Tag Archives: Gitxsan First Nation

Environment, Indigenous Nations

Guided by her culture, Gitxsan scientist looks to old ways for climate resilience

By Aaron Hemens, The Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Whether harvesting salmon or simply spending quality time with her grandfather and uncles, Janna Wale has no shortage of stories about being on the water with her family.

She moved around a bit growing up, but can vividly recall different memories from her early years fishing in her Gitxsan homelands — there were “tons of fish everywhere” at the unceded confluence of the Skeena, Nass and Bulkley rivers near the village of “Hazelton, B.C.”

“Our culture is totally built around salmon. We have different roles for salmon in the feast hall. It’s a large food supply for a lot of people, especially in the winter,” said Wale, who is from the Gitanmaax First Nation and is Cree-Métis on her mother’s side.

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Food, Indigenous Nations

‘It’s our medicine’: Dieticians reflect on value of traditional foods

By Alexandra Mehl, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For Jennifer Cody, a Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) dietician, she comes from a family of healers. Being a dietician has come natural for her since she enjoys the way food connects to harvesting, growing, community building and nature.

“Food is sort of one of those things that’s kind of woven into everything within…culture with Nuu-chah-nulth people,” said Cody. “Many of the teachings in terms of how we respect and connect with our environment and the land and how we see other living beings as being a part of everything around us.”

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Indigenous Nations, Justice

RCMP do not agree to abide by Gitxsan chiefs’ ban on ‘militarized squadron’

By Kaitlyn Bailey, Prince Rupert Northern View, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The B.C. RCMP will not respect a ban from the Gitxsan hereditary chiefs which prohibits the police force’s Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) from entering their traditional territories.

In an email to Black Press Media, Sgt. Kris Clark wrote that while the B.C. RCMP will “do everything possible” to respect the ban, they have obligations and responsibilities to enforce court injunctions and maintain public safety.

The C-IRG unit is “uniquely situated” to do these tasks through specific training and resources, Clark stated.

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Energy

The northern B.C. pipeline you’ve never heard of — Enbridge’s Westcoast Connector

By Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

The Coastal GasLink pipeline is currently B.C.’s most infamous — with the arrests of Indigenous land defenders and journalists, repeated environmental infractions and celebrity activism from the likes of Mark Ruffalo, Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio. 

But the list of controversial pipeline projects in the province doesn’t stop there.  

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Indigenous Nations, Justice

Northwest B.C. MLA calls on RCMP commissioner to review pipeline opponents’ arrests in Hazelton

Terrace Standard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Stikine MLA Nathan Cullen has called on RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki to review police action in the arrest of two of his constituency members in northwest B.C. in November.

In the letter sent to the RCMP top cop in Ottawa, Cullen asked about the RCMP’s “enforcement behaviour” while referring to a “disturbing” video in which two young men were arrested with “undue force” last month near the New Hazelton rail tracks.

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