General

UPDATE: June 2, 2015: When asked if there has been any response from Aboriginal Affairs on this issue, Chief Councillor Hugh Braker said "no, none."

In Edmonton it’s the first day of the last National Event that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will hold, yet even after years of hearings and disclosures by residential school survivors, there remains troubling questions about what really happened to the children in those schools.

The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council would like to thank CUPE 118 for its generous contribution of $1,000 to the Elk slaughter reward for information that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of the person or persons responsible for the illegal and unjustified Elk kills in Nuu-chah-nulth territories.

Just give B.C. one—one representative to co-draft the First Nations education legislation, said Greg Louie, president of the First Nations Schools Association in British Columbia.

He was responding to a comment made by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt while he visited Nuu-chah-nulth territory on March 19.

“Listen, you know, I don’t beat around the bush. I cannot have 620-some First Nations co-writing a piece of legislation,” the Minister told Ha-Shilth-Sa about drafting the recently announced First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act.

The Nuu-chah-nulth Employment and Training Program is moving to a bright new facility at the end of this month.

Located at 4090 Eighth Avenue, the new office will become part of a service complex that includes the provincial ministries of Social Assistance and Child & Family Services, plus Service BC and the Motor Vehicle Branch.

The present office is a storefront in the uptown core on Third Avenue. NETP supervisor Andy Callicum said his agency was looking for a larger and more professional setting.

Children and caregivers flocked to Maht Mahs Gym for Spring Break Family Camp, which ran from March 17 through 21.

On Thursday, organizer Gail K. Gus said the all-day event had attracted between 50 and 75 children each day.

“But not the same kids every day,” she added. “We had children from Tla-o-qui-aht, Hesquiaht, Ahousaht and Hupacasath, along with our own Tseshaht kids. And every day, we have had children from Usma taking part. These are children who are in care.”

The Maaqtusiis Magic quest for the 2014 BC Junior All Native boys’ title has ended in defeat with a loss of 98-90 to Van City in an evening game at the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops. The loss gives Magic fourth place in the tourney.

“The guys played their hearts out to the end and I’m proud of all of them,” said Magic head coach Travis Thomas.  The teams were neck-and-neck for the first quarter of the game with Van City holding a slim 20-19 lead going into the second quarter.

Tseshaht First Nations played host to federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt March 19 who came to the territory with a commitment of $1.469 million for a 3.3 km sewer expansion project on the reserve ending at Tseshaht Market. The sewer expansion will link to the Santu housing development as well.

The Nuu-chah-nulth Nations’ Feb. 21 court victory to prevent commercial herring fishing in waters off the West Coast of Vancouver Island was front-and-centre as the First Nations Summit met last week.

The department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Nuu-chah-nulth Council of Ha’wiih continued their cross-cultural learning with a presentation on the federal public service code of values and ethics for employees and the structure of the department.

It’s OK to say something.

This is the message that will be delivered on March 13 when KUU-US Crisis Services holds its information session on elder abuse at Echo Centre for the Sunshine Club.

You are not alone. There is help whenever you want it, said Elia Nicholson-Nave, executive director of KUU-US. The workshop will provide the signs and symptoms of elder abuse, there will be a question and answer period, and hand-outs will be provided so participants can look over the materials in their own space and in their own time.