Kincolith joins information highway

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Now that the world can travel to Kincolith (Gingolx), the community is showcasing itself on the World Wide Web.

On the same weekend when the Nisga'a Highway was inaugurated, which finally gives the population of 400 a road in and out of town after decades of isolation, Kincolith launched its own Web site. As of May 16, Net surfers can visit http://collections.ic.gc.ca/gingolx to see how the town carved and erected its totem pole, a project completed in 2001 by grades 6 to 8 students.

The pictures, video and information about the town was the effort of the Gingolx Media Centre, now in its eighth month of providing computer and video training to teenagers and young adults. With eight computer stations and plans for a soundproof room, the centre's goal is to become a self-sustaining operation producing community generated technology projects.

With initial start-up costs to renovate the building and provide some capital coming from Kincolith's band council, there are five employees at the centre.

A $25,000 grant by Canada's Digital Collections, a division of Industry Canada, is part of a youth employment strategy by Human Resources Development Canada to provide paid experience for those new to the workforce.

Taking advantage of this venture is April Nelson, 30, who was in Kincolith for seven months. With no training or background in the media arts, Nelson has been immersed in the process of creating television and computer images since October.

Learning the skills to shoot with a digital camera plus the editing required to prepare DVDs, Nelson enjoys the variety that is offered with the industry.

"The editing is pretty neat by putting the pictures together with the audio, because they're done (recorded) at different times," she said during the filming of the highway opening ceremonies.

Driving the media centre is Mike Scott, originally from South Africa, who's lived in Kincolith for three years as his wife teaches at the local elementary school. Between the road opening and the re-dedication of the local Anglican church last year, Scott determined these events required permanent video evidence.

"There was nobody who was going to videotape these but just some people taking their own personal photos," Scott told the local council.

Scott believes it's important for the community to preserve its own history.

"Outsiders otherwise will take the information, edit the film, and the locals never see it nor do they have an input into how it's put together," said Scott.

Besides constructing the Web site around the totem pole, one of the first projects by the centre was to film a three-minute video about the catch and significance of the oolichan, a small fish found in the nearby waters that offers valuable nutrients and grease. Grades 3 and 4 students from Nathan Barton public school contributed significantly to the documentary, including the on-air questioning and post-production process.

"We helped them take shots, and they did a lot of the voiceovers and editing too," April Nelson said.

Scott added that while the film wasn't made by professionals, the final quality wasn't the most important element.

"It's not quite as polished, but it has a community feel with our involvement and voices."

Although Kincolith's Web site is in its early days, already it has received praise from the agency funding the centre. Attending the Net launch and road opening was Christina Bing, a project officer from Ottawa.

"Not only does it have information with photos, but there is a tremendous history of the five stories of the crests," Bing said about the Web site. She was referring to the animals of the West Coast First Nations.

Content, though, isn't the first criterion used to evaluate the success of grants.

"We look at the youth experience and then the Web site itself," stated Bing who pointed out that of 300 projects funded nationally since 1996, 20 have been allocated to Native communities in British Columbia.

That ther's an additional $25,000 for next year indicates the feds are pleased with the direction of the Gingolx Media Centre.

"They really like it, and we're the only ones that have this in the Nass Valley," said Nelson.