Welcome to the another issue of Aam ji luu-x̱hln̓aa-t'aatgwin!
Welcome to the thirteenth issue of Aam ji luu-x̱hln̓aa-t'aatgwin. Each month, we will focus on an Indigenous language in our region. This August, we are focusing on the Haisla language, Haislakala and using Haislakala words throughout.
Aam ji luu-x̱hln̓aa-t'aatgwin means "it's good for you to stay home" in Nisga'a. In Haislakala, they say keci y'alekwa which means don't get hurt or stay safe! ʼuálazkʷíƛ to Dustin Gaucher and the Haislakala Language Advisory Committee for providing us resources to share.
With British Columbia moving into phase three slowly and safely, we want to encourage everyone to keep washing your hands, wear your mask, and stay vigilant. We have seen new COVID cases develop here in the North. We are keeping you, your family, and friends in our hearts. We especially want to express our concern and prayers for our Haida friends on Haida Gwaii during this time. We are ʼike'qla (happy) that you are all safe at home and doing your part to protect yourselves and your loved ones, especially your babá’u (Grandfather), mamaʼu (your Grandmother), ʼop (your father) and ʼabux° (your mother), during this COVID-19 pandemic. Remember to keep your physical distance when visiting. As the People of the Snow would say,
We hope you are having a great summer so far! These months are all about abundance, of course in foods, but also abundance in activity and in being with family. Now is the time to harvest, take a break, and get some sun. We are grateful that this year hasn’t had any forest fires, however we still feel that the salmon need more prayers. If and when you do go out to harvest, please be more aware than ever of keeping germs at bay with the continued rise of COVID-19 cases in BC and abroad. Please keep your families safe and well.
We hope you find something to connect with and that you do things this month that make you feel balanced in your mind, body, spirit, and soul.
Enjoy, Take care, and Stay Safe!
Jillian Stephens, Terrace jstephens@coastmountaincollege.ca
Veronica Waechter, Terrace vwaechter@coastmountaincollege.ca
Sharon Oskey, Prince Rupert soskey@coastmountaincollege.ca
Kellie Nyce, Hazelton knyce@coastmountaincollege.ca
Katie Humphrey, Smithers khumphrey@coastmountaincollege.ca
Arnica Salve Making Workshop with Katie Humphrey
August 20 | Online
Join us for another virtual workshop series!
Smithers FNAC Katie Humphrey facilitates this series where we will learn the teachings of arnica harvesting, preparing, and how to make salve!
Arnica kits will be made available. You must register to participate and space is limited.
Contact your local FNAC to sign up!
What Would Mamá’u Do
ʼuálazkʷíƛ to the Haislakala Language Advisory Committee for sharing! We challenge you to practice these words at home.
Mamá’u also wants to share with you these well wishes:
Ya'uc' x̄á’isla du m̓ám̓iaɫa hello downstream/river dwellers and friends! We hope that you have been able to pick some gula’li salmon berries, ḡ°adm huckleberries, cʼíx̄ʷa wild crabapples, and syak̓°nalh blueberries. Or maybe you’ve been lucky to catch or receive some mya fish such as qabis spring salmon or hisn sockeye salmon. Maybe you’ve gone outside and seen some gukʷelut fellow villagers spending time gathering and processing. Keep an eye out for msaxw rainbows and b’ixbika lightening which can be often seen during this time of year. Remember to c̓eselá care for oneself. ’iks gʷáilas goodbye, until we meet again.
Check out all of these wonderful resources to learn more Haislakala from gukʷelut fellow villagers! Including a online book you can also refer to called “A First Course in Haisla” edited by Hein Vink and Aert H. Kuipers.
Haislakala Learner's Group shared this great dub over one of cinema's greatest scenes!
Head Above Water
...and into our tummies! Find below how to BAKE FISH HEADS!
The heads of spring, sockeye and coho salmon are used. Chum salmon are considered too tough for baking. The eyes or scales need not be removed, but some people like to remove the gills and lower parts of the head before baking. Split the heads lengthwise, and open them like a book with the inner surface facing up. Season with salt and pepper and cover the pan. Bake in a 350° oven for half an hour or until brown. The cheeks and nose are the parts eaten.
Are you interested in learning more about traditional food and harvesting? Learn more with First Nations Health Authority and read their fact sheet with brief information about the Northwest goodness.
Bake n' Chill
While your fish heads are baking, check out these fun activities for yourself and to do with your family!
Welcome the salmon back! If you and your family harvest, this might be your favorite time of year. If you don’t seasonally harvest, it might be a good time to learn about it. Try asking a family member how they harvest, prepare, or what your family does for protocol. You can also learn more about these practices with these handy videos we have found; listen for what the knowledge keepers say about respectful practices.
There’s a sparkle in T’ui’tanat’s (Cease Wyss, Coast Salish) eyes when she talks about plants. An Aboriginal guide with Takaya Tours and expert ethnobotanist, T’ui’tanat’s enthusiasm for sharing her First Nations culture is infectious as she talks about huckleberries with Vancouver blogger Miss604 on a recent medicinal plant walking tour in North Vancouver.
A film by Matthew Vestuto and Michael López, shot on the Muckleshoot reservation, Washington State. Produced by Gilbert and Tallis King George.
Keep an eye out for the “Skeena Salmon heARTs Show”: An Online Auction taking place in August through Terrace Art Gallery, Misty River Arts Centre, and Smithers Art Gallery. Support local artists in our community if you can, or just take a peek and share!
Follow the Skeena Salmon Arts Festival Society on Facebook to stay updated and view all the past and present art submissions including carvings, murals, paintings, and more!
Indigenous in Media
FREE Film! This month, check out Regalia: Pride in Two Spirits featuring Duane Stewart-Grant.
With respect to Pride Month, we wanted to share this short documentary by Love Intersections. Duane Stewart-Grant, Haisla & Nuu-chah-nulth, speaks about his Two-Spirit identity and his connection to his cultures through dance. T'ooyaḵsiy n̓iin Duane, for sharing your insights and personal story, much respect.
Another FREE film! You can also check out a free documentary by Gil Cardinal titled "Totem: The Return of the G'psgolox Pole" on nfb.ca! This feature-length documentary traces the journey of the Haisla people to reclaim the G'psgolox totem pole that went missing from their British Columbia village in 1929. The fate of the 19th century traditional mortuary pole remained unknown for over 60 years until it was discovered in a Stockholm museum where it is considered state property by the Swedish government.
Director Gil Cardinal combines interviews, striking imagery and rare footage of master carvers to raise questions about ownership and the meaning of Indigenous objects held in museums. "Totem: Return and Renewal", which is Cardinal's follow-up film, also available on nfb.ca!
FREE book! Stories from the magic canoe of Wa'xaid / Cecil Paul, as told to Briony Penn ; foreword by Roy Henry Vickers. (2019) Available through the CMTN Library (Follow this link, then click "Search BC Library Catalogue" to find this as an e-book).
The Magic Canoe brings peace to one's soul. It is a warm wind moving our hearts. Wa'xaid takes us on a journey that regenerates and empowers us. T'ismista, the stone hunter, looks down on the Magic Canoe and reminds us to listen to storytellers like Cecil Paul. This is a story for the family of man; we are all in the canoe together and our stories need to be shared with each other -Roy Henry Vickers, Preface.
Check out Briony Penn reading a chapter of this book HERE!
New Cedar, New Sweetgrass, New Sage
Indigenous Music! Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Yung Trybez and Young D, proudly represent as Haisla rappers. With a love of hip-hip, this duo from Kitimaat Village - where they're better known as Quinton Nyce and Darren Metz - exploded onto the scene in 2017 and continue to empower young Indigenous people today.
Follow Snotty Nose Rez Kids on:
With a personal favourite from the collective FNAC team (a.k.a. your Boujee Aunties), take a listen to Boujee Natives on Youtube and support your local artists today!
Young D and Yung Trybez were recently featured on another Indigenous podcast called "We are Indigenous". This podcast comes out of the First Nations Centre at Fanshawe College! Check out the episode with Snotty Nose Rez Kids and other episodes to connect with more Indigenous peers, students, and content!
Your weekly meme
Self-Care is Essential
Check out Revolutionary Self-Care on Facebook. It's a great resource for community building and peer support.
Read this article on How to Decolonize your Yoga Practice! Find more articles and other helpful guidance on decolonizing yoga at Decolonizing Yoga.
"By really engaging the full, whole and multifaceted face of yoga we not only liberate ourselves but we may just overthrow this second colonization of yoga, freeing ourselves as well as the yoga practitioners of the future to experience the full, liberating, authentic and true practice of yoga. We allow our own practice to grow and our gifts to really shine." Susanna Barkataki
Wellness Gift for Students
Open to registered and returning students!
Email any First Nations Access Coordinator with your name and address to receive a free wellness gift by mail. Find our emails above or below in this newsletter.
Don't forget about Wellness Bingo! The second card is still available and so is the prize! Contact your local FNAC for a card and work on getting the BINGO! If you are the first to get a bingo, you could win $50 for the campus store!
Our academic year Sep 2020 – Apr 2021 is offered through distributed learning. Courses online for students anywhere! Plan to stay in your home community, there is no need to attend a campus location with our many online courses. Fall semester to start September 8th!
- Upgrading and adult high school graduation.
- First nations fine arts courses.
- Business diplomas, certificates and preparatory courses.
- University, college and high school dual credit courses.
Find more information HERE on our website or you can connect through info@coastmountaincollege.ca or 1.877.277.2288. You are more than welcome to connect with your local FNAC as well!
Student support
Are you facing challenges with lack of equipment or support? Contact your local FNAC and ask about the Indigenous Wellness Assistance Fund and the Lending Library.
Wondering about bursaries? Check out the CMTN FInancial Aid page to find out more about upcoming awards and bursaries.
Are you interested in tutoring? The FNACs want to hear from you! We are calling for interest for any tutors who may be interested in peer-to-peer tutoring for the 2020 Fall semester. This will be a paid position based on hours provided. Contact your local FNAC if you're interested!
Want to hear more from your peers? BCcampus is hosted an Indigenous Speaker Series on July 15th about the importance of land acknowledgements, specifically from the viewpoints of students at BC Post-Secondary institutions. Including one of our own CMTN students, Lynzee West! Watch the recorded session HERE!
Mental Health Check-in
Are you needing support in Prince Rupert? Check out a new service available through the Indian Residential School Survivors Society!
Check out this article on Self-care during COVID-19.
Foundry BC is now offering virtual drop-in counselling for young people ages 12-24 and their families. To access this service, call 1-833-FØUNDRY (yes, that’s FØUNDRY with a zero! or 1-833-308-6379) to book an appointment. Sessions available through chat, voice-only calls or video calls.
Here2Talk connects students with mental health support when they need it. Through this program, all students currently registered in a B.C. post-secondary institution have access to FREE, confidential counselling and community referral services, conveniently available 24/7 via app, phone and web.
The Keep Me Safe program is available 24/7 through multiple formats (call, chat, email and videoconference) for you! Go to coastmountaincollege.ca/counselling for more info.
Other resources you can reach out to:
Youth Online Chat at crisis-centre.ca or text 250.564.8336 or call 1.888.564.8336. A confidential, anonymous peer support service operated by trained youth answering calls from other youth. Available 24/7.
Northern BC Crisis Line A safe, confidential and non-judgmental crisis line to discuss anything troubling you available 24/7. Call 1.888.562.1214.
BC Suicide Line 1.800.SUICIDE or 1.800.784.2433. If you are considering suicide or are concerned about someone who may, please call! Available 24/7.
The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of their Residential school experience. Call 1.866.925.4419.
COVID-19 updates & FAQs
At Coast Mountain College we monitor the COVID-19 situation very closely and are guided by the Provincial Health Officer as we work with the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. For updates and FAQs please visit our website here.
Have something you want to contribute for next month's issue?
Feedback, story ideas or pictures to share? Contact us:
jstephens@coastmountaincollege.ca
vwaechter@coastmountaincollege.ca