Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw

“to tell a story”

Shuswap People of the North

June/July 2013 - Pelltspantsk (Mid-summer Month)/ Pelltqwelq’wel’temc (Getting ripe Mondh)

Lexey’emSince 2005, Ira has worked hard to overcome the physical and psychological challenges from a devastating hunting accident. He recalls his late Uncle Pierro

Sandy saying, “Your body is trying to

make your brain work, put your brain to work!” Ira reflected on those words, and in 2007 he decided to use the intellectual assets he was gifted with to graduate high school.

He went to the GROW Centre and figured out the courses he required. His rehabilitation assistants worked with him at his home to slowly and methodically complete the requirements for each course.

This work involved them reading the questions to him while he pecked away the answer on the keyboard with one hand. Sometimes he wrote out the answer in his telltale and hurried script.

At one point, the course supervisor thought the assistants may have been answering the questions for him as the marks sometimes fluctuated from high to low. However, Ira and his assistant realized that doing school work while his brain was tired was unproductive so they only did school work when he was well rested.

His physical rehabilitation at the swimming pool counted towards his PE credit, and he excelled swimming a lap in a record 36 seconds. Ira worked diligently to maintain a high grade point average and every time his assignments came back with positive comments and marks in the 80’s and 90’s he became more determined. One such remark was that Ira had the potential for a university education. His highest mark was 97% in geography.

Ira says for all those young people who may believe a high school graduation is unattainable his hard work and determination for the last six years is proof anything is possible. His message to them is to go above and beyond and not settle for the minimum in their education – strive for the A and don’t settle for the C – and you will surprise yourself.

Ira Sandy – High School Graduate

Ira Sandy at the Graduation Ceremonies photo taken by Leigh Werhun, his rehab assistant

The Canim Lake Band supports the forestry industry, and we are part of it. We manage approximately 23,000 hectares of forest land under a First Nations Woodlands Licence and two woodlots. The Band also owns and operates a logging company, and band-members are involved in virtually all aspects of the local forest economy.

Recently band-members have become very dissatisfied with the forest practices generated by the provincial Crown’s

Forest and Range Practices Act. In response to these concerns the Band produced and published a Forest Stewardship Retention Plan. The can be viewed on the Canim Lake Band website. It explores some alternative viewpoints concerning forestry. The Canim Lake Band welcomes any comments from the general public.

One of the more difficult current issues for this community is the Science Based Review, being promoted by the province and the forest industry. The review area covers Quesnel, Williams lake and 100 Mile House. This process explores the concept of erasing three significant components of the existing land-use planning framework; visually sensitive areas, mule deer winter ranges and old growth management areas.

These three elements restrict the forest industry, but they also protect and maintain something that is extremely valuable to the Canim Lake Band, a component of wild forests on the landscape. Due to recent accelerated beetle harvesting, these remaining wild forests are currently even more important. Erasing these zones is really a decision about values. Are natural, wild forests valued by society, and to what extent?

Fifteen years ago approximately 1 million cubic meters of annual allowable cut was deemed to be sustainable for 100 mile House. Due to beetle kill the cut has risen up to about 2 million cubic meters per year. Now, as we approach the end of the beetle wood it looks like the allowable cut must fall to below its previous level (to 0.8, see the 100 Mile House Timber Supply Public Discussion Paper). The Canim Lake Band is well aware that this adjustment will be difficult.

Preliminary Science Based Review results to 100 Mile House show that by removing visuals, mule deer and old growth areas, 100 Mile will gain about 12%, or roughly an additional 110,000 cubic meters of available wood each year. However, the Canim Lake Band believe that rather than experiencing a long term annual boost in the cut it would be far more likely that most of the wood made available via the Science Based Review would be logged off within a very short-time frame.

There are problems with the existing land-use planning framework. Opportunities exist to revise and revisit the rules associated with harvesting in mule deer winter ranges. And opportunities to use public consultation and new technology to revise visually sensitive zones, and look at the rules that apply within them. Old growth management areas and be relocated in ways that can be more acceptable and beneficial.

There are also ways to marginally improve the mid-term timber supply outlook, but these will require hard work and broad participation. The Science Based Review is a short-term quick fix approach. If successful, it will likely delay the fall in the annual cut by a year of two, but at the expense of our remaining ecological capital. It is Canim Lake Band’s opinion that the impact on the three elements far outweigh the benefits.

Continued on page 4 - ‘Ira’

Canim Lake Natural Resource’s response to BC’s Forest Range Practices Act

Band ‘produced & published’ a Forest Stewardship Retention Plan

Science Based Review impacts; visually sensitive areas, mule deer winter range & old growth management areas

Pelltspantsk / Pelltqwelq’wel’temc p.2Aboriginal Day - June, 2013 Sunshine, more parade entries, lots of music, food booths & fun

made this year’s Aboriginal Day Celebrations a success

The Lexey’em is brought to you by the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council and The Williams Lake Tribune

Publisher: Lisa Bowering,The WLTribuneEditor: Agness Jack, NSTCAdvertising: The WL Tribune

Lexey’em is an independent community newspaper, published monthly, by the Williams lake Tribune and the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council.

The circulation is 500, and it is distributed to the NStQ members through the community treaty offices, to various businesses in Williams Lake and it is mailed out to the NStQ members throughout B.C. and North America.

It is also available on the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council website at http://www.northernshuswaptrib-alcouncil.com/ & by e-mail to NStQ members. If you would like to receive the Lexey’em by e-mail please forward your e-mail information to a.jack@nstq.org.

NStQ & Treaty NewsPrincipal Negotiator’s Reportby Jim Doswell

Deliverable Activities in Support of Outcome 1. Current State of

Negotiations • The current state of negotiations is quite good. The province is working very

cooperatively and their team is professional and adept negotiators. Our team is working well and the outcomes are evident.

2. Current Tri-Partite Work Plan

• Our next meetings will be in Williams Lake at the end of July and will deal predominately with lands and issues related to the lands and the upcoming lands offer.

3. Monthly Negotiations Update

• At our recent negotiating session we dealt with several chapters, the issue of BC Hydro rights of way and the BC Hydro language regarding distribution on treaty settlement lands. We also discussed with Canada the issue of unfunded beneficiaries, and how we will need control of the citizenship process after the effective date. On our final day we dealt with the additional 7500 hectares that the province has agreed to status and include in the lands that could be offered. It was a successful negotiation session and has moved us closer to the next offer. We also agreed to a format for the rolling draft, which will be presented to Leadership as soon as it is prepared.

4. Preparation regarding negotiation positions

• N/A this month

5. Preparation regarding concepts on treaty issues

• We will need to discuss the issues of Shared Decision Making and Governance in the fairly near future as well we need to ensure that communications with the membership is given the priority it demands.

6. Complete general reports from Chief Negotiators Forum

• I didn’t attend this recent meeting as I was not asked to attend

7. G2G Negotiations Update • My recent report on the G2G was delivered to the most recent Board meeting • 2 TRM’s to be put before

Canada • We have had good early success with the application and approval of several TRMs.

We hope to present several more as the year proceeds.

Next Chief Negotiators' & First Nations Summit Meetings

DATE Meeting LOCATION_____________________________________________________________________________Thursday & Friday, August 8-9

FNS Chief Negotiators' Tsleil-Waututh Nation Recreation Centre 3010 Sleil Waututh Road North Vancouver

SEPTEMBER, 2013 Wednesday - Friday, September 25-27

First Nations Summit Squamish Nation Chief Joe Mathias Centre, 100 Capilano Road, North Vancouver

OCTOBER, 2013 Thursday & Friday, October 17-18

FNS Chief Negotiators' Musqueam Cultural Centre, 4000 Musqueam Avenue, Vancouver, BC

DECEMBER, 2013 Wednesday - Friday, December 4-6

First Nations Summit Squamish Nation Chief Joe Mathias Centre, 100 Capilano Road, North Vancouver

________________________________________________________________________

Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, June 6, 2013 – Grand Chief Edward John (Akile Ch’oh), Cheryl Casimer and Robert Phillips have been elected to the First Nations Summit Task Group (political executive) by leaders representing First Nations currently engaged in treaty negotiations in BC.

Chief John, a Tl’azt’en Nation hereditary Grand Chief , will be serving his tenth term as a member of the Summit’s political executive. He has represented and advocated for First Nations/Indigenous interests on the provincial, national and international stage for over 30 years. Chief John was recently re-appointed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council President as an Indigenous Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) for North America for the term 2014-2016.

Cheryl Casimer will be serving her first term as a member of the FNS political executive. She is a citizen of the Ktunaxa Nation and currently resides in the community of ?aqam (St. Mary’s Band) which is located in the southeast corner of BC. Cheryl is a former Chief and Councillor of the ?aqam First Nation and a former Co-Chair of the First Nations Summit. She is a longstanding advocate for First Nations issues and perspectives, and is committed to building better bridges of understanding between neighboring cultures.

Robert Phillips will be serving his first term as a member of the FNS political executive. Robert is a member of the Canim Lake Band, of the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw (Shuswap). He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University College of the Fraser Valley.

Robert previously served three terms as a Commissioner of the BC Treaty Commission. He also previously served as Chief Negotiator and Self-Government Director at the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council.

Leah George-Wilson (Sisi-ya-ama) of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Ray Harris (Shulqwilum) of the Chemainus First Nation were acclaimed as Co-Chairs of the First Nations Summit. This will be Leah’s fifth term and Ray’s third term as Co-chair. The Co-Chairs are responsible for chairing First Nations Summit meetings as well as the Summit’s administration and day-to-day operations.

The First Nations Summit speaks on behalf of First Nations involved in treaty negotiations in British Columbia. The Summit is also a NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. More information on the Summit may be found at www.fns.bc.ca.

First Nations Summit Elects New Executive

June 2013 p.3

Pictured left to right: Robert Phillips (FNS Political Executive), Leah George-Wilson (FNS Co-Chair), Ray Harris (FNS Co-Chair), Cheryl Casimer (FNS Political Executive), and Grand Chief Edward John (FNS Political Executive) First Nations Summit photo

Willams Lake Indian Band Pelltspantsk / Pelltqwelq’wel’temc p.4

Hello everyone! I hope you’re all having a good summer and enjoying the sunshine. We wanted to provide you with an update about some of the activities currently ongoing at the treaty table and beyond. Although we’re now into the dog days of summer, work has definitely not stopped! In fact, there are more and more projects taking place – So many it’s hard to keep track!

Treaty

Negotiations continue, and the goal is still to work toward concluding an Agreement in Principle (AIP) by the end of 2013. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and at the negotiation table NStQ, Canada and BC continue to grind through the draft chapters of the AIP to resolve outstanding issues. Good progress is being made, though, and we’re picking off the issues one by one. Perhaps the greatest amount of work will have to be devoted to identifying, and agreeing on, the lands that will ultimately form Treaty Settlement Lands under the Treaty.

Communications has been a significant focus for the Treaty Team in 2013. We’ve created a variety of new communication tools, and have been engaging with NStQ Citizens through a variety of meetings, both on and off reserve. Urban meeting were held on June 17 in Williams Lake, June 19 in Kamloops and June 26 in Vancouver. More meetings will be conducted through the summer and into the Fall. NStQ Treaty is also creating a new website, which will provide everything you need to know about the treaty process and where we’re at in our negotiations. Constitutional drafting also continues, and the Governance Group has been conducting a series of meetings with members to engage on issues relating to the constitutional framework.

A WLIB youth land tour is slated for July 18. This will give youth an opportunity to get out on the land, understand some of the history of the land as explained by Elders, and provide input on the WLIB land selections. G2G and NSTQ Resource Development MoU

NStQ continues to work with BC to develop a “Government to Government” or “G2G” framework for shared decision making. This framework will explain how, in advance of treaty, NStQ will be involved in decisions regarding land and resource use throughout Secwepemcul’ecw.

NStQ is also working on an internal agreement to deal with the management and coordination of activities with respect to natural resources within Secwepemcul’ecw. This MoU will explain how the four communities work together to manage, monitor, and share the benefits from projects that take place within Secwepemcul’ecw.

First Nations Land Management

The First Nations Land Management (FNLM) process is not part of treaty, but it is an important activity in the T’exelc community right now.

As we’ve discussed in previous articles, FNLM will give WLIB self-government over land management, and allow us to escape from the sections of the Indian Act that deal with Lands. WLIB has conducted a series of community meetings with community members and those meetings will continue into the Fall and beyond.

The schedule for upcoming meetings is as follows:Williams Lake @CJL Building -July 30th 5 pm Kamloops-@Chief Louie Centre- August 6th 5 pm Vancouver-@Chief Simon Baker (friendship centre) - August 20th 5 pm WL-@CJL Building - August 27th 5 pm Kamloops-@Chief Louie Centre -September 10th 5 pm Vancouver-@Chief Simon Baker (friendship centre) - September 24th 5 pmDinner will be provided at all meetings

WLIB now has a completed draft of its Land Code. To view the draft Land code, and for more information on FNLM, visit our Facebook group, under Williams Lake Indian Band First Nations Land Management and see our Google Drive information centre at http://goo.gl/g5jbl

Coyote Rock Land Development

Work continues around the WLIB Coyote Rock Golf Course, with the focus currently on the booster station (pump house) that will ultimately service the new residential and commercial development around Coyote Rock Golf Course.

We expect that our funding to begin the rest of the subdivisions works around the golf course will flow this Fall, and the work will extend over two or three years, eventually dovetailing with the 4-laning of Highway 97 through Sugar Cane IR#1. So it will be a construction zone for quite a while… but there will be lots of opportunity flowing from this!

WLIB Summer UpdateIra recommends young people get their education while they are young enough to retain all that knowledge, and be able to reap benefits of it while they are still young. He says “be a true Qelmucw and take that knowledge out into the world and pass it on.”

Ira has many options to choose from for further education and is considering them all without regard to the challenges they may present. He says “I may have a brain injury, but that isn’t going to stop me from overcoming the challenges in front of me. I am going to use my intelligence to get where I want in the world.”

Ira thanks the following people for the support they provided: his mother, Nancy Sandy, his sisters, Dancing Water and Carmen; his extended family; his rehabilitation assistants, Glenda, Tina Brebeuf and Leigh Werhun; the Williams Lake Indian Band for the financial assistance and encouragement.

Ira is determined to be a success and a role model for his son, Arron, and nephews, William and Morgan. Ira’s motto is “Don’t Plot and Scheme. Plan and Execute Instead!”

Ira Sandy - Graduate

Williams Lake Indian Band Graduates & Honour Roll & Work Ethic Recipients

Post Secondary Graduates:1. Storme Sandy, Bachelor of Social Work,

Graduate of 20122. Deserae Wycotte, Human Service

Diploma, Graduate of 20133. Jamie Thomas, Water & Waste Water

Utility Certificate, Graduate of 2013

High School Graduates:1. Whitmey Alphonse-Manuel2. Ira Sandy3. Everett Sellars4. Kayla Wycotte5. Larae Wycotte

Elementary School Honour Roll & Work Ethic Students:

1. Dylen Alexandre, Grade 5 2. Franklyn Boyd, Grade 4 3. Kendra Boyd, Grade 6 4. Chelsea McKay, Grade 7

High School Honour Roll & Work Ethic Students:

1. Braeden Boyd, Grade 9 2. Tamara Kelly, Grade 8

High School Principal List Student:1. Tamara Kelly, Grade 8

T’exelc will work in unity to strengthen our Secwepemc Culture. We will be a healthy and prosperous Community

Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw

Northern Shuswap Tribal Council 17 South First Avenue, Williams Lake BC V2G 1H4

Ph: 250-392-7361 Toll free: 1-888-392-7361 Fax: 250-392-6158 Executive Director - Yvonne Smith Treaty Team Coordinator - Allan Tweedie Executive Assistant - Frieda BelleauCommunications Coordinator - vacant Communications Assistant - Agness Jack

Stswecem’c/Xat’tem First Nation (formerly Canoe Creek Band)

General Delivery, Dog Creek BC, VOL 1J0 Ph: 250-440-5649 Toll free: 1-888-220-4220 Fax: 250-440-5672

Treaty Manager - Ernest Kroeker Governance - Allan Adams Treaty Assistant/Comm. - Rick Archie

Tsq’esecn’ (Canim Lake Band)PO Box 1030, 100 Mile House BC VOK 2E0 Ph; 250-397-2002 Toll free: 1866-797-2277 Fax: 250-397-2769

Treaty Manager - Elizabeth Pete Governance - Helen Henderson Treaty Assistant - Melody Henderson Mapping Tech/Communications - Irene Gilbert

Xat’sull/Cmetem’ (Soda Indian Band)3405 Mountain House Road, Williams Lake BC V2G 5L5 Ph: 250-989-2323 Fax: 250-989-2300

Treaty Manager- Gord Keener Governance - Cliff Thorstenson Treaty Assistant -Kellie Louie

T’exelc (Williams Lake Indian Band)2672 Indian Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 5K9 Ph: 250-296-3507 Toll free: 1-877-856-3507 Fax: 250-296-4750

Treaty Manager - Chris Wycotte Governance - Charlotte Gilbert Communications - Kirk Dressler Treaty Assistant - Judy Boston

SSLCS -Secwepemct’sin June 2013 p.5

June - Pesxqeltemc “Go to Upper Levels” Endangered and\or Uncommon AnimalsMountain Sheep yeqelckenBig Horn Sheep swelapsMountain Goat sxwet eyWolverine tsexq elxikenBadger sqitxleqsMarten xgensFisher stwelel qwMink\Ermine ts exletsenSkunk sts ipeqWeasel spepqllts ePorcupine setsuyeBobcat styexyeyxLynx semrewBuffalo qwispCaribou selcweycenCommon AnimalsMoose teniyeRabbit seqwyitsBuck SxwleckenDoe, Blacktail Deer Stqweqwi7peWhite Tail Deer Sukwtups, tpquqpe7Male Deer pwelckenCougar smuwe7Fox xgwelemcWolf melemst yeBat st enweyeMarmot\Whistler sqwi7qweCoyote seklepRat (Bushy Tailed\Packrat) legegigem, scencellcw

Meal Prayer

Me7 qweqwentsin-kt

Tqelt-Kúkwpi7,

Yiri7 re skukwstéc-kucw re skectéc-kucw ne7élye te s7íllens-kucw.

Yiri7 re skukwstéc-kucw re skectéc-kucw te sqlélten, te teníye, ell te ts’i7 re skecmentsút.s es c7ell7íllens-kucw.

Tqelt-Kúkwpi7,

Le7 re skectéc ne7élye te skw’en’llq es ta7es k stektsíllens re kw’séltktens-kucw ne7elye te melúl’kw’.

Tqelt-Kúkwpi7,

Yiri7 re skukwstéc-kucw re skectéc-kucw te kw’séltktens-kucw es le7 es k’úlens ne7élye re ts’i7, re swewell, re skw’en’llq, xwexwéyt re stem ne7elye re sc7ell7íllens-kucw pyin te sitq’t.

Wenécwem yiri7 re skukwstéc-kucw,

Knúcwente-kuc es kwemtús es yucwmenstwécws-kucw ell es Knucwentwécw-kucw es kwemtus ne7élye re le7es re sw7ec-kt tmicw-kt.

T’ucw ts’ílem.

Tsítslem te sqweqlút : Meal Prayer Vocabularyskukwstéc-kucw We thank youskectéc-kucw you give/gave to usskecmentsút to give oneself upsqlélten salmon

teníye moosets’i7 deer/meat/fleshskw’en’llq garden foodstekstsillen to starvekw’séltkten relatives, familypyin te sitq’t todaywenécwem truly, reallykwemtús alwaysxwexwéyt re stem all thingsyucwmentwécw to look after one anothertmicw country, land

(clockwise from the left) The smuwe7 / cougar, semrew / lynx, Wover-ine, Sxwlecken / buck & teniye/moose

stwelel qw/fisher

Pelltspantsk / Pelltqwelq’wel’temc p.6

The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations made a call for unity during his welcoming speech at the 34th Annual General Assembly in Whitehorse today.

By Ainslie Cruickshank on July 16, 2013 at 3:46 pm

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) national chief made a call for unity during his welcoming speech at the 34th Annual General Assembly in Whitehorse.

“Our agenda, that which compels us to gather here, our First Nations agenda, it requires that everyone come together,” Shawn Atleo said.

“We have inherent responsibility to our lands, waters and peoples – and we have inherent rights as Nations to work in full respect with one another and as equal partners with other governments.”

Atleo highlighted the many challenges that continue to face First Nations communities across the country. “I look around and I see today that beyond the headlines of floods and fires, many of our First Nations are in a perpetual state of crisis,” he said.

“Our people are crammed into crumbling homes in collapsing communities.

“Almost half of our children are living in poverty. We have more children in care right now than at the height of the residential school era. Our young people are more likely to end up in jail than to graduate,” Atleo continued.

“These statistics are stark, they’re sobering and we don’t need to recite them again but we can ask the Canadian government and all Canadians: is this the Canada they want to stand for? Is this the kind of country they believe in?”

Atleo reminded the assembly, in 2010 he called on the federal government to work with Aboriginal people in moving past the Indian Act. “We know what we oppose. But that is only half the fight,” he said, highlighting the priority on empowering and supporting each other.

Atleo underscored the AFN’s packed agenda, noting specifically the work that must be undertaken on education and comprehensive claims. On education, he noted the chronic

underfunding to First Nations schools, compared to schools in the provincial system.

It’s about more than just increased resources, it’s about developing complete systems with full supports, Atleo said, highlighting a successful First Nations education system in Nova Scotia.

On comprehensive claims, Atleo said “there is no doubt current government policy is completely inadequate and inconsistent with legal developments.”

“We have agreement on the need for reform, a clear timeline and process to achieve this change – we will press for and be unrelenting in our pursuit of full recognition and reconciliation and a final and permanent end to extinguishment and denial.”

In closing, Atleo referenced the energy that movements like Idle No More have brought to First Nations. “This is absolutely a critical

National chief issues a call for unity among First Nationstime. There is energy in the air. We demand change on our terms to reach our goals,” he said.

“We will indeed emerge stronger together today, for our children tomorrow,” he said, in reference to the 1973 framework document for self-government and Aboriginal land claim settlements in the Yukon.

Yukon First Nations are truly honoured by AFN’s presence in their homeland, Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief Ruth Massie said. “Today I am proud to say we have 11 of 14 Yukon First Nations that are self-governing. It’s been a long journey with many positive achievements and we look forward to sharing our stories of success and the many challenges we faced with some solutions,” said Massie.

The last annual general assembly held in Whitehorse was 21 years ago, Atleo noted during his speech.

Shawn Atleo at the Residential School Commemoration Conference held in May at TRU, Williams Lake

AFN & Northern Shuswap Tribal Council News

August 27th, 2013Nenqayni Wellness Centre Hosts

Medication Information Session andMedication Administration Training

This full day program provides a foundation of knowledge of the various classes of medications, how common medications work and what their side effects are.Medication Administration training includes: licensed medication administration procedures, guidelines for documentation and reporting, the 7 rights of mediation administration, and learning medication “lingo”.

This training is a certificate course and can be used for credit with many certifying bodies such as the Canadian Council of Professional Certification and Canadian Accreditation Council.

Instructor: Donna Brinoni, RN, CPMHN(C)

Cost: $100/participant includes; course materials, lunch and snacks provided Cheques payable to Nenqayni Wellness Centre Society

Time: 8:30am – 4:30pm, August 27th, 2013

Location: Nenqayni Wellness Centre Society 4802 Highway 97 North, Williams Lake BC

Contact for registration/information:Meghann Brinoni, (250) 989 – 0301mbrinoni@nenqayni.com

by Gord Sterritt

In the event that you haven’t heard, I am leaving the NSTC Fisheries Department as of July 31st, 2013.

An opportunity to work with the Upper Fraser Fisheries Conservation Alliance arose and after some consideration, I decided to seize the opportunity,

I assure you it was not an easy decision. I won’t be going far though as the UFFCA is a support organization for the Upper Fraser First Nations, which include the Northern Shuswap Communities.

I would like to thank the Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw Communities, NStQ leadership and NSTC staff for their support for the past 8 years in my role as the NSTC Fisheries Resource Manager.

I also thank the Secwepemc Nation for entrusting me to be their delegate to the First Nations Fisheries Council.

Working with the NStQ has been a rewarding experience and the Northern Shuswap have become very involved in

Farewell from Gord SterrittNSTC Fisheries Resource Manager

fisheries issues throughout the watershed.

I also encourage the people to keep on protecting their rights through fishing at the preferred traditional fishing spots, such as Farwell Canyon (Tsenclews) as well as the numerous sites along the Fraser, Quesnel River and tributaries within the Traditional Territory, while continuing to protect the salmon and in order to ensure that they keep returning to the spawning grounds. Thank you to the NStQ for honouring the Early Stuart closures over the years, to that the First

Nations in the Babine territory could ‘catch their food fish’.

Gord during a Chinook enumeration project on the Horsefly

NSTC Fisheries “Kekesu7” or Springs

Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)by Charlotte Morrow, NSTC Fisheries

“Kekesu7” or “Xqeltemcésell are the Shuswap words for chinook salmon which are frequently referred to as “spring” salmon because they return to some rivers earlier than other Pacific salmon species.

The chinook salmon is the largest of the Pacific salmon species average weight about 30 pounds, the world record standing at 126 pounds.

Chinook salmon are blue-green on the head and back, the sides are silvery in the marine environment. A chinook’s tail, back and upper fin have irregular, black spots. During the spawning season chinook, develop a reddish tint.

Photo credit - academic.reed.eduThe chinook is also referred to as: spring salmon, king salmon, Tyee, Columbia River salmon, black salmon, chub salmon and hook bill salmon. Generally chinook spend 3 to 4 years in the ocean, but can spend up to 8 years in the ocean before returning to their natal streams to spawn. Wild Chinook salmon are the largest and longest-lived of the five wild Pacific species.

Freshwater rivers and streams provide important habitat for chinook salmon. Their diet consists of terrestrial and aquatic insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans while young, and primarily on other fish when older.

Cool water and good water flow are necessary for a good oxygen supply to the eggs, which are laid in deeper water with larger gravel. Riparian vegetation and woody debris help juvenile salmon by providing cover and maintaining low water temperatures.

Photo credit - yukonriverpanel.com

Mortality is high among in the early stages of the chinook salmon’s life cycle due to natural predation, silt deposits, high water temperatures, low oxygen conditions, loss of stream cover and low water conditions.

Human induced changes in habitat such as poor forestry practices, industry, dams and water diversions all contribute to negative changes in habitat.

Like all pacific salmon, chinooks are anadromous, which means they spend part of their life in the marine environment and the other part of their life in freshwater streams and rivers.

There are several stages to the life cycle of a chinook salmon, eggs-alevins-fry-smolt-adult-spawning adult.

Because of their large size, chinook are a favoured prey to killer whales and can contribute up to 80 percent of the whales’ diet. For the Southern BC Killer whale population, Fraser River

chinook make up 90 percent of their diet.

At their birth stream, male and female salmon pair up to breed. The female digs a nesting hole (also called a redd). She deposits thousands of eggs in the redd before the male releases his sperm. After mating, the male and females stand guard over the eggs to protect them from predators.

Chinook salmon burn a lot of energy migrating to the nesting grounds, breeding and protecting the eggs. Both parents will die before the eggs even hatch.

Chinook production in the Fraser River is the largest in Canada, but for the 3rd consecutive year the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is requesting that First Nations suspend all fishing for Fraser River early chinook salmon.

The UBCIC is also demanding that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans halt all non-aboriginal fisheries as well. Many chinook salmon populations in Southern BC, Fraser River included, have been declining for many years and it is time that DFO take immediate and meaningful steps to protect all chinook runs.

June 2013 p.7

Churn Creek Ferry - photo archives

Pelltspantsk / Pelltqwelq’wel’temc p.8‘the Mission’ - Celebrating SurvivalReconciliation

NStQ Governance News June p.9

July 14, 2013 VANCOUVER – Four B.C. First Nations Language Champions were recognized at the First Nations Languages Conference in Vancouver for outstanding achievement in First Nations language revitalization. The First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) and the First Peoples’ Cultural Council co-hosted the conference.

The Language Champions for 2013 are:• Youth Award – honours individuals 18 -

30, who are learning their language and inspiring others. Awarded to Reginald Dennis, Tahltan language Champion.

• Community Education Leadership Award – honours an individual who exem-plifys excellence in language teaching and leadership in a community setting Awarded to Bridget Dan, champion of Secwepemctsin.

• School Education Award – honours an individual who exemplify excellence in language teaching and leadership in a school setting Awarded to Frances Brown, of the Heiltsuk language.

• Lifetime Achieve-ment Award - hon-ours an individual who has significantly contributed to the preservation and teaching of a First Nations language over their lifetime. Awarded to Mona Jules, champion of Secwepemctsin.

“We are so proud of our Language Champions,” said Tracey Herbert, Executive Director of the First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Council. “They are a truly inspiring group of people who dedicate their lives to keeping their languages alive for the next generation of speakers. We must continue to support their work.”

“I honour the achievements of our Language Champions,” said Tyrone McNeil, FNESC president. “We are proud and honoured to recognize their language revitalization efforts.”

Language Champions are chosen every two years for their outstanding contributions to First Nations languages in British Columbia.

For information about the Language Champions: http://www.fnesc.ca/first-nations-languages-conference

About the FNs Education Steering Committee

Established in 1992, the First Nations Education Steering Committee is an independent society led by BC First Nations community respresentatives. FNESC is committed to

Language Champions honoured at First Nations Language Conferenceachieving quality First Nations education in BC.

About the First Peoples’ Cultural Council

The First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Council is a B.C. Crown Corporation with the mandate

Celebrating Our Language ChampionsChampion: Bridget Dan, Esketemc Nation

Nominators: Darlene Louie, Stswecem’c Xgat’tem & Dr. Marianne Ignace

Darlene wrote about Bridget

Bridget has been working with Secwepemctsín since she was 15 years old and worked with Aert Kuipers, a Linguist. Kuipers was the first one to record the written Secwepem’c with the communities and developed the dictionary.

As Bridget tells the story, Aert came into the communities during the busy summer months and was looking for Elders to work with. He approached Bridget’s parents, who told Aert they were too busy haying and preserving salmon.

They suggested that he work with Bridget as she was fluent, and that was how she started a career in Language teaching, preservation and revitalization.

Bridget started teaching quite young and was one of the first teachers brought into School District # 27 to teach the Language under the guise of being trained as a teacher aid.

She hasn’t stopped teaching, developing curriculum or working to champion the revitalization and preservation of

Secwepemctsín.

Her career has led her to many communities including her own. She has taught for School District #27, Esk’et’s school - Sxoxomic and Kamloops Indian Band.

Bridget spent time in Kamloops developing curriculum at the Shuswap Cultural Education Centre and at the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council. She never turns anyone down in developing curriculum, teaching or who just wants to learn the language.

When Bridget was told she had to retire at the School District level and at her home Band school, she moved on to teaching

the language for Simon Fraser University and the Thompson Rivers University. She teaches for the First Nations Language Proficiency Certificate and the Development Standard Term Certificate, and still does curriculum development with the universities and NSTC.

Bridget is a true born Champion of Secwepemctsín. She mentors a lot of individuals on a regular basis and I am proud to say I am one of her students. I would be very proud to see this wonderful language teacher be honored as a Secwepem’c Language teacher, as she is a great candidate for the title, as she truly lives and breathes the language.

The following Secwepemc individuals have been celebrated as BC First Nations Language Champions at the First Nations Languages Conferences in 2009 and 2011.

2011Clara Camille from the Canoe Creek First Nation Cecilia DeRose from the Esket First Nation

2009Antoinette Archie, a Secwepemc speaker from Canim LakeElsie Archie, a Secwepemc speaker from Canim LakeNancy Camille, a Secwepemc speaker from Canoe CreekLawrence Michel, a Secwepemc speaker from Adams Lake

(left -right) Dr. Marianne Ignace, Jean William, Bridget Dan, Cecelia DeRose

(left -right) Jean William, Antoinette Archie, Ellen Gilbert, Elsie Archie, Cecelia DeRose, Clara & Clara Camille. This group of language speakers are diligently working on the NStQ Constitution

(left) SXFN Elder Nancy Ca-mille was honoured with the Language Champion Award in 2009. Nancy is pictured here at her gradtuation from the Simon Fraser University. The Secwepemc Cultural Education Society had a partnership for years with Simon Fraser to deliver programs in Kamloops & in Williams Lake.

Soda Creek Band Pelltspantsk / Pelltqwelq’wel’temc p.10

By Monica Lamb-Yorski - Williams Lake Tribune

May 27, 2013

If telling the truth is brave, that’s a sad statement on today’s society, said Xatśūll Chief Bev Sellars at the St. Joseph’s Mission Reunion held over the May long weekend at the Chief Will-Yum Pow Wow grounds.

Bev recently had a book published by Talonbooks, titled They Called Me Number One, that features her stories and other students who attended the residential school.

“We need to get this out there. People have swept it under the carpet for too long,” she said.

The cover features a photograph of her two granddaughters, Bev said if residential schools were still in existence the older one would have already spent four years there. The younger one would have spent two years there.

“I also have a grandson who just turned 16 years old at the beginning of May. I think about him, my granddaughters, and the grandchildren of all of us. He would have been leaving the school by now and well on his way to a life of alcohol and drugs to try and avoid the memories he would have had from that place,” Bev said.

Thankfully her grandson is well-adjusted and will go on to lead a productive life, she added.

In the book, Bev writes about Doreen Johnson, who was her protector at the mission.

“The first week I was there I was so grateful for Doreen because she was tough. She says now that she was a bully but for me personally I was grateful she was a bully because if anybody wanted to pick on me they had to go through Doreen so they left me alone.”

Bev started writing stories before she planned to write a book.

“Connecting the dots of what happened there and how it affected me in later life, I ended up with a big stack of little stories. I showed them to my husband Bill and he was absolutely stunned at what I had written.”

Her husband was in Aboriginal politics for almost 40 years, yet he had no idea what went on, even though both of his parents went to residential school in Alert Bay.

“I could understand how he didn’t know because that was the same for me. My grandmother went, my mom went, and I went,” Bev said. “We talked about it amongst ourselves, but I didn’t talk to my kids about it.”

It’s the same for a lot of the people who went there, they didn’t talk about it to the younger generation.

“When I started writing, it really bothered me. I

Bev Sellars - ‘Our stories need to be told’thought ‘we’re all going to die and the younger generation is not going to understand why there’s so much dysfunction in the communities.’

As she wrote she thought a lot about her family, her brothers and sisters, uncles, grandparents, and parents.

“It turned into this book and it probably wouldn’t have happened so quickly if my brother Chuck hadn’t given me some money. I had all these stories and they just rambled on, but it didn’t read like a book.”

With the money from her brother, Bev hired an editor from Kamloops.

“I was going to self-publish because I was told in order to get it published it would take two to three years if I was lucky. I asked a former university professor of mine to do a short blurb for the back of the book.”

When the professor received the manuscript she encouraged Bev to go through a publisher and put her in touch with Talonbooks.

Talonbooks president and CEO Kevin Williams, after reading the manuscript, contacted Bev in one week and said they would publish the book and were going to make it the lead book for Talonbooks’ spring releases.

“In talking to others who read they book they say, that’s me. That’s my story. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Canada or the U.S. and even though this is my personal story, it could be so many of our personal stories.”

Bev is finding solace that people are finding her book helpful.

“It took them back to the residential school and all of that, but it also helped them heal. The greatest thing I heard about this book is that one non-Native lady who read it said she was going to give it to her daughter. Her daughter has some social problems and she said this book can help her daughter.”

It’s not just Aboriginal people who go through problems, Bev said, adding she’s glad it can help non-Aboriginal people too.

Proceeds from the sale of The Called Me Number One will go toward a society Bev is starting, to acknowledge the contributions made by Aboriginal people around the world.

“The general population and a lot of us don’t know about it because it was left out of the history books. That’s my next project. It’s part of the deprogramming. I say that Aboriginal people have to be deprogrammed from the destructive teachings that we were taught.”

She hopes Aboriginal contributions will become common knowledge, she added.

“I’ve done my duty and I tell people now it’s time for them to write their stories. There are so many more stories that need to be written. If people don’t want to make their stories public, then throw them in the fire, but get them out.”

It becomes easier, she added.

“When I first started talking about it in public I would break down all the time, but it does become easier, I assure you. The world needs to know about our Canadian history.”

Editor’s Note: Bev is chief of the Xatsull First Nation (Soda Creek Indian Band). Before she handed the book over to the publisher Bev said she gave a rough copy to her mother to read. She said “I knew I had to get my Mom’s permission to go ahead and publish it.” It was two years ago that she gave a rough copy to her mother to read. Bev was ‘afraid to go back’ but she did a time later, but her mother was supportive of Bev having the manuscript published.

Bev wasn’t sure about getting her work published because back in the 1980s she had ‘spoke the truth’ publically about what happened at the Mission. She actually received a lot of ‘hate mail’ and in hindsight wished she kept them. People were saying that I was lying.

Today it is different, people have been thanking her for her courage to write ‘their stories’.

On a personal note - I had the honour of working on a ‘residential school Healing Projct’ out of the Secwpemc Cultural Education Society. As part of that project SCES published ‘Behind Closed Doors: Stories from the Kamloops Indian Residential School’ back in 2000 through Theytus Books in Pentictor. Lori Pilon was the Project Manager and Judy (Manual) Wildon, now chief at Neskonlith, assisted with the layout and design.

Bev with her mother Evelyn Sellars seen here at the NSTC Aboriginal Day Celebration in Boitanio Park, where she sold copies of her book. She talked about her book at the Residential School Celebration in May at the Chief Will-Yum Pow Wow arbor.

Secwepemc Gathering & NSTC News June 2013 p.11

Day 1 - August 16th

4:00 pm Opening Prayer by ElderWelcome by Canim Lake Band Chief Mike ArchieIntroduction by YouthWelcoming SongUnity Song – All Secwepemc Chief and Council MembersRecognition of visiting Chief and Council MembersRecognition of Corporate SponsorsSecwepemc Honour Song with the lighting of the fireWelcome Unity Riders to the grounds

5:30 pm Dinner7: 30 pm Open Microphone - Comedy, Songs, Poetry, etc.9:00 pm Hand Drumming, Singing, and Traditional Dancing12:00 am End of Evening

Shuswap Gathering Day 2 - August 17th

Cultural Event9:00 - 12:00 pm Drum Making w/ Norman Retasket (Please pre-register -

$100.00 fee per person)10:00 – 12:00 pm Medicine Workshop by Rhona Bowe Tomma12:00 – 1:30 pm Lunch2:00 – 3:00 pm Language Class3:00 – 4:00 pm House Bingo (?)

Main Events:8:00 am Breakfast10:00 am Opening Prayer10:30 pm Elder Ernie Phillips Dance Performance12:00 pm Lunch & Loonie Auction & Vendors1:30 pm Story Telling5:00 pm Dinner & Loonie Auction & Vendors7:00 pm KASP Entertainment – Motivational Performance

Includes keynote (life story – growing up on the streets surrounded by addiction, death, disease & a suffering multigenerational trauma. KASP shares his stories to motivateCareer, 45 minutes of inspirational hip hop music

9:00 – 12:00 am Live EntertainmentShuswap Gathering Day 3 - August 18th, 2013

Cultural Tent9:00 – 12:00 pm Rattle Making w/ Norman Retasket – Pre-register wi/ a $50 fee

per person12:00 – 1:30 pm Lunch

Main Event8:00 – 10:00 am Breakfast

Opening remarksLoonie Auction & Vendors

10:00 Mini PowWow – Grand Entry10:30 Intertribal; Friendship Dance; Owl Dance; Team Dance12:00 pm Lunch1:30 Category Dancing

Tiny Tots; Jr. Girls; Jr. Boys; Teen Girls; Teen Boys; Women; Men2:30 pm Committee Honour Song3:00 pm Retire Flags

Closing Remarks & Farewells4:00 pm Dinner5:00 pm Clean up

SECWEPEMC GATHERING 2013 WHEN August 16—18 Starts at 4:00pm Friday

WHERE Green Lake, BC (Gymkhana Grounds) Turn at 70 Mile House, go 8km (5 miles) and at the T section of road—at the BC Parks Information Stop—take the left turn onto North Green Lake Road, continuing 15 km or so to the Gymkhana Grounds

FEATURING • Fun • Traditional Games• Activities • Culture • Drumming & Singing & Dancing • Entertainment • Positive Interaction• Food & Much More! ~ Unity Ride & Iron Horse Motorcycle Run!

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE: 29TH ANNUAL SECWEPEMC GATHERING

ALL AGES EVENT

SPONSORS Adams Lake Bonaparte Canim Lake Canoe/Dog Creek Esketemc Tk’emlups Little Shuswap Lake Neskonlith Shuswap Simpcw Skeetchestn Splatsin Texelc (Williams Lake) Whispering Pines Xatsull (Soda Creek) Northern Shuswap Tribal Council Shuswap Nation Tribal Council

CONTACT: Julie John, Event Coordinator Julie_joh@hotmail.com 250-572-6215 EVERYONE WELCOME!

More Information to Follow, stay posted!

Shuswap Gathering 2013 - Green Lake Schedule of Events

My name is Sharon Balmer and I have been hired by the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council (NSTC), for the summer, to conduct a census of the NStQ communities. I will be contacting individual members through the social media, by email, or by telephone.

We, at the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council, will be conducting a survey to collect information from

all of our members at each of the NSTC member communities and to provide treaty related information to our citizens.

During this time we will be sending you census forms and treaty related information for you to review and complete.

I look forward to working with you in the very near future.

If you would like to take part in providing your contact information but do not receive a call or an e-mail from Sharon, do give her a call at (250) 392-7361 or send her an e-mail at summerstudent01@nstq.org.

Hope you are having a great summer.

This is the NSTC Privacy Policy

We will not use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required by law.

We will protect personal information with safeguards appropriate to the level of sensitivity of the information. Our safeguards protect personal information against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification, regardless of the format in which the information is held.

We will exercise care in the disposal or destruction of Personal Information to prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to the information. Our methods of protection include physical measures (e.g., locked file storage and restricted access to offices), organizational measures (e.g., limiting access on a need-to-know basis), and technological measures (e.g., the use of passwords).

NSTC Carries out a Census of the NStQ Communities to Collect Information

First Nations News Pelltspantsk / Pelltqwelq’wel’temc p.12

MARSHA LEDERMAN

VICTORIA — The Globe and Mail, Wed., June 5 2013

In 2017, Lohman hopes to hold a major exhibition, bringing back some of those “Indian antiquities,” as they were called back in 1886. They left BC for places such as Berlin, London, St. Petersburg, Madrid and New York so long ago, providing the impetus for this museum in Victoria. Lohman is eager to bring them home during Canada’s 150th birthday, to reunite them with the descendants of the people who made them.

Lohman said “We want]to show the contribution of First Nations to the whole of humanity. To place the story of Canada in the story of First Nations, if you like, and the story of First Nations in the story of Canada.”

In the year since Jack Lohman arrived at the Royal BC Museum from the Museum of London, he has been astonished time and again at the treasure trove of undiscovered gems he likes to say he has inherited: seven million items in the Victoria museum’s collections, and a wealth of archives. From the Vancouver Island Treaties, to works by Emily Carr, to antiquities from Canada’s oldest Chinatown, to mammoth tusks, this is indeed jaw-dropping stuff. And it is of importance, Lohman says, not just to BC or even Canada.

“This, I’m saying, is one of the great museums of the world,” declares Lohman, CEO of the RBCM. Lohman is setting out to “unmask one of the world’s great treasure houses” by changing what’s going on inside the museum, and getting the word – and he hopes, the collection – out far beyond the museum’s walls.

In early June, Lohman went to Britain, to meet with more than 25 philanthropists at a dinner hosted by Canadian High Commissioner and former BC premier Gordon Campbell, to mark the launch of the Francis Kermode Group, a patrons group that will serve not only as a donor pool, but as profile-raising ambassadors. The group is named for the RBCM’s first director.

He brought with him a Haida headdress – a spectacular and culturally significant piece. He’s not asking for a straight buy – but buy-in.

“This is not about, ‘Give me a cheque at the end of the evening,’” he said, although his renovation plans do come with a multimillion-dollar price tag. “This is about: Come and have a look and help me bring this jewel to life. Be our ambassadors.”

Lohman selected a few artifacts to illustrate the riches of the collection.

Among the breathtaking pieces of history: One of the 14 signed Vancouver Island Treaties (also known as the Douglas Treaties or Fort Victoria Treaties), signed in the spring of 1850. Written

in Victorian script are the names of the First Nations chiefs; their “signatures” represented by a column of X’s. These words jump out at me: “becomes the entire property of the white people forever.”

And there’s the phonographic recording device used by Ida Halpern in 1947 to record 88 songs in Kwak’wala with Chief Billy Assu on Cape Mudge, some of the fragile recordings have now been digitized. She recorded other First Nations chiefs, including Mungo Martin.

“She’s captured a very important part of the heritage of Canada … and deserves to be up there in the pantheon of the great anthropologists of the world,” says Lohman. To that end, the museum will apply to have those recordings included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World register. The museum already applied to get the Vancouver Island Treaties on the list – which to date has only three Canadian entries: the Hudson’s Bay Company archival records, the Quebec Seminary Collection and Norman McLaren’s 1952 NFB film Neighbours.

The Royal BC Museum was created in 1886 in large part to stem the flow of First Nations treasures out of BC to museums around the world. The museum moved from a wooden building into the provincial legislature and finally into its current modernist facility on Victoria’s Inner Harbour in 1968.

Lohman took over as director in March, 2012, after a decade at the Museum of London. Among his first orders of business was putting a halt to the RBCM’s ambitious expansion plans.

“Rather than saying we’re going to build,” he explains, “we’re going to refresh this museum and we’re going to rescript the story. The story is wrong. We’re peddling the wrong story here.”

The museum should not be using out-of-date text – it currently offers just a few lines on encounter, and tells BC’s First Nations history and white history in isolation from one another. There needs to be a more inclusive approach, he says, with broader perspectives. He also expresses concern that not enough attention is paid to BC’s diverse population.

He wants to get the collections out to more people – not necessarily in large, overwrought exhibitions, but, he says – almost in a pop-up way, to schools in BC, and in exhibitions around the world.

There are some infrastructure changes in the works: Lohman hired a British architect to create a master plan for the RBCM, with an eye toward revitalizing the museum and making changes within the existing footprint.

“When you come through the front door, you need to have your breath taken away as you walk

through,” he says. “You want to feel you’re in one of the world’s greatest museums.”

He also wants to move the archives off-site, creating a new BC Archive and Collections Centre, and use the current archives area for more museum space, possibly a new lecture hall.

At a rough estimate of $40-million, the budget is achievable, and the upgrades sustainable. The money will be raised, he adds, through a combination of government funding and corporate and private philanthropy.

Lohman has ambitious plans beyond that: He wants to bring world-heritage-site designation to the Gold Rush Trail – stretching from California up to the Yukon, launching the route, he hopes, with a 2015 exhibition at the RBCM.

The Royal BC Museum: Getting the word out on ‘one of the world’s great treasure houses’

Chief Atahn ScoolTotal Physical Response (TPR)

Summer Institute

August 7-13, 2013The 9th Annual Chief Atahm School TPR Summer Institute is designed to bring together new and experience First Nations Language Teachers. This summer course is an opportunity to share our collective experiences in Language Revitalization by exploring theory and practice. The session will feature a 10-day Classic TPR Course at Chief Atahm School. This course is accredited through Thompson Rivers University) EDLL 390 – Method for Teach Aboriginal Language).

Classic TPR, August 7th to 16th, 2013:

The Total Physical Response Methodology for second language teaching has been successfully implemented in language classrooms worldwide. This action-based methodology quickly develops a working vocabulary for students in a fun, creative way. To assist in building successful language programs, Chief Atahm School has developed an intensive training program to help Aboriginal language teachers master the steps of TPR, through lectures, modeling, activities and multimedia presentations to help develop skills.

Registration Information:

The cost for each participant for the TPR Summer Institute is $1000.00, includes all instructions, handouts, & lunches. There are limited spaces available for low cost billeting.

This course is available for credit through Thompson River University - (EDLL 390 – Method for Teach Aboriginal Language)

Course Instructors: Dr. Kathryn Michel & Janice Michel-Billy, B.ED

For more information contact: Kim Dennis/Tanya Arnouse, Phone: 250-679-8837 Fax: 250-679-8862 Email: caschool@alib.ca Website: www.chiefatahm.com

First Nation News June 2013 p.13

Executive Committee Report for June 2013

Task 1: Services Transition

Job postings for a Services Transition Facilitator (STF) have been unsuccessful. Job ad is active until a suitable candidate is found.

Doreen is managing the STF position and has met with 4 of 5 communities to begin the formation and development of the Circles of Protection. She will meet with Williams Lake Indian Band program directors on July 11th.

Work with the Circles will focus on capacity building and training. The Terms of Reference are in Draft.

The Commitment Protocol with MCFD is underway. A meeting was held on June 5th and was well attended by MCFD Team Leaders from WL and 100 Mile House and Interior Region representatives, David Hall and Allan Weselowski. Another is planned for July 23rd.

Task 2: Tek’wemiple7 unit

Confirmation of participation BCR’s are forthcoming from Adams Lake and Canim Lake to begin the comparative community case studies research. In June and July, Kelly will: meet with the Chiefs and Councils to solidify scope of project according to their recommendations, determine Band staff/member interviewees, get permission to meet with their respective delegated agencies and begin the interviews.

Storytelling and other research will continue.

Task 3: Language/Research

The Child Welfare Language Glossary, regulations, policy and customs/practices will be taken to the Elders Language Councils by the end of July for review.

Work will continue with gleaning traditional child rearing and family laws, developing regulations, policy and procedures from the laws.

Formalizing Secwepemc Custom Adoptions work is underway. Doreen is meeting with the MCFD Provincial Director of Adoptions on July 19th for preliminary discussions and preview of work to date.

For additional details, please contact Doreen M. Johnson – Stsmémelt Project Director

Brief progress report on initiatives from last month:

Ada is a member of the Xats’ull (Soda Creek) First Nation. I am the daughter of Sonny Sellars and Alice Gilbert. I enjoy being a seamstress and a caterer. I made my oldest daughter Marion Chelsea’s wedding dress. I also made Evening Dresses for Dorothy Phillips and Sharon Sellars.

I do catering for our Band members. I have been catering since 2010.

These are two of my passionate activities that I enjoy fully.

When I do Catering or I am being a Seamstress, it gives me fulfillment. As a seamstress enjoy creating a variety of garments with various materials.

One of my other hobbies is beading, which I also enjoy with a passion and have since I was a youth. I have made; beaded belts, hatbands, beaded necklaces, headdresses, medallions, beaded feathers and lighter cases.

For my family I have made; a Harry Potter Cloak, Pajamas, light jackets and prepped pens for beading for Workshops.

One of my traditional garments is a Dancing Leather Dress that has been shown at one of Xats’ull Heritage Village events.

I enjoy assisting our Band with Sewing Classes. When I Sew and Cater it gives me so much fulfillment and enjoyment.

Phillips Creations & Phillips Catering are Ada’s two businesses she would like you to know about.

Ada’s contact information is:

5559 Williams Lake Cut Off Rd.

Williams Lake, BC V2G 5A6

Phone: (250) 297-6445

or you can send her an e-mail to adamarie1962@gmail.com

NStQ Entrepreneur

April 18, 2013 By Wes Prankard [Northern Starfish – Making a Difference, One Starfish at a Time (website)]

I’ve had the opportunity to speak to a lot of schools and groups lately, and the one big question I seem to get asked a lot is: “Why Playgrounds?”

Why build playgrounds in First Naions communities when there seem to be so many other “important” issues? Some of these issues include:

1) Lack of clean drinking water.

2) Education. First Nations students are underfunded

3) Housing. Lack of and overcrowding are huge issues

4) Health Care. A First Nations lady in New Brunswick won a year long court case to get the same level of care for her son as non-aboriginals. That’s insane! Thank God she won the case and her son can now be treated.

These are just a few examples of the issues – and yes, I know – there are many more. So, back to the question. With so many BIG issues facing First Nations people, why are playgrounds important?

So how is it that we continue to allow these sorts of things to continue for First Nations? I’ll leave that for you to answer, but, in that answer lies the answer to “why playgrounds”.

Where I live , there are 55 playrounds, 3 of which are in my neighborhood. Anytime my friends and I want to do something, we head to the playground.

Playgrounds encourage outdoor physical activity among children and youth. Other benefits include development of social skills – experts believe social skills learned on the playground benefits the country as a whole.

Children who play on a playground develop greater self-confidence and highe self esteem. Playground play actually helps children’s brains develop as they “learn about the world through motor activities and sensory experiences”, according to the Shasta report.

So – if playgrounds are important – how is it that so many First Nations reserves don’t have even one?

With First Nations youth the fastest growing group in Canada; this is about justice. I believe FN children should have access to clean drinking water. I believe FN children should have access to equitable education. I believe FN children should have access to equitable health care.

And – I believe that there should be at least one playround in every First Nations community

because that’s just fair.

Why Playgrounds?!?

June 2013 p.14

Financial support can pay off with better healthCBC News, May 26, 2013

Adding to poor patients’ incomes works to decrease the health effects of poverty, Canadian doctors are finding.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA)is asking people across the country how poverty affects their health as part of its national dialogue tour. The group said that social and economic factors determine 50% of health outcomes.

At his family practice in Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital, Dr. Gary Bloch puts income information at the top of the medical history he puts on his charts.

“Treating people at low income with a higher income will have at least as big an impact on their health as any other drugs that I could prescribe them,” Bloch said.

To that end, Bloch asks all patients what their income is and where they get it, along with the standard questions about past medical history, surgeries and medications.

“I do see poverty as a disease,” Bloch said.

In his practice, prescribing income could mean assessing whether a patient’s illnesses might qualify for provincial or federal disability supports and employment insurance. He helps fill in applications and connects patients with programs such as basic financial planning.

“I absolutely see the improvement in my patients’ health,” Bloch said. “For patients that we manage to get on income supports, their lives often really turn around.”

Increasingly, physician groups are recognizing poverty as a disease, not simply from lifestyle factors such as smoking, but also from the toll the stress of being poor can take on the body.

Children bear ‘toxic stress’

For children in particular, the strong and frequent bombardment of “toxic stress” from living in substandard housing with adults who are also stressed can set the stage for lifelong damage, doctors say.

Such high stress stunts healthy development by “disrupting developing

brain architecture,” the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a technical report last year.

“Toxic stress can lead to potentially permanent changes in learning, behaviour and physiology,” the U.S. group concluded.

Statistics Canada has reported that growing up in poverty is associated with increased rates of death and illness including diabetes, mental illness, stroke, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease, central nervous system disease and injuries.

“We do know that our child poverty rates are an embarrassment,” Dr. Richard Stanwick, president of the Canadian Pediatric Society, said from Victoria. “Do we want … a society where a certain group is permanently disadvantaged? Unfortunately, that’s what poverty does.”

If children live in a neighbourhood that is considered unsafe, then parents may feel more comfortable keeping them indoors watching TV rather than playing outside, said Stanwich, who works at the Vancouver Island Health Authority. “That alone is contributing to obesity, is not contributing to the brain development and is probably putting these individuals at a disadvantage.”

A nutritious diet and access to opportunities for recreation could do more for health care than building more hospitals, Stanwich said.

The CMA’s dialogue on poverty wraps up in St. John’s next month.

Hummingbird the Messenger

Hummingbird Promotes Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP)What is the Meaning of the Hummingbird?

The Hummingbird is a messenger, and the message that it car-ries is one that can add meaning to your life.

Give your child a head start in reaching his educational goals by opening a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). Only a few dollars each month now can go a long way to supporting his educa-tion after high school. Hummingbird Aboriginal Student Futures can provide you with the information and advice to help you open an RESP that supports your child’s future in higher learning. At Hum-mingbird Aboriginal Student Futures we want to be true to the meaning of the Hummingbird and carry a postive and helpful message for families.

We were on the road this spring, taking this message from Haida Gwaii to Tsawwassen, about the opportunity of the Canada Learning Bond. In this economy “money talks”, and we know that if a great opportunity for your child is there you do not want to let it get away. As an example, by signing up for an RESP right now, your five year old child can access bond and grant money that totals $2,200.00, and this is be-fore any interest is added to it.

We were invited to Skidegate to meet with parents, and we did a presentation to Council, which led to an invitation to return for an Open House in the Fall. Skidegate is already working with their bank representatives, and families to have children signed up for the CLB.

As the word spreads about the Canada Learning Bond, more families are taking proactive steps to sign up their children at the bank with an RESP.

Our recent Financial Literacy Train the Trainers workshop was very successful with 12 participants from across BC. Our trained representatives are taking the message of “good money management” into communities. These “Community Champions” assist with promotion and help pave the way for us to meet with new communities.

Looking forward, Hummingbird is excited about traveling to your community. Our workshop is available to you free of charge.

The materials are informative and can be a catalyst for change to those who need help with budgeting, and money management.

Contact us today

Invite us into your community to share our mandate, and help make the concept of ‘money management’ a positive one for your members.

We will show you how to access bond and grant money for Post-Secondary education for your children.

Reach us via our website, www.hummingbirdasf.ca or by email, gloria@acc-society.bc.ca, jen@hum-mingbirdasf.ca, and phone. (604) 913-9128 x224.

Treating poverty works like medicineCanadian doctors are finding

First Nations Education & Social News

Pelltspantsk / Pelltqwelq’wel’temc p.15

WILLIAMS LAKE – The wheels keep on rolling at Williams Lake Indian Band. For the last month, traffic has been stopping to observe the bustle of activity in front of Coyote Rock Golf Course, on Williams Lake Indian Band (WLIB) India Reserve # 1. Speculation is running high about whether WLIB is expanding the Coyote Rock Golf Course, or if this is part of some other initiative.

“The reality is that this is a training exercise that ties in with our Coyote Rock subdivision development plans,” states Williams Lake Indian Band Economic Development Officer Kirk Dressiler. “What’s taking place is a Heavy Equipment Operator’s Program that is sponsored by the British Columbia Aboriginal Min Training Association, Thompson Rivers University and the Williams Lake Indian Band.

The British Columbia Aboriginal Mine Training Association (BCAMTA) Heavy Equipment Operator (Civil and Mining) Program is intended to give practical experience to aboriginal persons who are seeking employment opportunities in mining or other industries. The program includes a classroom and practical component with elements that include training in construction, equipment operation, traffic control, First Aid, and WHMIS. BCAMTA anticipates there will be multiple intakes at the Coyote Rock site.

“Demand is high for people with training,” states Dressler. “If we want our projects to succeed in British Columbia, we need to provide people with the skills. And, First Nations are a rapidly growing population who present some of the greatest opportunities to provide the skilled workforce we need. The Coyote Rock training ground is the perfect spot to give students the opportunity to work on a real-life project, close to home.

The work being done at the Coyote Rock Development area as part of the HEO program will form the initial phase of WLIB’s subdivision development, which will be in construction over the next two or more years. More than ten acres of land fronting the Coyote Rock Golf Course will be devoted to highway commercial development, and there will be a multi-phase golf course residential development adjacent to the existing Lexington dub division.

“Things are happening so quickly for Williams Lake Indian Band, it’s phenomenal,” asserts Dressler. “in the last two years, WWLIB has signed more than a half dozen agreements with industries, and won the Chamber of Commerce Newsmaker of the Year Award in 2013 for our work with Mount

Polley Mine. WLIB is also moving to self-governance over land management, is breaking ground on the City’s biggest real estate development and is also on the cusp of finalizing a huge construction joint venture. This training program is just another awesome piece of the successful puzzle that WLIB should be amazing to watch.

Coyote Rock Site Fosters Heavy Equipment Skills Training

Traines and their instructor on the

site next to Coyote Rock Golf Course

For more information, please contact, Kirk Dressler at the Williams Lake Indian Band Economic Development Office -

phone number 250-296-3507 or at kirk.dressler@williamslakeband.ca

(left) Artist’s rendering of the Coyote Rock Development

(below) WLIB’s Coyote Rock ‘Housing Development Plan’ along Hwy 97

Williams Lake Indian Band

June 2013 p.16 Northern Shuswap Tribal Council

Computer Corner by Dave Feil

To have your information included, visit, call or e-mail the ‘contact’ person for your community.

Northern Shuswap Tribal Council Dave Feil Contact person Ph: 250-392-7361, Ext, 206 Fax: 250-392-6158 Canim Lake (Tsq’escen’) Jesse Archie Ph: 250-397-2227 Fax: 250-397-2769 E-mail: eas@canimlakeband.com

Stswecem’c Xat’tem First Nation Loni Fastlin Ph: 250-440-5645 Fax: 250-440-5679 E-mail: socdev@canoecreekband.ca

Soda Creek (Xats’ull) Vacant Ph: 250-989-2323 Fax: 250-989-2300 E-mail:

Williams Lake (T’exelc) Shawna Philbrick Ph: 250-296-3507 Fax: 250-296-4750 E-mail: shawa philbrick@williamslakeband.ca

The Citizen Data Base will assist in areas such as planning for funding needs for Citizen training & education programs.

The NStQ Citizen Data Base is up & running. The NSTC needs your current information.

NStQ Citizen Data Base

What did we ever do before the internet?

This picture says it all! This picture says it all ...

Look For Upcoming Ads for NSTC Skills Development: “The NSTC Journey” (Pending funding) courses and training will be offered in your community!

The NSTC JourneyTraining/Education 2013-2014

Have you wanted to attend post secondary and it seemed unreachable? This is your opportunity to participate in upgrading/training/courses right in your community!

NSTC and TRU are providing participant supports for you to complete your Education Journey.

The following programs are being offered:

1. Stewardship of the Lands2. Language Teacher Education3. Administration/Governance

Training to commenceAugust 2013- April 2014

In Your Community!Xatsull-Soda Creek Band

T’excelc-Williams Lake BandStswecem’c/Xgat’tem-Canoe/Dog Creek

Tsq’escen’-Canim Lake Band

Please contact Skills Development at250-392-7361 ext 221 to discuss registration

requirements.

(pending funding contribution agreement)

Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First NationFirst Fish Ceremony July 25th - 5 pm at Spring Gulch

Pot Luck: Salads, Bannock, Desserts Salmon will be provided Everyone Welcome! Bring your folding chairs & your hand drums

We also have a Traditional Lahal game so bring your prizes

the Lexey’em - Deadline: Thursday, August 15 @ 4:30 p.m.