Tag Archives: Homalco Nation

Indigenous Nations, Politics

Reconciliation: Two Regional Directors Speak Out on DRIPA and the Path of Reconciliation

With all the current hype about the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), Cortes Currents reached out to two rural politicians to ask how they see this legislation working at the local level. Mark Vonesch is the Regional Director for Area B (Cortes Island) and Robyn Mawhinney is the Regional Director for Area C, which includes Quadra and most of the other Discovery Islands. They both sit on the board of the Strathcona Regional District (SRD). 

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Indigenous Nations, Politics

Chief Darren Blaney: Responses To The Conservative Party

Press release from the Homalco Nation

In a press release in February, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives included a quote from Chief Darren Blaney of the Homalco First Nation in a news release regarding their plan for a First Nations Resource Charge (FNRC) without consultation or consent. This was only recently brought to the attention of leadership. The Chief and Council unequivocally denounce the use of this and any future quotes of their leadership without proper consultation and call on the Conservatives to remove any Homalco-related quotes from past, current and future new releases.

This revelation comes on the heels of calls for Aaron Gunn, the Conservative candidate in the federal riding in which the Homalco community reside, to be dropped from the election campaign. Social media posts from the recent past indicate that Gunn holds extreme views regarding residential schools, minimizing the history and trauma caused by residential schools, attacking 2SLGBTQ+ people, and sympathizing with warmonger Putin. We join other leaders today in calling for the removal of Aaron Gunn from the Conservative Party.

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Environment, Indigenous Nations

Homalco First Nation’s ecosystem approach to flooding protects people and culture

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Working with nature, and not against it, a Vancouver Island First Nation is creating a plan to climate-proof its growing community.

The Willow Creek watershed project will restore wetlands and watercourses in the Homalco First Nation’s territory to reduce flooding and other climate disaster risks, but also boost cultural values and sustainable economic development, said Xwémalhkwu (Homalco) Chief Darren Blaney. 

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Arts, Indigenous Nations History

Public Launch in Campbell River of Homalco First Nation’s Graphic Novel

Xwémalhkwh Hero Stories, was publicly launched at a reception at the Museum at Campbell River on February 27, 2025.  Homalco’s Community Launch was held in November, 2024, at the Discovery Inn.  Xwémalhkwh Hero Stories is the latest outcome of a journey of rediscovery and preservation of Xwémalhkwh history, culture, language, and traditions that began in the early 1990’s with recordings of the stories of the elders.  

At the gathering on February 27, the Project Manager and Editor of the Graphic Novel, Tchadas Leo, explained how the novel came into being as an outgrowth of Homalco’s radio station, The Raven, 100.7 FM’s podcast series, that used a portion from the recordings of the Elders to produce 12 episodes entitled, Remember – Recordings of the Elders Explored, available on Spotify. The gathering was treated to segment of one of the recordings with the voices of Elders speaking their language and translation.  This introduction provided the context for the graphic novel which tells three traditional stories.

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Food, Indigenous languages, Indigenous Nations History

What did the Tsleil-Waututh people eat 500 years ago?

Editor’s note: At one time in their remote prehistory, all the Salish peoples are believed to have spoken a single proto-Salish language. There are now 23 Salishan languages. The Northern Coast Salish nations (Homalco, Klahoose, K’omoks and Tla’amin) speak Ayajuthem (Éy7á7juuthem), while the Tsleil-Waututh and other Coast Salish Nations from Lower Mainland speak Halkomelen (hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓).

By Mina Kerr-Lazenby, North Shore News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Crafted from a food source that was abundant, varied and rich in nutrition, the diet that the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) had prior to the arrival of settlers was worlds away from what it is now.

New research between the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and the University of British Columbia uses archeological records and Indigenous oral histories to piece together what was on the menu between 1000 CE and European contact in approximately 1792 CE.

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