Tag Archives: Secwepemc peoples

Indigenous Nations

Canoe journey crosses colonial border, upholding syilx sovereignty: ‘this is still our territory’

By Aaron Hemens, The Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For the 22nd year in a row, syilx Okanagan people took a canoe journey across the invisible border between “Canada” and the “United States” that divides their territory — challenging a colonial marker that continues to infringe upon their unceded homelands.

Dozens of pullers hauled at least 10 boats, including several dugout canoes, to the shore of nk’mip (Osoyoos Lake) in sw̓iw̓s (Osoyoos) in syilx homelands on Tuesday. The group sailed through the lake’s waters on the way to Oroville, Washington, before returning later in the day. 

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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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Animals

Going batty: big brown bats

By Chadd Cawson, The Columbia Valley Pioneer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

‘Tis the season that we all go a little batty –  at least with Halloween décor – to either scare away or entice trick or treaters as October 31 creeps up. 

While black bats may be part of Halloween decorations in windows and doorways, big brown bats are the species of winged marvels that can be found flying or hanging around the unceded territories of the Secwépemc and Ktunaxa Peoples and the land chosen as home by the Métis Peoples of B.C.

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Animals

Cawing Crows

By Chadd Cawson, The Columbia Valley Pioneer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As we kick off the month of Halloween, let’s talk about one of nature’s spookier birds, the crow. While there are 40 different species worldwide, the species we most commonly see flying above the unceded territories of the Secwépemc and Ktunaxa Peoples and the land chosen as home by the Métis Peoples of B.C., is the American crow. Despite its name, this member of the Corvidae family, can be found soaring across Canada (along with most of the U.S.) except on the Pacific Coast, where its close cousin, the Northwestern crow, flies in its place. The Corvidae family has many members which include jackdaws, rooks, and ravens, which look almost identical to crows at first glance but are slightly bigger in size. 

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History, Indigenous Nations History

The History of Residential and Day Schools

By Chadd Cawson, The Columbia Valley Pioneer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Many people have heard about residential schools but are uneducated about them. And too many have known about the horrors and injustices that happened within the walls of them, but for too long their voices were never heard. First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were taken from their families, communities, and culture for over 150 years. During this period, over 150,000 children attended what were then called Indian Residential Schools. Many never returned home to their families.

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