, bear denning zones, existing trails, old growth trees, wildlife travel corridors, and spruce fringe ecosystems.
The Esowista Community Expansion Plan includes a land use plan and community plan featuring a village centre, playing fields, a longhouse-styled community centre and administration buildings. There is also an option for Elder's housing and multifamily housing for young adults and seniors.
Many band members have had to move away from home because of the lack of housing, while others chose to live in overcrowded houses just to stay at home.
"At this time of year, as the weather warms up, many of our people start pitching tents on their front lawns, moving the kids outside so the parents, uncles, aunts, and grandparents can have a bit more room in their houses," said Martin.
"We realize there is an urgent need to improve housing and social situations," said John Watson, regional director general for Indian Affairs. "This is a unique situation and represents more than a routine agreement. This is an extremely significant commitment to work with the Tla-o-qui-aht to develop a sustainable, model community."
The signing of the agreement on June 18 marks a new era of intergovernmental relations said Councillor Simon Tom.
"This day will be forever remembered in history as the day Canada took a huge step towards righting a historic wrong," he said.
"Our team worked really hard to get the job done and not pass the responsibility on to future generations," said Councillor Elmer Frank.
"We now have the tools to begin improving the quality of life for all Tla-o-qui-aht," said Martin. "It will take a lot of work to remove doubts that are still out there, to prove this expansion is not a mistake. With success comes responsibility. We will make this work," he said to the cheers of the more than 150 people gathered for the signing ceremony.
Plans are also underway for the development of a Tla-o-qui-aht cultural interpretive centre to assist in the education of the 1.2 million tourists that visit the area each year. "We'd love to have a place where we could stand up and tell our story," said Martin. "To be heard, to be seen, and to have our ancestors seen as we see them. This could bring us pride, affirmation, and add strength to our language, culture and community," he said.
"This project will maintain local ecology and parks values," said Watson. "It proves that human and parks values can co-exist."
"They say you never feel so alive as when you do the right thing," said Alex Zellermayer, manager of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. "Which is why it feels so good to be here today," he said.
After a salmon feast, Alex Zellermayer was reminded he predicted the process, if it was to be successful at all, would take a minimum of six years to negotiate, more than double the time it actually took. Tla-o-qui-aht leaders then presented federal government and Nuu-chah-nulth representatives with blue beads as a gesture of thanks.
"We're giving you a few blue beads for the land," joked Hisuumchitl (Barney Williams Jr.) when he presented the gifts to Zellermayer, John Watson, Eric Denhoff (federal treaty negotiations office) and Allan Latourelle (Parks Canada).
Joan Taillon, Raven's Eye Writer, Kamloops
The Provincial Emergency Program, operated by the Ministry of Public Safety and the Solicitor General, was reporting 352 active fires Aug. 11 in the central region of the province around Kamloops. An evacuation order for the Bonaparte Plateau region on Highway 5 remained Aug. 12, with 80 to 100 non-residents under order to evacuate. Province-wide, on Aug. 12, 24 evacuation alerts remained in effect.
In the northeast region around Prince George and Williams Lake, there were no evacuation orders or alerts by Aug. 12, although 119 fires still were active.
The southeast region around Nelson likewise had no evacuation orders or alerts by Aug. 12, although 303 fires were still active.
Less than a week earlier, there were 6,700 evacuees across the province, most from the McLure/Barriere/Lewis Creek and Rayleigh/Strawberry Hill areas, but the majority were allowed to return to their homes by Aug. 11 even though the total number of active fires had increased.
On Aug. 6, Chief Nathan Matthew, chairman of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council (Adams Lake Band, Bonaparte Band, Kamloops Band, Neskonlith Band, North Thompson Band, Skeetchestn Band, Spallumcheen Band and Whispering Pines/Clinton Band), told Raven's Eye that the Louis Creek fire had burned to the ground six of eight homes on the small Chu Chua reserve just north of Barriere that belongs to the North Thompson Band.
In addition, the nearby Tolko Industries sawmill -"the major employer in the (North Thompson) valley" -was "completely destroyed." About a dozen of the reserve's residents had worked there, and "at least a dozen" more were contractors to the logging section of that sawmill.
No buildings other than houses had existed on the Chu Chua reserve. Some were insured and some not; the chief did not want to give numbers.
"There are some non-insured issues to deal with, and that is being handled through the band office and communications with the Department of Indian Affairs-what kind of assistance we can get on an emergency basis."
At that point the town of Barriere was safe, he said, but "It was an extremely close call. The whole place could have gone up. It was an incredible wild fire that came in from the south that destroyed our reserve and the sawmill. But it just sort of diverted-one went on one side of the river and the other went around the other side-and Barriere was spared."
On Aug. 5, the band council met in Kamloops to establish an emergency plan and re-establish an operations centre there "that provides for the social needs of the people that are here, and also for emergency crisis management."
The chief also said the band had been told that power would likely be off for three or four weeks.
"We've put generators to pump up our reservoir and a generator at the main band office to establish telephone and radio communication from that centre, and we've established security," said Chief Nathan Matthew.
They were also offering support to the firefighters of the region; 24 of their members were fighting structural fires in Barriere and more than 16 were in a unit fighting wild fires. The administration established a process to recertify band members whose volunteer firefighting certification had lapsed.
The residents of Chu Chua were evacuated on Aug. 1 and registered with the Provincial Emergency Program.
For short-term, immediate help, "We have a contract with the Provincial Emergency Program," said the chief, "for provision of services for First Nations on the same basis as the public. So, once registered as evacuees, our band members are eligible for food, accommodation and emergency clothing."
The majority were staying in hotels and motels or with friends in Kamloops about 70 km south of the reserve. All band members are safe and accounted for.
On the day he spoke to us, the chief said the fire had moved about 10 or 12 km west "on the (Bonaparte) plateau area out of the North Thompson Valley, heading north, skirting the valley on the west side."
"It's almost directly west of our I.R. Number One, which has the majority of our houses and our band office," added Councillor Keith Matthew, who said weather conditions were such that "nothing is safe in the valley."
Moral and practical support was coming from numerous places. New chief of the Assembly of First Nations Phil Fontaine had called. Grand Chief Ed John and Charlene Bailey from the northern Shuswap country had visited, said the chief.
"The fishermen down the coast sent a whole lot of salmon to our community ... we're really thankful for that."
It was too early to say what long-term help might be available from Indian Affairs, the chief said. A spokeswoman for the department agreed, saying a full assessment of the damage would take some time.
For now, Indian Affairs has a person on the scene acting as a liaison between the provincial emergency response crew and the band, Keith Matthew said.
The houses will be rebuilt and "We're all moving back," said Chief Matthew.
By Aug. 8, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District was reporting structural losses of more than $8.2 million in the McLure/Barriere fire. In the Louis Creek, ExLou and Clough Road area of McLure, 39 framed constructions valued at $3,994,049 were lost; along with 26 manufactured homes valued at $1,120,000; 54 parcels with 99 outbuildings valued at $1,053,790 and content losses of $2,045,620.
Replacement costs for destroyed vehicles, equipment or retail and industrial loses were not included in the tally.
A safe travel advisory was issued Aug. 8 by the ministry to reassure foreign visitors. It stated that the wildfires affect less than 0.1 per cent of the 95 million hectares of land comprising British Columbia, none of them threaten international tourist destinations and most are distant from major travel corridors.
A state of emergency order was extended to the entire province Aug. 2, when the Canadian military was called in to assist weary firefighters, and it remains in effect.
Ceremonial seating of chief celebrated by communityDenise Ambrose, Raven's Eye Writer, Ahousaht
On a scorching summer Saturday, friends and family of Edgar Charlie gathered at the Thunderbird Hall to witness his seating as the head chief of Kelthsmaht. Kelthsmaht traditional territory is on Vargas Island, in view of Tofino. It is one of the several nations that amalgamated to form modern-day Ahousaht.
The heir to the Kelthsmaht head chief's seat has been the subject of dispute amid the Ahousaht and neighbouring communities for decades. Traditionally the seat would go to the eldest son of the chief; however, the direct heir unexpectedly died and no one was named as successor. With no direct male heir to take the seat, cousins stepped forward to fulfill the role, creating controversy over how such issues should be settled.
After several years and meetings it was finally decided earlier this year that the matter would be placed in the hands of the Elders. Elders selected Edgar Charlie as Kelthsmaht chief with instructions to immediately host a feast to take his seat.
On June 27 the first of the guests began to arrive in Ahousaht. The Makah paddled traditional dugout canoes from their home in Neah Bay, Wash. to honour Charlie's invitation.
Charlie and his family served lunch the next day and welcomed their guests. Though attendance was relatively low, there were chiefs on hand to witness the occasion.
Charlie invited the chiefs and other people of influence to sit in front and facing a curtain in preparation for a sacred ceremony. Seated directly in front of the curtain and facing the guests were Ahousaht chiefs Corbett George, Billy Keitlah and James Swan. Louie Joseph explained the ceremony people were about to witness was the highest form of law in their culture. "Once done," he said, "it becomes unchangeable."
A singer chanted as dancers prepared the floor with eagle down. Charlie (Hanuquii) was seated among the chiefs in front of the curtain to the sound of mournful wolf whistling.
Louie Frank Senior congratulated Charlie, saying he now must accept the responsibilities that a chief has for his people. The chiefs received an offering from Hanuquii for witnessing the event and the rest of the evening was filled with celebratory singing and dancing.
Holden David, a young man with connections to the McCarthy family in Ucluelet, was introduced to the gathering by Chief George. David came to the feast to ask that he be given a name. George called forward witnesses and named the young man Naasii-sits, meaning "from God". Speaking on behalf of George, Hudson Webster said George and his family would treasure Naasii-sits and instructed him to come to Ahousaht from time to time to learn the songs.
The Makah joined in the singing and dancing starting with a paddle song. As the dance ended, each dancer laid their beautifully carved cedar paddles at Charlie's feet. Les Green of Neah Bay said Charlie wanted paddles so his people were there to honour his request.
Makah whaler Theron Parker made a special presentation to the people of Ahousaht. Parker and his brother composed and performed a song that they said is for the Ahousaht people to use. They invited the people to a memorial feast at Neah Bay on August 16.
Later in the evening, Charlie introduced his former wife, Genevieve, children and grandchildren.
He provided an explanation for what was on his curtain, saying it took seven years and several people to create the curtain. Charlie said the Kelthsmahts have no rivers so the curtain displays a strong ocean and whaling theme. A rainbow represents spirituality and the Creator. A thunderbird dominates the centre of the curtain. A canoe carrying seven men represents the sub-chiefs of the Kelthsmaht Nation.
"This curtain," said Charlie, "is my identification, and if you're Kelthsmaht, then it's your ID too."
Charlie's former brother-in-law, the late Art Thompson, made this curtain. Charlie asked for a moment of silence to pay respect to Thompson, who recently passed away.
The Campbell and Keitlah families rounded out the evening with songs and dances in support of Charlie.
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