An ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 has pushed the start day of Ahousaht’s elementary and high schools back to the second week of October.

On Friday, Sept. 24, Ahousaht administration issued an update stating that there were 18 confirmed cases in the village of Maaqtusiis, with an addition four cases away from home. One of those cases was reported to be hospitalized.

On Monday, Sept. 27, the First Nation reported 19 active cases in the village with another 8 members testing positive for COVID-19 away from home.

The provincial government is allocating $1.5 million to address the need for culturally safe and trauma-informed support for residential school survivors, their families, and communities.

Dispersed between three Indigenous service providers, the funding is part of the $12 million BC Residential School Response Fund that was promised after the remains of 215 children were revealed at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in May.

A new land-based steelhead fish farm is being proposed in Gold River at the site of a former pulp and paper mill that closed in the ‘90s. 

Ushered by Gold River Aquafarms, the development project would be a “win” for the small Vancouver Island village, said Gold River Mayor Brad Unger.

“We haven’t had a major economic development push for a long time,” he said. “It’s going to improve our community.”

With the potential to create 75 to 100 new jobs, Unger said he hopes they can get shovels in the ground “as soon as possible.”

You’re going through an Indigenous-owned gas station and realize that your status card has expired. Maybe you come from a remote First Nation and can’t get home to get your status card renewed. You ask around where you can get a card made in urban areas, without solid answers.

Many Indigenous people are finding it more difficult to get or renew expired Indian Status Cards, which are required for health services, tax exemptions at some businesses and for crossing the Canada/US border.

This year Orange Shirt Day coincides with the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation—a new federal statutory holiday that recognizes the colonial legacy of residential schools while honouring Indigenous survivors.

Although schools will be closed on September 30, events are still planned for students to recognize Orange Shirt Day and learn about the legacy of residential schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been going for 18 months, affecting the incomes of many Canadians. In 2020, the federal government offered up CERB, Canada Emergency Relief Benefit, intended to provide support to people whose incomes were reduced due to public health orders.

According to Service Canada, the CERB, which is no longer available, was meant to provide temporary support to Canadians forced to stop working due to the pandemic.

With summer coming to an end, Stan Lucas of Hesquiaht is focusing his attention on harvesting seasonal medicinal plants. The husband, father and grandfather will ride his bike several kilometers over Sutton Pass along Highway 4 to find plants like devil’s club, wild crab apple trees and balsam trees.

On Sept. 22 he was working on devil’s club medicine, which he says is nearing the end of its season. Lucas sits outside of his home with a stick of devil’s club that he just harvested.

As its eyes look east toward the rising sun this autumn, the carver behind a totem pole recently raised by the Somass River is stressing the piece’s importance of honouring women.

“The pole stands for our women,” said Tim Paul, who unveiled the project on Sept. 18 at Port Alberni’s waterfront, “most importantly is language, the cultural teaching.”

The province is strengthening its ambulance system through its largest hiring push in B.C.’s history in rural and remote areas. 

Health Minister Adrian Dix said 24 ambulance stations will move from on-call staffing to 24-7 service, with eight full-time paramedics in each location. 

An additional 26 smaller stations will be getting more "permanent, regular paramedics” beginning Nov. 1.

Some of the communities listed to benefit from these improvements include: Lake Cowichan, Tofino, Tahsis and Zeballos, all of which Nuu-chah-nulth nations rely on.

A Tseshaht scholar living and working in Seattle, WA, is about to publish her second book focusing on Indigenous culture and food sovereignty. Dr. Charlotte Coté will be releasing A Drum in One Hand, A Sockeye in the Other in January 2022.

Her book explores Nuu-chah-nulth food practices, both in pre-contact time and in a more contemporary context.