The past year has been a devastating one as the Ehattesaht/Chinehkint community buried six of its young adults in separate incidents – losses resulting from substance addictions.

Chief Councillor Simon John said the Ehattesaht First Nation has declared a state of emergency hoping to catch the attention of government.

“We are in a state of crisis, our youth are dying – six of them in about a year,” said John.

Pet owners living in remote communities have a tough time accessing veterinary care, leading to exploding pet populations. But that could soon change with the launch of a mobile veterinary clinic from Tofino that will go to places like Ahousaht, Ty-Histanis and Toquaht to offer pet care at a substantial discount.

A newly released film is being screened across Canada, allowing elders and residential school survivors to view the graphic movie with support people in place.

Bones of Crows, released last fall, chronicles the life of Aline Spears, a Cree matriarch and residential school survivor. Produced by Marie Clements, who is of Métis/Dene descent, the film examines 100 years of Canadian history through the lens of Aboriginal people and a mostly Indigenous cast.

Nuu-chah-nulth athletes still have opportunities to earn spots to represent British Columbia at this year’s North American Indigenous Games (NAIG).

The multi-sport games, scheduled for July 15-23, will primarily be staged in the Nova Scotia capital of Halifax.

The city of Dartmouth and the Millbrook First Nation will also be hosting some of the competitions.

An estimated 5,000 athletes, aged 13-19, are expected to participate at the NAIG. They will be representing 26 provinces, territories, states or regions throughout Canada and the United States.

Tuesday, February 14th, marked the 32nd year that the streets of the Downtown Eastside flooded with remembrance of murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse peoples. Families from First Nations across Canada came to commemorate their missing and murdered loved ones. 

At the corner of Main and East Hasting Street people began to gather in the morning, organizing for the day's events. The sky was widely blue, and the air was crisp with a coastal winter bite.

The Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k'tles7et'h' First Nations are looking at a bigger future for its Walter’s Cove Resort, with the purchase of a 23-room luxury floating facility planned to become more than its original fishing lodge design.

On Feb. 7, the provincial government announced legislation to make Truth and Reconciliation Day a statutory holiday, starting on Sept. 30, 2023.

The day was formally recognized as a federal statutory holiday in June of 2021, as a direct response to Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action, 80. Though, this only allotted the statutory holiday to federally regulated workplaces.

Currently the federal government, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon are the jurisdictions that have declared Sept. 30 a statutory holiday.

Feb. 14 marks a day of remembering, grieving, healing, and honoring the Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse peoples who are missing or murdered. 

The annual women’s memorial walk started decades ago at a time when there was little response or awareness towards MMIWG2S+, said Sarah Hunt, Kwagu’l of Kwakwaka’wakw, an assistant professor at the University of Victoria and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Political Ecology. There was a “lack of systemic response,” she continued.

Visitors to Pacific Rim National Park’s Long Beach near Tofino will now have access to Nuu-chah-nulth art and culture, thanks to a new trail that celebrates history and teachings of local First Nations. The trail, named ʔapsčiik t̓ašii, is located in the haḥuułi of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ.

ʔapsčiik t̓ašii, pronounced ‘ups-cheek ta-shee’, is a 25-kilometre multi-use pathway through the Long Beach unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. It can be seen on the west side of Highway 4 heading to Tofino.