Since they were re-introduced to the B.C. coast in the early 1970s, sea otter numbers have grown more than a hundredfold – an unchecked population explosion that is taking food away from people in coastal communities, say Nuu-chah-nulth leaders.

Sea otters – or kwakwat in Nuu-chah-nulth – are extremely capable hunters. They can dive to depths of 30 metres, using rocks as tools to crack open various kinds of shellfish. Males can grow up to 45 kilograms and eat as much as a quarter of their weight in a single day.

Hundreds of people showed up at Nanaimo’s Maffeo Sutton Park to mark the 23rd year since Lisa Marie Young, then 21, vanished following a night out with friends.

On June 29, 2002, Lisa joined friends at a Nanaimo nightclub to celebrate a friend’s birthday. She was about to start a new job and move into a new apartment. But when her parents hadn’t heard from their only daughter the next day, concern turned to panic when Lisa’s former roommate told them that Lisa hadn’t moved her belongings into her new apartment.

With an annual budget for over $4 billion and a workforce of more than 14,700 staff, Fisheries and Oceans Canada serves a mandate to ensure “aquatic ecosystems and fisheries are sustainable and economically successful.” 

Guided by Canada’s United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the federal department commonly referred to as DFO “is committed to building a renewed relationship with Indigenous Peoples that is based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership,” states an email from the department to Ha-Shilth-Sa.

She learned family history young, while listening to the teachings of her grandmother, Louise Dick. Those early years of learning helped shape the future of Sherry Mattice, who went on a long path to higher education. 

Dr. Sherry Mattice, a resident of Nanaimo, had to find creative options to upgrade her education. She earned her doctorate degree at the Business Administration in Leadership Program through Walden University out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. She took her program via online studies. 

While British Columbia has nearly 40 species of native ferns, not all are edible or used for medicinal purposes. These seven species are the most commonly used by the West Coast First Nations. 

Though his job is challenging and can be dangerous at times, Jacob Potter is thrilled he’s carrying on a tradition.

The Tseshaht First Nation member is on the Port Alberni-based Thunderbird Unit Crew. The crew, nicknamed the T-Birds, was an all-Indigenous firefighting team when it was established in 1992.

Potter, who is 23, is currently the only Indigenous member of the 22-person crew, which is part of the BC Wildfire Service. The T-Birds started off as a 20-person crew. A 2022 uplift expanded the crew by two members.

Police are looking into a “suspicious death” that occurred in Port Renfrew on Monday, June 23, an incident that led the RCMP to arrest someone at the scene.

Shortly after 9 that evening the Sooke RCMP responded to a report of a man with blood on him near Pachidah Road, which is on the Pacheedaht First Nation reserve.

She dreamed of reaching her higher educational goals but the demands of parenthood and employment forced Christine Webster to take a more circuitous route. With the love and support of family, this spring Webster walked the stage to receive a PhD in Leadership Studies in Victoria.

Surrounded by family that included her husband Martin and her sons, Dr. Christine Webster proudly received her degree at the University of Victoria’s Convocation ceremony held Thursday, June 12.

The Eighth Avenue Learning Centre honoured 54 of its graduates at the Alberni District Secondary School auditorium on Thursday, June 19.

They were a group of people, that, for whatever reason, didn’t fit into a traditional school system. They were young adults, parents, and even grandparents earning their diplomas later in life. There were even young students who used the program to accelerate their educational journeys, earning diplomas ahead of schedule. 

If an application to resume a hunting tradition goes according to plan, the Makah Tribe hopes to host their Nuu-chah-nulth relatives from Vancouver Island this year for a whale feast. 

The Washington State Nuu-chah-nulth nation currently eagerly awaits the result of a request for a permit from the United States government to hunt grey whales. If granted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Makah plan to assemble a whaling crew and take to the waters of its territory in Neah Bay this summer.