In the early morning of Saturday, Nov. 26, Carl Martin began preparation for a traditional canoe steaming at Naa’Waya’Sum Coastal Indigenous Gardens.

At around 5 a.m., Martin prepared a fire with roughly 150 rocks. These rocks would then go in the canoe with six inches of water covered by a tarp, explained Martin. It took 45-minutes for the red cedar wood to expand.

The event was an opportunity to share knowledge of canoe carving and steaming with the community.

It has served thousands of people on their healing journeys since opening its doors in June 1988 at its home in Nanoose, and now, Tsow-Tun Le Lum is spreading its wings with a move to brand-new facility in Duncan, BC.

Tsow-Tun Le Lum, which means Helping House, is a fully accredited, registered, non-profit treatment society. But Executive Director Nola Jeffrey prefers to call it a healing house, because they offer holistic and cultural supports for people, not only in addictions, but also for survivors of trauma.

Students and staff of Maaqtusiis elementary and secondary schools were sent home today due to high numbers of flu cases.

Of the 238 students attending both the elementary and high school, only 41 showed up for school on Monday morning.

“Unfortunately, Ahousaht has been hit hard with this nasty flu bug and has affected the attendance in our schools. We closed last week due to low attendance in all departments of the school system,” said Ahousaht Education Director Rebecca Atleo.

A fourth dead humpback whale has washed up on the shores of Haida Gwaii. The sad discovery was made Nov. 20.

According Paul Cottrell, a marine mammal coordinator for DFO, the remains are in an advanced state of decomposition and may be the same whale spotted floating offshore from Prince Rupert on Oct. 12.

Cottrell said photographs were taken of the Rupert whale carcass but were not clear enough to confirm whether it is the same whale.

The Meares Island Cultural Centre will get some modernizing upgrades thanks to funding from the First Peoples’ Cultural Council.

The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation was awarded $400,000 from the FPCC as part of more than $5.4 million to support 16 projects that conserve, repair and develop First Nations heritage infrastructure in B.C.

The projects are made possible with funding from the Province of British Columbia’s 150 Time Immemorial Grant Program to the First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation.

It’s been three years since the annual Christmas luncheon held by Teechuktl Mental Health Services has been able to happen in person, and preparations are now underway to make sure Feed the People goes off without a hitch.

Teechuktl holds public meals twice yearly, once in the summer and once in the winter, a tradition for the past 12 years after being started by the late Ray Seitcher. Irene Robinson of the Teechuktl Mental Health Services has been involved in the organizing process for the past four years.

How is global warming affecting First Nations communities in British Columbia? B.C. Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee says we have seen climate catastrophes in the form of atmospheric rivers, drought, forest fires and a heat dome in the past few years alone.

“The effects of which are most profoundly felt in First Nations communities,” he said in a virtual media conference.

The Ehattesaht/Chinehkint First Nation has been working with BC Used Oil Management Association (BCUOMA) to open a center so the remote community can recycle their used motor oil, oil filters, oil and antifreeze containers and antifreeze. 

“We worked with the team at BC Used Oil Management Association to develop a facility that our community members could drop off used oil program materials easily and at no cost. This has been an important initiative for us,” said Ryan Foster, Ehattesaht Operations and Maintenance manager, in a press release.