From September 2016 to April 2017 I attended Langara Reconciliation Carving Cohort. This was my online journey- a collection of research, thoughts, feelings, work and anything that would aid me and others to help the next 7 generations.
Love what he has to say! They definitely need to make a movie about this and share this incredible story of how peaceful warriors overcame horrific odds.
Obviously the fossil fuels fight will continue but the strength demonstrated by the Water Protectors is hugely inspirational and a sign that we will win this. We have to win, we have to do it for our children and children's children. #WaterIsLife
2016 Turk of the Year
Congratulations! Thank you for all your courage, bravery and commitment.
We've been at the along time already, ...there's too much at stake...we will do what it takes!!
We must protect our children and their children's children. 7 generations, we have to think about the future, not the money and the moment. Mother Earth is in trouble, she needs our help. It's that simple.
Stewart Phillip, Grand Chief of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, says Carr's remarks Wednesday to an audience in Calgary were "stupid, stupid, stupid."
"I think it was an incredibly stupid and clumsy statement to make in an already volatile situation, [on] a deeply emotional issue here in British Columbia. And it's just absolutely senseless, counter-productive and unhelpful," Phillip said in an interview with Evan Solomon, host of CTV's Question Period.
Reconciliation Carving Cohort : A visit to the Lattimer Gallery
Last class for the semester and as a treat Aaron Nelson Moody invited us all to go to the Lattimer Gallery http://www.lattimergallery.com/ where Peter was our gracious host.
We got to see the Charity Bentwood Boxes
From the website:
Join us for the final night of bidding for our
Annual Charity Bentwood Boxes event. Artists will be in attendance,
refreshments will be served, and you will be able to witness the frenzy
of the last minute bids on these amazing steam-bent boxes.
Lattimer Gallery has the unique, warm atmosphere of a Northwest
Longhouse. We offer a fascinating display of gold and silver jewellery,
argillite carvings, soapstone sculptures, bentwood boxes, masks, totem
poles, and much more. In our "longhouse" we also feature a large
selection of original paintings and limited edition prints by many well
known Native artists. We want you to be swept away by the selection and
quality of art that we house here at Lattimer Gallery.
With Aaron Nelson Moody's help I have made some GREAT tools and I am GRATEFUL!!
Thank you Aaron.
The truth is I thought I was going to get some funding to help with tools, but there was none...and GOOD THING Aaron taught us how to MAKE OUR OWN because I am truly AMAZED with what I have learned and what I have actually been able to create with them.
That said, Aaron is great at sharpening...me...not so good and sharpening is a big part so that is something I still must conquer.
Anyways, I wanted to share with you a few photos and videos.
Almost finished the first semester. Just one more class.
Here are some of my carving designs and carvings I have done so far.
I am going through a lot of emotions right now. I am so tired, I have been dealing with a lot of personal issues related to the education system and feel like I am at a crossroads if I want to do the 2nd semester.
Many many thanks to Aaron Nelson Moody for his patience, humour, knowledge and wisdom. Very grateful to meet you and have you as a mentor. I have learned so much. I really love the people in my class but it hasn't been an easy journey and part of it had to do with Reconciliation but partly because of the education system and what is required and that it was the first course of it's kind.
It has morphed and is morphing, from what was presented in the orientation, through the classes and to what it is now and what it could become. We were told to focus on transformation in the first classes...well this class is definitely transforming, itself and the world and everything related to it.
My little caterpillar was a sign, she hasn't become a butterfly yet, I am still waiting. Right now I feel like the that poor little thing, it the great big world that can not move fast, that only eats and inches along. When will I get my wings...I don't know...I am waiting. ..
We will just have to wait and see...until then...check out my progress.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This event took place on the traditional, unceded, occupied territories
of the səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
Saturday November 19th - noon at Vancouver's City Hall we gathered to raise our voices against Kinder Morgan, then we walked across Cambie Bridge to the Library and took a Pledge of Resistance
So PROUD of EVERYONE for showing up today! You Rock! Here are the links to the videos, see them below
Ben West's Video
Please Please Watch
Ta ah and Cedar give a greeting from Tsleil Waututh Nation at the rally against Kinder Morgan
Learn this song. It is the Coast Salish Song!!
No more Canadian Anthemn, Sing this!!!
Take the pledge
"With our voice, in the
courts or the streets, on the water or the land. Whatever it takes, we
will stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion.”"
The Salishan (also Salish) languages are a group of languages of the Pacific Northwest (the Canadian province of British Columbia and the American states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana).[2]
All Salishan languages are extinct or endangered—some
extremely so, with only three or four speakers left. Few Salish
languages currently have more than one to two thousand speakers. Fluent,
daily speakers of almost all Salishan languages are generally over
sixty years of age; many languages have only speakers over eighty.
Salishan languages are most commonly written using the Americanist phonetic notation to account for the various vowels and consonants that do not exist in most modern alphabets.[citation needed] Many groups have evolved their own distinctive uses of the Latin alphabet, however, such as the St'at'imc. Read more here
"The goal is to produce fifteen adult
speakers of the Squamish language every year, growing the number of
speakers from seven in 2017 to at least one hundred fifty seven by the
year 2027. Professor Marianne Ignace, the Director of SFU’s First
Nations Language Centre, noted, “We are very excited to be partnering
with Kwi Awt Stelmexw and Squamish Nation to offer our Certificate
Program in First Nations Language Proficiency through this initiative.
The talents and enterprise that this group is mobilizing, and their
approach to language revitalization are truly exceptional.”"
In this video Sekyu Siyam, Chief Ian Campbell - Hereditary Chief of the Squamish Nation, explains how the Squamish language relates to their territory and where it fits into Canada's language landscape. To learn more, click the following link to our blog: https://www.aboriginalbc.com/blog/sharing-living-languages/
Aboriginal Tourism BC is planning to share special language features every week. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get notified when we add new videos to our channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/aboriginalbc/videos
On March 22, 2001 the Sk̲wx̲u7mesh Úxumixw and L̓il̓wat7úl signed a historic protocol. They formally agree once again to live and work together in Whistler, BC.
The Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh Úxumixw, the Squamish People are the descendants of the Coast Salish First Nations People that lived in present day Greater Vancouver, Gibson’s landing and Squamish, BC. Their territory is 6732 square kilometers. There are about 4,000 members of the Squamish Nation. They speak Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh Snichem, the number of fluent speakers is extremely low but they are aggressive in bringing back to their youth. Their majority of their territory is found along the ocean. Their clothing, food, housing and transportation has adapted to the temperate rainforest.
Read more here
Kwi Awt Stelmexw was formed in early 2015 to be a leader in the nation rebuilding efforts of the Squamish Peoples. After a century of cultural genocide policies by the Canadian government, the Squamish Peoples are still a resilient people with strong ties to our cultural values and dreams for the peoples’ future.
The Squamish Peoples are the families and communities who are descendants of the original peoples of the Squamish Peoples’ territory. Our peoples’ territory includes present day Vancouver, Howe Sound, Squamish Valley, and Whistler. We live in nine communities spread along the Squamish River and Burrard Inlet. We are historically speakers of the Squamish Language — called Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim by speakers. Our blood ties connect us to our close and distant relations that make up the Squamish Peoples.
Kwi Awt Stelmexw is a Sḵwx̱wú7mesh phrase that can be interpreted as “the last people” or “the coming after people”. These in turn have been translates to mean “ancestors” or “future generations”. We took this name as a reminder that we are the ancestors to those unborn children to come.
Through partnership, support, and a strong mandate, Kwi Awt Stelmexw exists to “strengthen all aspects of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh heritage, language, culture and art”. We first and foremost serve the interests and desires of our Sḵwx̱wú7mesh people but also aim to build bridges with those who share our values.
We believe there is work to be done to help rebuild and grow the artistic, cultural, and linguistic dreams of our peoples. We hope to play one part of that asnch’ú7mut (one piece).
What We Do
Kwi Awt Stelmexw actively provides programs and initiatives to strengthen Sḵwx̱wú7mesh artistic, cultural, language, or heritage practices.
Khelsilem of the Skwomesh Language Academy teaches you how to say " Sḵwx̱wú7mesh". Sḵwx̱wú7mesh is a proper noun and name of his people and his people’s language.
The Skwomesh Language Academy creates online practice exercises, instructional videos, & private classes of the Skwomesh Language. To learn our language through our online videos, make a donation to our academy through our Patreon campaign. Every week, every month, all the time we are creating language lessons, how to say videos, and more.
A Coast Salish Bear counts to ten in the Squamish language
ABOUT THIS COURSE This course will help you envision how Indigenous histories, perspectives,
worldviews, and approaches to learning can be made part of the work we do
in classrooms, organizations, communities, and our everyday experiences
in ways that are thoughtful and respectful.
In this course, reconciliation
emphasizes changing institutional structures,
practices, and policies, as well as personal and
professional ideologies to create environments
that are committed to strengthening our
relationships with Indigenous peoples.
For educators, this means responding to
educational reforms that prioritize improved
educational outcomes for Indigenous
learners. In addition, educators must support
all learners to develop their knowledge
and understanding of Indigenous people’s
worldviews and cultures as a basis for creating equitable and inclusive
learning spaces.
To support these goals, teachers, administrators, young
people, school staff, and researchers will learn from Indigenous Elders,
educational leaders, and culturally relevant learning resources as part of
their experiences in this MOOC.
For others who want to build their own competence and the capacity of
those around them to engage in relationships with Indigenous peoples based
on intercultural understanding, empathy, and respect, this course will help
get you started in this process.
