This past summer, a 14-year-old boy hung himself in the rural First Nations community of Pacheedaht on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island.
“It was the saddest, saddest thing ever,” said Pacheedaht Chief Councillor Arliss Jones. “He was just an innocent little kid. The youth are still really hurt about him.”
The possibility of another trial loomed over the final day of Nuchatlaht’s appearance in the B.C. Court of Appeal, an outcome that would mean the small First Nation will be fighting to gain Aboriginal title over its traditional territory for years to come.
The Annual Health Ability Fair, hosted by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s Disability Access Committee, delivered two days of helpful wellness and healthcare information at the Alberni Athletic Hall.
One of the presentations came on day two with Dr. Roger Boyer, manager of Community Health at the NTC. His presentation was called ‘Moving forward together; Self-care for mind, body and spirit through Nuu-chah-nulth values’.
Shalaya Valenzuela likes her new designation.
It was officially announced this past Saturday that Valenzuela, a Tseshaht First Nation member, has been chosen as this year’s top Indigenous female athlete in Canada.
She was presented with her national Tom Longboat Award at the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) gala ceremony in Ottawa.
“That has a nice ring to it,” she said of her latest accolade.
Valenzuela had made history last year. She was a member of the Canadian women’s rugby sevens squad that captured the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Citaapi Mahtii, Ahousaht First Nations’ new apartment building, celebrated its grand opening on Friday, October 17, with tours of the facility and acknowledgment to partners.
Citaapi Mahtii, located at 4210 Cedarwood Street in Port Alberni, is an apartment building that delivers 35 new housing units to singles and families in the Alberni Valley. The four-storey building offers a range of living unit sizes from studio apartments all the way to four-bedrooms for larger families. It includes a community space for gatherings.
Tla-o-qui-aht carver Joe Martin was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Maritime Achievement last week, which he accepts on behalf of his ancestors.
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Maritime Achievement recognizes individuals and organizations along B.C.’s coast and inland waterways who have made noteworthy contributions to the province’s maritime interests. This includes the areas of science, technology, business, maritime skills, nautical heritage, culture, art and academic endeavours.
A Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation has been recognized provincially for its dealings with climate action.
The Uchucklesaht Tribe was one of seven communities within the province that received climate and energy action awards at the Union of BC Municipalities convention held in September in Victoria. Uchucklesaht was honoured for its climate action plan, released earlier this year.
The Nuu-chah-nulth Nation, which has its headquarters in Port Alberni, has about 350 members.
Residents of communities on southwest Vancouver Island are no longer cut off from Port Alberni, after the Mount Underwood wildfire shut down the Bamfield road for two and a half months.
Today Bamfield Main reopened, although daily closures are expected as crews continue to repair damage from the forest fire. More than 1,000 dangerous trees had to be removed from the slope along 1.5 kilometres of the road. On Aug. 11 the Mount Underwood wildfire closed down the road, raging to encompass 3,600 hectares south of Port Alberni in a matter of days.
Nuchatlaht Tyee Ha’wilth Jordan Michael arrived at Vancouver Law Courts on Oct. 20, appealing the May 2023 decision of Justice Elliot Myers that determined that the Nuchatlaht are the rightful owners of some of their territory – but not all of it.
On the first day of the DAC (Disability Access Committee) Health Ability Fair started with a talk led by Deputy Fire Chief Travis Cross on the prevention of fires in your home and tips for creating a safety plan.
On Oct. 22 Cross expressed the honor the Port Alberni Fire Department holds in its service to the community and began the discussion by asking those in attendance who had personally experienced a fire in the home. With many in the crowd raising their hands the tips and tricks for prevention began.