Tribute to village life

Page 4

The Skidegate, Haida Gwaii band council has announced that the village will be raising six monumental totem poles in their community on June 4 to June 9.

Lead carvers, Guujaaw, Giitsxaa, Norman Pryce, Tim Boyko, Jim Hart and Garner Moody, have worked with five assistants over five months carving and painting the poles, which represent the southern Haida villages and clans of Cumshewa, T'aanuu, Skidegate, Sgaang Gwaii, K'uuna and Ts'aahl. These villages were inhabited for thousands of years until contact with Europeans brought devastating diseases, such as smallpox.

Beginning on June 4, one pole will be raised each day at Second Beach, Haida Gwaii and the week of celebration will end with a feast.

"Poles are no longer a common sight in Haida Gwaii and this project is a way of giving something back to the people and returning to our traditions," reads a press release to the Raven's Eye office. "Historically, poles documented the Haida way of life, telling the stories of the clans. This is the first time in our history that so many poles have been raised at the same time."

Old-growth red cedar trees, a rare resource on the islands, were used for the poles. An additional eight poles will be carved and raised at a later date, bringing the total number to 14.

The pole-raising will mark the first phase of the Qay'llnagaay (Sea Lion Town) Heritage Centre, which will showcase Haida culture. The multi-million dollar facility will include a teaching centre, an interpretive centre, a canoe shed, the museum, a theatre, gift shop and the offices of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve/Haida Heritage Site.

Full child welfare responsibility for about 200 Aboriginal children in care moved to the Sto:lo Nation from the Ministry for Children and Families. The 13-signatory agreement focuses on reducing the number of Aboriginal children in care and returning them to their communities.

The agreement transfers up to $7 million in annual funding to the Sto:lo to enable their agencies to provide full guardianship services and protection work under the Child, Family and Community Services Act.

"This is the largest transfer in the ministry's history of child welfare responsibility to Aboriginal agencies, said Minister Edward John. "Over the next four months, we will work closely with the Sto:lo to complete the transfer of these children in care. Right now, more than two-thirds of the transfer process is complete."

The Sto:lo Nation and the ministry first entered into delegations agreement in 1995, which gave Aboriginal communities varying levels of autonomy and power.

Michelle Charlie Memorial Youth Camp has received funding from the Aboriginal Healing Foundation for the fiscal year 2001/2002 to run a project called Youth-The Future of Our Culture. The project is based on the belief that the youth are the future of the Carrier people and leaders of their nation, and the focus is the support and development of youth so that the culture and health of the nation can be restored.

The goals of the project are to develop and integrate community-based programs for youth, to bridge the divide between youth and Elders, and to teach youth leadership skill.

A new awards program to support dance training across British Columbia was announced by BC Hydro and The Dance Centre.

The $11,000 program will provide financial awards to 22 recipients to support their participation in dance training courses, workshops and conferences. The flexible and wide-ranging program provides awards for professionals at various stages of their careers, and also for students in their last year of training.

Dancers, choreographers, teachers, writers and others working in various areas of dance are eligible to apply and the awards cover all forms of dance from ballet and contemporary to dance from diverse cultural traditions, folk and jazz.

BC Hydro Dance Awards guidelines and application forms are available from the Dance Centre at 400-873 Beatty St, Vancouver, B.. V6B 2M6. Email: dancentre@vkool.com or call (604) 606-6400. Deadline for applications is Friday, June 1 at 4:30 p.m.

Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and six national Aboriginal leaders have launched the Aboriginal Canada Portal, a single gateway to Aboriginal online resources, contacts and information, as well as government programs and services in Canada.

The portal offers one-stop access and easy navigation to listings of Aboriginal associations, businesses, organizations, bands communities, groups, news and people. In total, the portal has more than 7,500 links to information for and about Aboriginal people in Canada.

A First Nations community of the mid-coast of British Columbia and three prominent conservation organizations today announced a unique partnership to secure ownership of a contentious property with conservation values in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest.

The Heiltsuk Nation, Ecotrust Canada, Ecotrust and the Raincoast Conservation Society have committed to jointly purchase and manage the Koeye River Lodge, which is perched on 74 hectares of land at the mouth of the Koeye River, a critical cultural site for Heiltsuk people and a valley identified as having some of the highest conservation values of any watershed on the central coasts.

"The Koeye was one of the major village sites for the Heiltsuk people," said Koeye hereditary chief Edwin Newman. "We're just happy that we've been able to take control of the lodge. Now we can start to fight to save the area from other developers, rebuild the salmon runs, and protect the headwaters from logging."

Plans for the lodge include building and site renovations, establishment of a scientific field station, ecotourism operations, youth camps and, in the winter months, use of the facility for a healing and recovery centre for Heiltsuk and other people.

The Koeye River is seven km south of Namu, and 45 km southeast of Bella Bella, which is the main Heiltsuk village and the larest First Nations community of the central coast.