Category Archives: Indigenous Nations

Education, Indigenous Nations

Raising a flag to remember: Cortes Island School marks Orange Shirt Day

CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

The sun was shining on Cortes Island school Friday Sept 29, as the Parent Advisory Committee shared orange T-shirts with all the children. With a new principal, the team and students were busy all month preparing to observe the day of memorial by raising a Residential School Survivors’ flag. 

Klahoose Elders visited to share their lived experiences and share song, drumming, and hope. Sisters Rose Hanson and Jessie Louie, joined with singer Brenda Hanson.

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Energy, Indigenous Nations

Regulator approves TMX plan to trench through ‘extremely sacred’ Secwépemc site

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Editor’s note: Another example of the conflict between industry and First Nations Sacred sites.

By Aaron Hemens, IndigiNews, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Secwépemc knowledge-keeper is outraged after Trans Mountain was given approval from Canada’s energy regulator to trench through an important cultural site to build its pipeline expansion — calling the project colonialism personified.

“Evil is putting it lightly,” said Mike McKenzie, who is from Skeetchestn.

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Indigenous Nations, Politics

Pemberton pauses Official Community Plan process to build ‘deeper’ relationship with Lil’wat Nation

Editor’s note: A possible model of how rural communities and First Nations can cooperate.

By Roisin Cullen, Pique Magazine, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Village of Pemberton (VOP) is pausing its Official Community Plan (OCP) review process so officials can focus on building a “deeper and more meaningful” relationship with the Lil’wat Nation, the VOP announced at Pemberton’s Sept. 12 council meeting.

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Fire, Indigenous Nations

Frantic escapes, damaged homes and lost time: First Nations hit hardest when wildfire season comes

By Matteo Cimellaro, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Debbie Rupke (Tomma) heard a rattle at her door. It was her cousin in a panic, telling her they had only minutes to leave. Strong winds had shifted, and the Bushcreek fire, which has burned at least 43,084 hectares north of Kelowna so far, was bearing down on their homes. Rupke (Tomma) had returned from Vancouver the day before, so she grabbed her yet-to-be-unpacked suitcase and her most precious memento: a family portrait of her daughter she gave up for adoption at 15.

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Food, Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

Paul Muskee on Klahoose Aquaculture & QXMC

Paul Muskee has been working for QXMC for close to 15 years and for the last decade has been with Klahoose Aquaculture.

“I feel like my life has led me this way. When I was younger, I did work in aquaculture and I did work in forestry. I was also a mining technologist for a bunch of years, but I grew up  around Powell River, Lund and Desolation Sound.  Running boats has always been part of what I’ve done. I’ve loved working for Klahoose. They’ve been a great employer and I really like the people I’ve work with,” he explained.  

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