Partnership between Songhees First Nation and Unit for

Partnership between Songhees First Nation and
Unit for Research and Education on the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Transmission of Culture
and Working with Elders
The aboriginal peoples of this land, now called British
Columbia, had a highly developed and organized society
and culture prior to contact with the Europeans.
The history, culture, teachings, and the skills needed to
survive, the Elders transmitted these teachings orally. The
Elders are our history books; the keepers of knowledge.
Our youth need to be connected to our Elders in order to
learn the teachings (cultural and spiritual) that are handed
down. This has to take place early in the lives of our youth,
otherwise a vacuum is created which becomes difficult to
overcome with the passage of time.
Our culture and names are attached to our traditional lands
and our youth have to be well aware of this history in order
to deal with the future.
Chief Robert Sam / Haqualuck
Songhees First Nation
by the Songhees Youth Group
This project is a partnership of the Songhees First Nation and the
Unit for Research and Education
on The Convention on the Rights of the Child
•
School of Child And Youth Care
University of Victoria
PO Box 1700, Victoria, British Columbia Canada V8W 2Y2
email indcrc@uvic.ca • www.uvic.ca/urecrc
fax 250.721.7218
telephone 250.472.4762
Editors: Natasha Blanchet-Cohen and Marcey Louie.
Design: Lis Erling Bailly, Porfolio Art Services.
Support for the booklet was provided by
Human Resources Development Canada and Canadian Heritage.
We would especially like to thank Noreen Campbell and Bruce Lund,
also Ali Fernandez (Wayuu/Venezuela) for inspiring us with his booklet ‘Anun We’.
foreward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
flight of the thunderbird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
respect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
land. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
canoe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
longhouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
about this booklet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
elder’s advise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
2
3
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
•
Archive photographs are courtesy of the Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, B.C.
The illustrations and other photographs throughout this booklet are by members of the Songhees Youth Group.
The illustration on the front cover was developed from a drawing by Songhees Youth Eileen Charlie, 15.
Illustrations of the Thunderbirds and URECRC logo by Rita M.K. George-Greene © 1995.
•
ISBN #1-55058-200-3
Lekwungen Then & Now ©1999. All rights reserved worldwide.
P R I NT ED I N C A NA D A
2
Cynthia Malcolm, 15
3
Flight of the Thunderbird
This booklet marks the culmination of the first stage in a journey undertaken by young
Indigenous people and their community, the Songhees Nation, and members of the Unit
for Research and Education on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (URECRC) and
the Aboriginal Liaison Officer at the University of Victoria. The booklet also represents an
important collaboration connecting the United Nations Decade of the Worlds' Indigenous
Peoples (1995-2004) and the near universal ratification of the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child.
4
In these pages you will hear the voices of
Aboriginal youth of today reflect on the
changes that have impacted their people during the last hundred and fifty-six years since
the first European traders arrived on this
magnificent coastline. You will hear the echo
of the Thunderbird, the Coast Salish, supernatural being that brings change, transformation,
and in conjunction with the teachings of the
old people, strength. These echoes are found
in the descriptions of the bighouse, canoe,
and strong connection with the land that
continues to nurture young and old. You will
also hear the echo of these wings of change.
Listen to the hardship facing many Aboriginal
youth living on reserve, brought about by
forced removal from ancestral lands, and the
resulting challenge of learning to walk in the
two worlds of their own people and the dominant society. When the great Thunderbird
prepares to fly, thunder is heard and lightning is spread across the land, the voices of
the old people ready themselves to sing and
to pray.
In this booklet you will have the opportunity to discover something of the richness of the
culture, the strength of the connection with the earth and the ancestors, and the importance of strong Elders in helping bridge these worlds. They are the most visible connection
with the traditions and gifts of the creator and the ancestors. Old people have consistently
asked their families to 'Make their Minds Strong'. The youth belong to a very large Coast
Salish family whose gifts are found in the Shaker Church and the Winterdance complex.
We hope in reading these pages and in entering the world of the youth of Lekwungen,
that you will enjoy the richness of their world and perhaps share with us the joy of moving our collective society a stage further in understanding the meaning of human rights.
An understanding that stems from the reflection of what it is to be human in our creative
diversity. The combination of traditional strengths and the application of the Convention
on the Rights of the Child has allowed the great Thunderbird to reinforce the process of
change, transformation and strength. This booklet is meant to honour the old people,
the young, and collaboration.
By Dr. Philip Cook,
Director, URECRC
School of Child and Youth Care,
and
Bill White / Xelimuxw-Kasalid,
Aboriginal Liaison Officer
University of Victoria
5
“Xeeun-Na. Listen is what
I would tell the young
people today. They would
be lost if there wasn’t the
elders to pass down the
teachings.”
Royal British Columbia Museum PN 4816
David Malcolm
Respect
We learned how to make paddles with
Sammy Sam and Barney George.
Respect
Skomiax Chief of the Songhees tribe,
Victoria Harbour (1867-70)
“Respect in our culture is a big thing.
If you don’t have respect
you are going to have a bad name
or no name.
You have to give respect to earn respect.”
Alex George
6
This day we were learning the prayer song
in front of the Tribal School in Saanich.
Alison Malcolm, 12
Sa-ulth
sincerely,
Songhees Youth Group
When somebody is talking you should listen.
No name calling or putdowns.
No hitting.
Don’t put yourself down.
Take care of yourself.
No swearing.
You’ve got to give respect to get respect.
Respect other people’s feelings.
Respect yourself by eating healthy foods.
Get lots of sleep.
Don’t drink and Drive. Don’t smoke.
LOVE YOURSELF.
7
The
Lekwungen people occupied what
is now the city of Victoria for over 4000 years.
Over the centuries, the Songhees ancestors occupied village sites and seasonal camps
from Albert Head, to Cadboro Bay, and to San Juan Islands.
They were divided into families...
Chekonein, Chilcowitch, Kosampson, Teechamitsa,
Swengwung and Whymolith.
Ta-new
Traditions and
practices are intimately
linked to the land.
Many locations have
traditional names that
describe their history
and their legends.
With the arrival
of the Europeans
in the 1800’s,
the territory of
the Lekwungen
was reconfigured
and drastically
reduced.
The traditional
way of life was
destroyed.
New Songhees Reserve
(after 1911)
Esquimalt
Reserve
Songhees Reserve
(until 1911)
Shortly after the James Douglas Treaty in 1850,
the Songhees village along the west side
of the Inner Harbour became a reserve.
The Lekwungen people were named the Songhees.
In 1911, the Songhees were once more moved to
the outskirts of Victoria northwest of Esquimalt.
This is where the Songhees
youth live today.
Territories of the
Lekwungen
Beacon Hill was known as
Meegan - ‘warmed by the sun’.
In early summer, the families
would collect camas bulbs, food staple
Other traditional locations and sacred places
a starchy
include the point rock at the entrance of Victoria Harbour
that is much like potato.
called Pallatsis - ’place of cradle’.
After a child had learned to walk, their cradle would be placed
along the point to ensure a long life.
Land
“I loved Goldstream, it was beautiful and peaceful, a good place to
gather thoughts. The group was fun and we respected one
another. It is also a traditional place, part of our culture. “
Lucy-Rose George, 18.
Arrowroot
8
9
Royal British Columbia Museum PN 6886
Canoe
“ I wish that we can keep going
on with our culture,
our native language.
It gives us something
to share with our children
in the future.”
This photo was taken in 1910-11.
Doug George, 15
In the 1970’s canoes were mostly used for races.
I got my racing canoe in 1992.
It takes a long time to repair the canoe,
depending on what is wrong with it.
You might have to sand it down and fill it with glue.
Let it dry. Sand and paint over.
James Sam, 14
Back in the olden days, canoes were used
for hunting fish,whales and crabs,
and transportation to other lands. The canoes were made out of
red cedar and the paddles
.
were made out of yellow
sna-wulth
We were paddling back from our camping trip
in Chatham Island, part of our traditional territory.
cedar
David Malcolm
10
11
The bighouse is a place
I would call
A place that has a lot of sacred meaning;
A home of harmony and no worries;
A place to learn to walk as in the footprints of our ancestors and elders.
Marina George, 18
Longhouse
home!
It’s not only just a big building.
It’s home to our ancestors and
also to the ones that need healing, that need help.
It’s one of the ways to turn.
To change your lifestlye and be reborn again!
And start a new life clean and with a good heart and soul!
It’s a place for celebrating, ceremonies, welcoming visitors, and relatives.
To me, the longhouse means:
Songhees Youth at Maple Bank
the past, the future, culture, generations, elders, adult, and youth;
For elders to pass on their learning experiences;
For adults to learn and teach other generations what they have learned from the elders and their experiences;
For youth to learn, listen, and respect the elders and the teachers
that have plans to keep our culture alive; And stay strong and open-minded.
It’s the strongest place to learn wisdom, strength, and pride.
David Malcolm, 18
Lucy-Rose George, 18.
Royal British Columbia Museum PN8877
“The longhouse is
helping me a lot.
In a way it keeps me
out of trouble,
it gives me
something to do,
instead of drinking
or going into town.”
Marina George
12
chuk-a-lung
Wild Onion Kwaluule
13
Sports
Natahna Albany, 10
interviewed her nana
Joyce Albany about games.
(Feb 1999)
what kind of games did you
play?
Softball, soccer, basketball. Soccer was a boy sport no girls were allowed to play.
what was the favourite game?
Baseball. Also the bone game - lahal.
And golf when I was a teenager.
what schools did you
play basketball at?
Burnside, Marigold, MacKenzie, Tillicum, Tolmie.
We had to walk to the schools with the teachers nobody had cars.
see-yas-sung
“The traditional
ways are the most
important things
to pass down.
You need to fully let
them in your heart.
Some of our people
are embarrassed
because they
are native, that
should never be.”
Alex George
Youth Helper
what kind of
music
do we like
to listen to?
RAP Hip-Hop
Rock
Heavy Metal
Lahal music
what do we
like to do with
your free time?
Play Super Nintendo/Nintendo 64
Hang out with my friends
Walk around the reserve
Play pool
Bike around
Watch television
Songhees Youth at Maple Bank
Songhees
Youth Today!
what kind of sports
do we like to play?
Royal British Columbia Museum PN 23011
Basketball, hockey, soccer, football,
running, canoeing, swimming,
skating, karate, lacrosse, boxing.
Victoria’s Indian Ball Club, 1934.
(top left): Michael Cooper, R. Page,
John Albany, Frank Albany, George Cooper,
C. Gould, S.A. Gould (president)
what kind of clothes do we wear?
Jeans
Adidas & Nike
Sport clothes
(bottom left): T. Bennett, R. Jones, Harry
Kamai, A. Thomas, Percy B. Ross (manager),
J. Blake, Dick Albany, Roger R. Ross (mascot),
Art Albany (absent)
Lucy George, 19.
14
15
quotlith
Food
what kind of foods did
we eat before?
Wild Onion
Dog Salmon
Royal British Columbia Museum PN 6104
Quotlith was a winter staple
because it was dried and
could be preserved all winter.
16
These were uniquely cooked underground.
Water soaked sacks were placed on top of the onions
to help steam them. Then it was covered with
ferns and rocks. The fire was built on top
of the rocks and the onions cooked throughout
the night and dug up the next morning.
Cooked wild onions were considered a delicacy.
Interview conducted by Thelma Frank,
Songhees youth,with her
grandparents Pally and Thelma Dick.
(May 1999)
Dog Salmon (Quotlith)
Ducks
Seal Meat
Deer (Mouwich)
Wild strawberries
Wild Blackberries
Blueberries
Huckleberries
Wild Cherries
Wild Onion (Kwaluule)
Clams
Rock Stickers (stinchaweech)
Sea Urchins (skwetsi)
Octopus
Crabs
Candlefish (Seukt)
Skatefish (poouwe)
Flounders
Rock Cod
Codfish
kwaluule
k z
7
what are our
favourite foods?
Fries
Pork chops
Mashed potatoes
Salad
Spaghetti
Doug’s chili
Pizza
Smoked fish
Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Bananas
Carrots
Celery
Kool-Aid
Ice Cream
Chips
Pop
Hash browns
Eggs
Bacon
Potato patties
Cereal
skwasum
e
We are learning how to clean, cook and eat rock stickers
(Stinchaweech) from one of our elders.
Indian Ice Cream
Skwasum was considered a
delicacy. It was made from
little red berries picked around
the month of May and
then they were dried.
h
p
sah-e-lun 8
Some of the food we ate
was traded from other
First Nations. We traded
dry clams for fresh salmon
jerky, fresh halibut or
halibut jerky.
We brought smoked fish
and dried clams to Yakima
and traded for baskets
or beadwork.
l
j as
17
about this booklet
We started with a huge and long rectangular piece of yellow
cedar. Under the guidance of the Elders Sam Samuel (Xwe-Xya-Luc)
and Barney George (Qul-Sem-Utstun), we each cut, planned and
sanded a block of wood into a paddle. At first, we felt
in-timidated by the raw piece and the tools, soon we were
engaged. The community came by to visit the open-air shed, and
observe the diligent workers smooth the cedar. The youth went
home proudly at the end of the day to continue work on their
paddle and share a hidden talent for carving with their parents
and families. Some have been painted with intricate Coast Salish
designs, others have remained unfinished awaiting future inspirations. But this is their work, their pieces that connect them to a
tradition that has been inherent to their people’s lives for generations. It makes them feel good about themselves and proud to be
Lekwungen and part of the Salish peoples. From their hands and
hearts come beautiful paddles echoing the past, yet reflective of
youth’s concerns today.
In the course of this year-long partnership between the Songhees
Nation (in Indian known as Lekwungen) and the Unit for Research
and Education on the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(URECRC) at the University of Victoria, several activities were
undertaken with a group of youth aged 12 to 18. In the program,
we made sure there was time to learn the language, to learn the
sources of Indian names, to sit down and hear the elders share
the creation story, to explore issues of health, to collect and taste
traditional foods, to camp outside, to learn balance and positive
living and at the same time to have fun. As teenagers, this
involved organizing dance parties (alcohol and drug-free), going
swimming or playing soccer.
Throughout the program, there has been an expectation to create
a booklet about our learning and interaction. The booklet would
be a project the youth could take on, creating a legacy for their
18
brothers and sisters, and for sharing with other Indigenous
peoples. At the beginning, this seemed unlikely, as time went by
the youth became more involved. Some became eager to document through photography, others through interviews and drawing. They decided on the theme of Lekwungen Now and Then.
Based upon our reflection about this experience and other pilot
programs coordinated by URECRC with aboriginal youth and
elders, and the ‘96 gathering on Indigenous Children’s Rights held
on the Lau-Wel-New sacred mountain in Victoria, we have found
that building on strengths must be an operating principle. As one
Coast Salish advice says:
These pages offer a glimpse of the Lekwungen youth’s world,
where the modern and the traditional walk side by side. Each
page is a collage of a facet of their daily lives. The archival pictures
interspersed serve as a reminder of the connections and differences between the Lekwungen of today, and those who lived on
the quiet shores of what is now the busy inner harbor of downtown Victoria.
Based on the youth’s weekly attendance, the positive feedback
from parents, community members and the chief, there appears
to be many benefits to this type of program. Through cultural
activities and approaches, Lekwungen youth feel proud of who
they are, and where they come from. The group has provided a
safe environment, where the values of respect, belonging, and the
other values practiced in the longhouse have been reaffirmed. It
is a place where traditionally-trained elders (called Siem na
Sulxwane) quietly spoke about working with wood, being strong
and being prepared to apply the teachings in the secular world.
Making connections helps youth as they coexist within the strong
Coast Salish traditional longhouse/shaker institutions and the
modern world. A world that obligates them to acquire marketable
job skills, to support their families, and to pay for the goods they
also want to gain. It supports their journey to becoming leaders
of tomorrow. A journey through which many are struggling, as
evidenced by the 70% school dropout rates, nights of drinking,
indugence in TV, and feelings of boredom, frustration and anger.
‘To make your mind strong use the best of both worlds.’
Likewise, to appropriately train youth workers, three complementing elements are essential. Youth workers must be healthy
role models and well-grounded in their own native culture and
teachings. They must posses a multitude of skills to be able to
guide the youth, including both counseling and an excellent
knowledge of culturally-interactive activities. Finally, they must
also have the ability to reach out to the community, to involve the
participation of elders and families.
This project, examined in a larger context, is just one illustration
of how to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC). This binding document for Canada and most countries of
the world is a powerful tool that supports the holistic concept of
a child’s development. This project speaks in particular to article
30 of the Convention. It states:
This initiative also enacts articles 8 and 12 of the Convention on
self-identity and participation, for it supports the youth expressing their own views on who they are, and what is important to
them. It is also about the youth involving themselves in defining
their identity and what they want to portray to the outside world
about their people. Participation in this context has often been
about listening, observing and learning to wait to speak.
As an aspect of their rights, the Lekwungen youth articulate their
responsibility to be thankful, to be respectful to themselves, to
the elders, to their families and to the land. While the youth have
been learning from their elders about their teachings and
traditions, they have also been exercising their right to
language and culture. They are recognizing that external institutions, the school being the most important in their daily lives,
need to acknowledge and accommodate these cultural rights.
It may be that the education system needs to involve more the
elders and the youth in elaborating approaches that support
healthy self esteem. Community-based projects such as this can
be a stepping stone in this direction.
In closing the circle, we need to always remember that the
waters ahead may be choppy, but the traditional teachings and
the support is strong so that we can paddle proudly, far and wide
through both rough and calm waters.
“…a child who is indigenous
shall not be denied the right,
in community with other members
of his or her group,
to enjoy his or her own culture,
to profess and practice his or her own religion,
or to use his or her own language.”
Natasha Blanchet-Cohen,
URECRC coordinator
19
Songhees Youth Group
Lucy-Rose George Sul-twin-nod
Phillip George Tha-ta-sit
Leslie George
Marina George Sul-ceel-lum-tun-ath
Loretta Jones Maht-Mahts
e
Doug George Jr. Sapl q
Eileen Charlie Is’lous’tunat
Vince Sam
David Malcolm
Vince Dick
Natahna Albany
Gregory Forsberg Yuwii
Natasha Charlie Swathinad
Patricia George Stixim
Lawrence Sam Shek-lem-mulk
Ray Sam
Thelma Frank Seesuthliwit
Roseann George
•
Elders Sulxwane / Supporters
Lorne Sam
Cynthia Malcolm
Alison Malcolm
Tony Dick
Camille Schroeder
Bernie George
Crystal Sam Saleemia
Andrea Charlie
Samuel Sam Xwe-Xya-Luc • Thelma Dick Seesuthliwit • Barney George
Flora Charles • Chief Robert Sam Haqualuck • LaVatta Frank Siamtino
Alex George • Ray Sam • Chris Frank
20
“ The message for our youth
in today’s world, which is a very violent one,
is that we must show love for one another,
for our parents,
for our families, for our grandparents
and for our friends.
We must give unconditional love.
Loving is knowing we belong,
and understanding who we are.
Love is loneliness and feeling insecure.
Love is understanding
that we can move to being secure and happy,
and knowing that our culture is the finest in the world
because we are rich in sacred ways.”
All my relations,
Sam Samuel / Xwe-Xya-Luc