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Central Government
A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 9
CONTENTSSTAFF MESSAGES 1
President's Message 1
Vice President's Message 3
Executive Director's Message 5
DEPARTMENT MESSAGES 7
TCG Board of Directors 9
Membership & Genealogy Message 11
Finance Department Message 13
Language Department Message 15
Lands Department & THREAT Message 23
Wildlife Department Message 31
Wildlife Guardians Message 37
Employment & Contracts Message 41
Education & Training Message 43
Communications Department 49
UPDATES 53
Tahltan Socio-Cultural Working Group (TSWG) Update 53
3 Nations Update 57
STAFF & CONTACTS 59
TA H LTA N C E N T R A L G OV E R N M E N T A N N U A L R E P O R T – 2 0 1 9
1
President’s Message
Chad Norman DayPresident, Tahltan Central Government
Welcome to the newly designed Annual General Report for the Tahltan Central Government. This marks the completion of my fifth year as the President of the TCG and it’s been an honour working with our Tahltan people and all our partners over the years. The TCG and our Tahltan Nation have steadily evolved and increased our capacity and I want to thank everyone who has played a positive role in such growth and our continued strength.
This has been another incredible year for the Tahltan
Nation mixed with triumphs and challenges, particularly
in the community of Telegraph Creek following the
devastating fires throughout the summer of 2018.
The TCG has continually dedicated significant time
and resources to ensure we contribute to the ongoing
rehabilitation and rebuild of the community of Telegraph
Creek. We will be working closely with the Tahltan Band
and the community members every step of the way for
years to come.
Over the past year, the TCG established the Education
& Training Department, Employment & Contracts
Department, and the Culture & Heritage Department.
We also added further staff and capacity to our
established departments. Our staff grew by an
additional 25% and it’s been a joy to work alongside all
the new members of the TCG Family: Gordon, Lance,
Sandra, Adam, Shawn, Kody, Clements and Carol.
Years of negotiations paid off as new economic
opportunities were created and revenue-streams grew
again this year. Brucejack Mine tax-revenue sharing
began, we control a new Tahltan Nation logging license,
and we recently supported the Impact Benefit Agreement
with Seabridge Gold on the proposed KSM Project.
In addition, we continue to receive significant revenues
from our agreements surrounding the Northwest Hydro-
Electric Projects, Red Chris Mine and Galore Creek Project.
In the past five years, our Tahltan Heritage Trust has gone
from several million dollars to nearly 40 million following
the sale of the Northwest Hydro-electric projects formally
owned by AltaGas. As a result of this historic growth,
for the first time ever, the Tahltan Heritage Trust will
create processes with the Tahltan people to finance
nation initiatives and programs. As this fund continues
to grow, the Tahltan Nation will continue to empower our
people and is closer to becoming independent and self-
governing over our territory and resources.
2
P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E
The TCG has taken a balanced approach and enhanced
our land management in several areas of Tahltan
Territory. Recently we have been successful shutting
down most of the exploration activity around Mount
Edziza, Klappan, Sheslay and the community of Iskut.
Soon we will officially ratify the historic Klapplan Plan
and celebrate this incredible achievement with our
people. We also made significant progress on a Tahltan
Land Stewardship Plan, began taking steps to shut
down the jade/placer mining industry, and started
creating several no-go zones around sensitive cultural
areas, our local communities and areas important to
the future health of our fish and wildlife.
The TCG would like to welcome all those new Tahltans
brought into the world over the past year and honour all
those who have passed on. Our TCG Family continues
to send our heartfelt condolences to their family and
friends. For the first time ever, we will be honouring
such individuals, along with our Tahltan graduates, at
this year’s TCG Annual General Assembly. Have a great
summer, Tahltans.
Klane Nedischā
Above: Chad Norman Day in Iskut playing with young Tahltans as part of the Healthy Active Tahltans (HATs) initative.
Left: President Day presenting on his annual update tour.
TA H LTA N C E N T R A L G OV E R N M E N T A N N U A L R E P O R T – 2 0 1 9
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Vice President’s Message
Heather HawkinsVice President, Tahltan Central Governmentvicepresident@tahltan.org
Dneze hotie, my fellow Tahltans! Esdihge jani ahntin
tsedze. I would like to reflect on the last year. It has been
a whirlwind for everyone, I think. The wildfire broke out
right after the AGA last year. I am a Telegraph Creek
resident and like everyone else we had to evacuate for the
remaining part of the year. My family relocated to Terrace
for a month and then to Dease Lake until December.
The following is a reflection of the past year’s highlights
and activities for your Vice President.
In October 2018, I did a site visit at AltaGas’ Northwest
Projects as an Environmental Performance Committee
member. We visited all the sites where signage
was erected in Tahltan place names and discussed
the steelhead presence going forward. Later that
same month, I travelled to Vancouver to attend the
Environmental Performance Committee for Galore
Creek. We discussed the program commitments and
permitting for EPC activities for 2019.
In November, I had the opportunity to attend the Generate
2018 conference in Vancouver and learn about clean
energy options for our people in the territory. I attended
the BC First Nations Leaders Gathering in late November
and enjoyed the one-on-one meetings with the Ministers
and Premier. Our concerns were heard and well received.
At government-to-government tables we discussed future
mitigation plans through the reconciliation agreement.
In December we had two TCG board meetings. One was a
special meeting regarding the purchase of the Northwest
Projects by Axiom and Manulife from AltaGas.
In February 2019, we joined the Nisga’a Nation for
Hoobiyee to acknowledge and strengthen our relationship
through proper cultural ceremony. It was beautiful and
a memorable moment. I was very honored to be there
representing our Nation.
I have been actively involved with our Lands Department
through all of our working groups, Land Use Plan
interviews, and current transcriptions. The TCG family
is a tight knit group and it’s growing. Meduh for this
amazing opportunity to serve my people!
4
V I C E P R E S I D E N T ' S M E S S AG E
Top: TCG Vice-President, Heather Hawkins and TCG President Chad Norman Day at Hoobiyee 2019.
Left: Aerial view of Telegraph Creek after the wildfires.
Above: Heather Hawkins and the AtlaGas team at the Northwest Projects site.
TA H LTA N C E N T R A L G OV E R N M E N T A N N U A L R E P O R T – 2 0 1 9
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Executive Director's Message
Calvin CarlickExecutive Director, Tahltan Central Government
Another great year has come and gone, with great
progress in economics, land and resource management,
and cultural development. Everything we do here at the
Tahltan Central Government (TCG) is for the wellness of
our Tahltan people and lands.
I thank all of the 3748 TCG members for allowing us to
serve you, it is an honour to be entrusted with the great
mandate of helping our Tahltan Nation.
English literature cites that it was around the mid-1800s
when our Tahltan people first began engaging in wage-
labour via the mining industry, while still maintaining
our traditional lifestyle. Our land has always taken care
of us and we have always taken care of it. Whether it is
the moose that fills our bellies, the salmon that soothes
our soul, or the gold that supports our households, the
resources are to be respected and managed with care.
Over 160 years after that early introduction to the wage-
economy, we now have the Tahltan Central Government
to manage the title-and-rights interests of the Tahltan
people, bearing close proximity to the values that
sustained us for millennia. We are now a nation with
one foot in the old world and one foot in the new world,
standing strongly on both legs, as keepers of our land
who harvests our resources to support our people.
The TCG has a Board of 13 Directors, 9 departments with
28 full-time employees, various experts, and a $5 million
annual budget, all working to develop Tahltan economic
opportunities, to record and retain our traditional
practices, revitalize our Tahltan language, and increase
our Government infrastructure. In October 2015, we
had only administration and an Employment & Training
Department. In 3.5 years, the team has achieved a lot of
growth while maintaining operational optimization with
managerial best-practices.
In the next year we will achieve some key milestones
with our Government initiatives, with aims to complete
the Tahltan Land Stewardship Plan. This will be a key
deliverable that will be made by the Tahltan people and it
will help us manage our land use. Furthermore, we just
introduced a new Culture & Heritage Department that
will seek to collect, use, and preserve all of the world’s
information that is related to our Tahltan identity. We
will find it, retain it, and use it to help us fully immerse
ourselves in our traditional practices. Finally, our nation
building: We continue to build a place to call home, to
host our cultural, political and administrative activities,
and to further the development already underway.
We are self-sustaining, we are self-actualizing,
we are Tahltan.
Meduh for allowing me to serve.
6
E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ' S M E S S AG E
TA H LTA N C E N T R A L G OV E R N M E N T A N N U A L R E P O R T – 2 0 1 9
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DEPARTMENT MESSAGES
9 — TCG Board of Directors
11 — Membership & Genealogy Message
13 — Finance Department Message
15 — Language Department Message
23 — Lands Department & THREAT Message
31 — Wildlife Department Message
37 — Wildlife Guardians Message
41 — Employment & Contracts Message
43 — Education & Training Message
49 — Communications Department
8
S E C T I O N T I T L E
TA H LTA N C E N T R A L G OV E R N M E N T A N N U A L R E P O R T – 2 0 1 9
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TCG Board of Directors
CHRISTINE BALL Cawtoonma Family cawtoonma@tahltan.org
ALICE HAMLIN Carlick Family carlick@tahltan.org
EMMA CARLICK Thud ga Family thudga@tahltan.org
KIMBERLEY MARION Simgaldtada (Ts’imgalteda) Family simgaldtadta@tahltan.org
KEN EDZERZA Etzenlee Family etzenlee@tahltan.org
10
T C G B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S
LEE MARION Shoe Kawk / Howd-A-Ghtte (Shukak) Family shoekawk@tahltan.org
CAROL QUOCK Eth’eni Family etheni@tahltan.org
ANNITA MCPHEE Good-za-ma Family goodzama@tahltan.org
MELVA QUOOCK Stikine Claw/Thicke Family stikineclaw_thicke@tahltan.org
TINA VAN MIERLO Quock (Dekama) Family quock@tahltan.org
NO PHOTO AVAILABLE
TA H LTA N C E N T R A L G OV E R N M E N T A N N U A L R E P O R T – 2 0 1 9
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Membership & Genealogy Message
THE CREATION OF GUIDELINES FOR MEMBERSHIP
Formalizing Membership Guidelines remains an ongoing
discussion. I reported several options for consideration to
the Constitution Committee. These terms are undergoing
review while the Draft “Protocol Policy Handbook” is
also under construction. The Handbook will cover the
definitions in full detail. We await decisions by the
constitution committee to conclude this project.
GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SHARING AGREEMENT UPDATE
We continue to support the Iskut Band Council and the
Tahltan Band Council with member-based data for their
community-based efforts.
NEW MEMBERSHIP DATABASE
We are wrapping up production of the new Membership
Database and are in the draft phase of the Policy
Handbook for it. Once policy has been completed and
all data has been transferred, we will begin the process
of taking all our existing physical and digital data and
applying it to our new database in conjunction with
training TCG, IBC, and TBC staff to operate the system.
Shannon FrankDirector of Membership & Genealogyinformationdirector@tahltan.org250 643 2037
DATA CONFIRMATION
To reinforce our membership claims and bolster our
validity in a court setting, we have collected and continue
to collect supporting identity documentation such as
birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates,
baptism certificates, adoption papers, DNA confirmations
(for individuals who have been adopted and do not have
their genetic parents on their birth certificate but are of
Tahltan Ancestry). I am continuing to research, record,
and link these documents to current and historical
members. New member sign-ups are now asked to
produce copies of long form birth certificates [these
include the parents’ names], a secondary piece of picture
ID in some cases, and earriage certificates or proof of
address for common-law relationships.
ELECTIONS
We have been planning for the Executive and Family
Representatives election at the AGA. All information
regarding membership contact info will be supplied by
this department to Intellivote, the firm that provides us
our voting services.
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M E M B E R S H I P & G E N E A L O GY M E S S AG E
CULTURAL HANDBOOK
A handbook has been located and we are currently
looking for an opportunity to create an edition to this
original. This second edition will go more in-depth and
cover some items that were not discussed in the first
volume. We are now securing resources for this side
project. The project will be a collaboration between all
TCG departments and Tahltan elders, and led by our
new Culture & Heritage Director.
EVENTS
Prior to the hire of Kody Penner, our new Events
Manager, I was sometimes called upon to lead in
planning many of our larger member events and some
of our smaller director meetings. I’ve been helping bring
Kody up to speed in preparation of upcoming events and
I am thrilled to have a Tahltan member fill the position.
I am excited to see his quick progress in planning and
executing recent TCG events.
SHORT-TERM CONTRACTS
We have hired two short term contractors to collect
membership updates while Roxanne and I upload the
newly collected data.
We continue to support TCG’s Employment & Contracts
Department, Red Chris, and TNDC by providing
membership verification and by producing Membership
Verification Letters for athletic, education, and training
opportunities. The Membership Database is the
foundation on which the TCG is based. Indeed, the
Membership Database is paramount to supplying all
TCG departments with critical information. For Finance,
it is an updated Elders payment list. For the Lands
Department and Wildlife Department, it is contact
information for Trapline or Outfitter holders and website
verification. For the Communications Department it is
contact information for email blasts and mail outs and
for Events it’s a call list for various meetings. For the
Education & Training Department, it is membership
verification and verification letters and for the Culture
& Heritage Department, it will be sharing historical
information already collected.
67%(2513)
25%(930)
8%(303)
Ages 18–64 Ages 0–17 Ages 65+
80%(2252)
20%(564)
O� Territory On Territory
TOTAL MEMBERS
ON/OFF TERRITORY ADULT POPULATION
TA H LTA N C E N T R A L G OV E R N M E N T A N N U A L R E P O R T – 2 0 1 9
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$3,365,171
Finance Department Message
Ginger FullerCPA, CMA, CAFM
The role of the Tahltan Central Government Finance
Department is evolving as the organization continues to
grow and expand. We remain committed to improving
procedures and introducing more streamlined policies
for reporting and oversight with each of the departments
and for the Board. The TCG’s primary sources of funding
come from the Tax Revenue Sharing Payments and
Agreements with the Province of BC. In addition, in
the past year we increased revenues from grants and
proposals, requiring our Finance Department to devote
more time to finance reporting to outside agencies.
This past year has seen an increase of 14% over last
year in Tax Revenue Sharing Payments received through
the Province of BC.
As a result, the TCG has increased distribution payments to
each community as well as the Elders’ Distribution Fund. In
2018/2019, TCG was able to increase the Elders’ quarterly
payments from $225 to $300 each quarter.
This is a trend we hope to see continue into the future.
Between June 2018 and April 2019, four Elders’
Distributions have been made for a total of $1,050,
to each Elder 65 years or older at the time of each
distribution payment.
14%increase over last year in Tax Revenue Sharing Payments received through the Province of BC
Total received during the past fiscal year through the Tax Revenue Sharing Agreements with the Province of BC
14
During the past fiscal year, the TCG received a total of $3,365,171
through the Tax Revenue Sharing Agreements with the Province of
BC. The main revenue streams came from the Coast Mountain Limited
Partnership AltaGas projects [$2,143,259 for Forrest Kerr project;
$59,841 for Volcano Creek project; $332,434 for McLymont Creek:
contributing a total $2,535,534], Imperial Metals’ $508,748 contribution
for Red Chris Mine, and new this year: $320,889 from Brucejack Mine.
In addition to the Tax Revenue Sharing the Tahltan Nation receives from the
Government of BC, TCG also receives Royalty Payments from each proponent.
Usually these amounts are reported and exhibited in this report; however, in
2018/2019 these payments have been rerouted to be directly deposited to the
Tahltan Heritage Trust and the reporting sent directly to the Trustees.
As TCG continues to grow its capacity, it is exciting to be involved in the
development of a strong, effective, and transparent Finance Department. Key
to the success of this department is the unwavering dedication from the staff:
namely, Cindy Dennis and Roxanne Ball. They are dedicated to improving their
skills in order to benefit the organization, and TCG thanks and recognizes Cindy
for her ten years of service.
Tax Revenues made significant contributions to the Tahltan
community programs, as well as to language development, wildlife
protection and the Elders’ Fund. The Revenue Sharing Payments are
distributed based on a percentage breakdown as agreed to within
the Protocol Agreement between Tahltan Central Government, Iskut
Band Council and Tahltan Band Council.
TAX REVENUE SHARING BY PROJECT
DISTRIBUTION OF TAX REVENUE SHARING
64%15%
10%
10%2%
20%
15%
15% 15%
10%
10%
10%5%
Forest Kerr $2,143,259
Tahltan Central Government $673,035
Iskut Community $504,775
Language $336,517
Elders' Fund $336,517
Red Chris Mine $508,748
Dease Lake Community $504,775
Legal $336,517
Wildlife $168,260
Bruce Jack $320,889
McLymont $332,434
Volcano Creek $59,841
Telegraph Creek Community $504,775
Below: Cindy Dennis, dedicated member of the Finance Department for 10 years.
F I N A N C E D E PA R T M E N T M E S S AG E
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Language Department MessageEdōsdi – Judy ThompsonLanguage Director
PROMOTION OF LANGUAGE
∙ Language team staff have been uploading videos
of language lessons to “Speak Tahltan to Me”
Facebook page.
∙ Tahltan Students in UVic’s Diploma in Indigenous
Language Revitalization program are working with
Michael Bourquin on a documentary about Stories
in Tahltan Language as part of their course work,
performing and translating stories into Tahltan.
∙ Edōsdi - Judy Thompson was Invited Speaker at
UNBC’s Health Research Institute’s Health Research
Seminar Series, Indigenous Language Revitalization
and Reclamation: Intergenerational Trauma, Healing,
and Resiliency, Prince George, BC. 11 September 2018.
∙ Edōsdi - Judy Thompson was Invited Keynote Speaker,
Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre
Inc.’s First Nations Circle of Knowledge and Practices
Conference - Language is Life, Indigenous Language
Revitalization: Intergenerational Trauma, Healing, and
Resiliency, Winnipeg, MB. 04 October 2018.
∙ Edōsdi - Judy Thompson was Invited Speaker,
University of Winnipeg’s Department of Indigenous
Studies’ Harry Daniels Distinguished Lecture Series,
Indigenous Language Revitalization: Intergenerational
Trauma, Healing, and Resiliency, Winnipeg, MB.
04 October 2018.
∙ Edōsdi - Judy Thompson was Invited Panel Speaker at
Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT)
Aboriginal Academic Staff Conference – Advancing
Indigenization, Indigenous Knowledge and Languages
in the Classroom, Ottawa, ON. 20 October 2018.
∙ Edōsdi - Judy Thompson attended Indigenous
Language Fluency Degree Partnership Meeting,
September 2018 and March 2019.
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
Dah Dzˉahge Nodes
ˉidē, Tahltan Language Council met:
∙ meetings in August and October were canceled due to
Fires and Evacuees
∙ January 17–18, 2019, Terrace
∙ May 9–10, 2019, Dease Lake (no quorum)
Updated Terms of Reference for Dah Dzˉahge Nodes
ˉidē
/Language Council to have silent speakers as possible
alternates for speaker positions appointed by bands.
RESEARCH
Edōsdi - Judy Thompson, with Odelia Dennis and
Patricia Louie, wrote an article capturing research and
insights from our Language Nest programs. “Research,
planning, and implementation of Tahltan language nests:
Sharing our experiences.” Published December 2018 in
a Special Issue – “Spirit and Heart: Indigenous Peoples
contest the formal and lived curricula” of the journal,
Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry.
1. TAHLTAN LANGUAGE GOVERNANCE
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L A N G U AG E D E PA R T M E N T M E S S AG E
2. LANGUAGE PROGRAMS
GENERAL UPDATES:
∙ There has been an increase in funding
from the provincial government ($50
million) for different language programs
(Language Nests, Mentor-Apprentice
Program, etc.). Edōsdi - Judy Thompson
attended a special First Peoples’ Cultural
Council meeting on March 16, 2018 in
Victoria (as the FPCC Tahltan member
on FPCC advisory committee) to get "an
update on the legislation and language
funding context for B.C. and to discuss
language planning and opportunities for
Board and Advisory members to champion
this work in your communities.”
∙ Edōsdi - Judy Thompson attended First
Peoples’ Cultural Council’s
Annual General Meeting in Port Hardy,
October 12–14, 2018 as a member
of the Advisory Committee.
∙ Development of a Bachelor of Indigenous
Proficiency Degree. Edōsdi - Judy
Thompson has been working with other
language specialists to develop curriculum
on behalf of the group engaged in developing
an Indigenous Language Proficiency Degree
framework for BC. This group is made up of
a consortium of post-secondary institutions:
Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Wilp
Wilxo'oskwhl Nisgˉa'a, UNBC, UBC-O,
UBC-V, SFU, UVic, and the Okanagan Indian
Educational Resources Society/En’owkin
Centre, with a Partnership Agreement
between the members of the Consortium,
First Nations Education Steering Committee,
and the Indigenous Adult and Higher
Learning Association. The first two years
of the degree are in community and are
focused on the creation of speakers.
∙ In the next years (2020 or 2021), we want
to work with the Klappan School to start
Kindergarten immersion.
∙ Edōsdi Judy Thompson attended a
language nest in Aotearoa – New Zealand
in February 2019.
∙ The Language Program received a
Success by 6 grant to host Clan Nights
in each community in the Territory. On
Clan Nights, adults, youth and children
learn words and phrases for their clan,
while creating personalized t-shirts
representing their clan.
CHILDREN / YOUTH
Pre-school programs
∙ Dzimēs Chō T’oh, Iskut Language
Nest celebrated its four-year
anniversary in May 2018.
∙ K’asˉba’e T’oh, Dease Lake Language Nest
celebrated its four-year anniversary in
December 2018.
∙ Telegraph Creek Nest: was set to open in
September 2018 but did not happen due
to fires and evacuation of the community.
K-12 School programs
∙ Working with School District No. 87,
Ministry of Education, curriculum
writers, and language teachers in the
development of Tahltan Language
curriculum for K-12 (School District No.
87 funding). Had meetings on July 11–15,
2018, Vancouver; March 18–19, 2019,
Terrace; May 18, 2019, Vancouver.
PARENTS / ADULTS
Home
∙ Language Coordinators and Assistants
have been working on materials and
activities for parents to use at home to
help them interact with their children who
are learning the language either in the
language nest or school.
∙ Language Coordinators and Assistants
have delivered evening sessions in Iskut
and Dease Lake for parents of language
nest children and other community
members. Planning on starting evening
sessions in Telegraph Creek.
Language courses / Programs
∙ UVic’s Diploma in Indigenous Language
Revitalization continued in Dease Lake
in May 2018. Three courses were offered
in Spring 2018; three courses in Fall
2018; and the final semester with four
courses, including a practicum in school
during January–April 2019. This program
was possible through funding from
the Vancouver Foundation, the Federal
government (through UVic), and TriCorp.
Students graduated in Victoria on June
10, 2019. We are looking at starting a new
cohort in September 2020.
Right: TC Clan night March 2019 – Kitty Brown helps a young Tahltan create his t-shirt at Clan night, where
community learned words and phrases to introduce their clan while creating personalized t-shirts..
TA H LTA N C E N T R A L G OV E R N M E N T A N N U A L R E P O R T – 2 0 1 9
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Right: Tahltan Grads in Victoria at UVIC graduation.
L-R back: Sonia Dennis, Hayle Gallup, Mary Dennis, Pauline Hawkins; front: Kitty Brown, Patricia Dennis, Tanya Dennis.
3. DOCUMENTATION
GENERAL UPDATES:
∙ K–12 curriculum Framework should be tested in
classrooms in September 2019. Currently we have
Scope and Sequence, with sample lessons, for all
Beginner and Intermediate levels in Listening and
Speaking domains of language learning.
∙ An online language application based on the Tahltan
Alphabet will be launched at the 2019 AGA. This App is
supported and funded through a SSHRC Partnership
Grant held by Dr. Marianne Ignace at SFU. A second
feature Tahltan Language App, expanding on the
words and phrases in the Tahltan Basic Conversation
Lessons, will continue development over the summer.
∙ Language staff are supporting Brenda Ireland on
the research for a Tahltan Cultural and Protocol
Handbook, both for Tahltan members and for those
working with Tahltan people and organizations.
∙ Didenekeh website has been re-activated for
language learners.
∙ At the 2018 AGA, we launched the Tahltan
Language Website to promote the language
(tahltanlanguage.com), house resources, and provide
news and information on the Tahltan Language
Revitalization initiatives. At the 2019 AGA, we will
showcase new features.
RECORDINGS
∙ Documentation researchers continue to translate and
transcribe Tahltan Stories.
∙ Documentation researchers continue to record fluent
speakers for apps (alphabet book, children’s books
based on Ancestors’ stories).
∙ Four Language Team staff were trained in September
2018 on digitizing analog audiotapes. The rest
of staff and documentation researchers will be
trained in Fall 2019.
∙ Two Language Team members attended Archives 101:
Archival Practice for Indigenous Organizations with
Archives Association of British Columbia, February 20,
2019 in North Vancouver.
∙ The Language Team is working with the Culture and
Heritage Director to develop an archive of Tahltan
language and culture materials and resources.
LANGUAGE LEARNING MATERIALS
∙ As part of BCLI Funding with the FPCC, we will be
showcasing digital language learning games designed
with Jet Pack Learning in the Summer of 2019.
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L A N G U AG E D E PA R T M E N T M E S S AG E
Above: Patricia Louie receiving an Award of Excellence in Early Childhood Education for her work with the Language Nest in Iskut.
Above: Tahltan Language teachers Angela Dennis and Odelia Dennis with Dr. Neyooxet Greymorning, at ASLA teacher training in Edmonton AB, May 2019.
4. TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
∙ UVic’s Diploma/Bachelor of Education in Indigenous
Language Revitalization, which started in Dease Lake
in January 2016, continued throughout 2018 and
completed on April 30, 2019. A new cohort is being
planned for Fall 2020.
∙ Nest staff (Patricia Louie, Tanya Louie, Theresa
Etzerza, Erma Bourquin) attended Language Nest
training in Victoria BC, September 10–11, 2018.
∙ Language Team staff and documentation researcher
attended Indigitization training at UBC Vancouver,
September 12–13, 2018.
∙ Language technicians (Kathy Cottrell and Hayle
Gallup) attending First Voices training in Victoria BC,
October 22–24, 2018.
∙ Language Team staff, technicians and researchers
attended First Voices training in Dease Lake
May 6–8, 2019.
∙ Language Nest staff and fluent speaker attended
Language Nest training and Chief Atahm Language
Conference in Kamloops, May 16–17, 2019.
∙ Language team staff and teachers attended
Accelerated Second Language Acquisition Teacher
Training with Dr. Neyooxet Greymorning in Edmonton
AB, May 16–17, 2019.
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Above: The graduates and mentors of the Diploma in Indigenous Language Revitalization through the University of Victoria, celebrating after their convocation in Victoria June 10,2019. (Not pictured: Pat Etzerza).
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L A N G U AG E D E PA R T M E N T M E S S AG E
Top: Tanya Louie and Patricia Louie teaching a young Tahltan the Tāłtān language with the help of a Tsu-tsu puppet.
Above: Louise Framst after defending her Masters project, with her supervisors Dr. Marianne Ignace and Dr. John Alderete; and Language and Culture Director, Edōsdi. Simon Fraser University, April 2019.
5. HEALING, WELL-BEING, AND RESILIENCY
∙ In partnership with the Peoples’ Haven (Tahltan Band), we are creating a new
position to support all aspects of knowledge transfer and planning for youth
and their families, which will include language, traditional teachings and
ceremony, as well as healing as related to language revitalization.
∙ Language staff attended a ½ day Healing training with Sandra Harris October
22, 2018 in Dease Lake to learn and practice tools for working with trauma.
HIGHLIGHTS
First Peoples’ Cultural Council Funding:1. Awarded multiyear funding through BC Language
Initiatives grant ($200,000, July 2018– March 2020).
This funding will support regular Elders’ and Tahltan
speaker gatherings in the three communities to work
towards positive relationships between and amongst
communities and staff and to work towards the
development of a dictionary and teaching grammar.
2. Awarded multi-year Language Nest Funding for
Dzimēs Chō T’oh, Iskut Language Nest ($150,000 for
July 2018–March 2021).
3. Awarded multiyear Aboriginal Language Initiatives
Funding for K’asˉba’e T’oh, Dease Lake Language
Nest ($100,000 for July 2018–March 2020)
4. Invitation to develop a new FirstVoices Archive (up to
$50,000, September 2018–March 2019).
∙ Able to secure funding from many different sources
due to the leveraging of MIRR funds
∙ Patricia Louie earned a 2018 Provincial Child Care
Award of Excellence from the B.C. government for
her work with our children in our language nests.
The provincial child care award recognizes early care
and learning professionals (ECL) or teams who work
in child care settings throughout the province and
demonstrate excellence.
∙ Edōsdi – Judy Thompson received a Distinguished
Academic Award – Early in Career Award Category,
from the Confederation of University Faculty
Associations of BC. This award “recognizes the
contributions to the non-academic community made
by faculty members who are at an early point in their
careers” and Edōsdi was recognized for her Tahltan
language revitalization work.
∙ Positive working relationship with School District No.
87 in the development of Tahltan language curriculum
(SD providing funds to pay for curriculum writers and
workshops for Tahltan teachers).
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∙ Language and Culture Coordinators and Assistants
work in each of the three communities to promote,
teach, research and advocate for Tahltan language for
all Tahltan members.
∙ Odelia Dennis is completing her Masters in Indigenous
Language Revitalization in 2019. Her thesis is centered
on the process for creating new words in Tahltan.
∙ Louise Framst started her Masters in 2018 after
completing her graduate Certificate through SFU
First Nations Studies and Linguistics in June 2017.
She graduated with a Masters in Linguistics of First
Nation Language in June 2019. Her research focused
on teaching resources for learning sets of verb
patterns in Tahltan.
∙ Kathy Cottrell started her graduate studies at Simon
Fraser University in September 2018 and is focusing
her research on Tahltan language as well.
∙ Hayle Gallup completed her Bachelor of
Education June 2019.
∙ Working with Brenda Ireland on Cultural Protocol
and a Handbook for the Nation and for those working
with Tahltans.
∙ Three Tahltan artists completed illustrations and
design of a children’s alphabet book; we will put a
call out for more Tahltan artists to work on more
children’s books.
CHALLENGES / POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS / NEXT STEPS
∙ Need to record many different types of conversations
with fluent speakers as soon as possible (e.g. language
nest setting, hunting, sewing, working on fish, cooking,
working on hides, etc.).
∙ Need to keep the momentum going; in order to keep
getting funding for majority of sources, we need funds
to leverage against.
∙ Need to invest in linguistic research and analysis of
language to create useful teaching materials, to take
students out of beginner, intermediate level speakers.
∙ Need to work on the documentation and development
of an online and print dictionary; we have a proposal
and a three-year plan but lack the human capacity
and funding to start right now.
∙ Need to continue to have language and culture
evenings in our three communities, as well as in
communities outside of our Territory where our
people reside (e.g. Terrace, Smithers, Whitehorse,
Prince Rupert, Vancouver, etc.) so that we can learn
our language and culture through dance, song,
beadwork, working with hides, etc.
∙ Develop courses and resources for people living in our
Territory so that they can learn about our language,
culture, and ways of knowing.
∙ Develop programs for our young people after finishing
high school to learn about who they are, language, and
culture as a pre-cursor to post-secondary education
and/or employment.
∙ Continue working on children’s books and apps
(e.g. song book).
∙ Dah Dzˉahge Nodes
ˉidē, Tahltan Language Council
working on a policy for individuals/groups researching
Tahltan language.
∙ Dah Dzˉahge Nodes
ˉidē, Tahltan Language Council will be
honouring Tahltan language champions at 2019 AGA.
∙ Work with Tahltan Health authorities to offer immersion
sessions in all 3 communities, such as language camps
out on the land and language houses.
∙ Create opportunities to engage our people in dancing,
song, ceremonies, potlatches, oral stories.
∙ Transcribe and translate Tahltan language on tapes
from 80s study.
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L A N G U AG E D E PA R T M E N T M E S S AG E
Tahtlan-langauge model 9.28.19 Language Revitalization Framework – The guiding framework for the Language and Culture Program in revitalizing Tāłtān and creating new Tāłtān speakers.
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Lands Department and THREAT Message
Christine Creyke, Lands Director, has been in her role since
2016. Christine is the co-chair for the Tahltan-BC Government-
to-Government (G2G) forum. The mandate for the G2G Forum
is to ensure implementation of the Shared Decision Making
(SDM) Agreement and provide a venue for G2G discussions.
The SDM agreement includes capacity funding to support
implementation of the Agreement. It also supports several
working groups (i.e. Fish and Wildlife Working Group,
Minerals Working Group, and Forestry Working Group).
Christine CreykeLands Director
A G2G workshop was held in Telegraph Creek in
Summer 2018. The intent of the workshop was to better
inform provincial staff of traditional land and wildlife
management so they might have a better understanding
of why Tahltan are adamant about sustainable resource
management and the protection of our land, wildlife,
water, and way of life. We asked Elders from all three
communities to join us and share their experiences with
traditional approaches to natural resource management.
Tahltan knowledge and the Tahltan Ancestral Study (TAS)
play a significant role in proposed project developments
and resource management in Tahltan Territory; we
provided presentations on governance, wildlife, and
TAS to help provincial staff understand the wholistic
approach Tahltan take when it comes to decision making.
Members of the Lands Department and THREAT
participated in regional workshops with the Province
and other Indigenous Lands technicians on mineral
tenure and placer mining. During these workshops,
participants identified a number of concerns and
opportunities for improvement. This information will
be summarized in a report that will help guide the
province in changes to the regulations for both placer
mining and mineral tenures.
...we provided presentations on governance, wildlife, and TAS to help provincial staff understand the wholistic approach Tahltan take when it comes to decision making.”
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L A N D S D E PA R T M E N T A N D T H R E AT M E S S AG E
Above: Drafting sections from the Tahltan Land Stewardship Plan
Above: Installation of the Tahltan Nation entrance sign.
Above: Alanna Quock sharing the Stewardship Plan at the Dease Lake Update Meeting.
TAHLTAN LAND STEWARDSHIP PLAN
The Tahltan Land Stewardship Plan (TLSP) will define principles, goals, objectives
and policies that will govern Tahltan Territory and provide a basis for decision
making. This is an essential document that will, among other things, identify
and ensure that the most sacred parts of our Territory are protected for all
generations to come. The Land Stewardship Planning process began at the 2016
AGA; we are excited to present our work on the TLSP to date at the 2019 AGA!
When we started the process, the TCG contracted Dillon Consulting Ltd., a
planning firm out of Vancouver to assist with the process. In the Fall of 2018, we
decided to end our contract with Dillon and begin working with Alanna Quock,
who owns and operates Regenative Design & Development Consulting. Alanna,
daughter of Ray Quock and a Tahltan member, has a background in planning,
design, community development, and environmental management; she has
over 15 years of experience working with individuals, First Nations, communities
and governments. Alanna and her team have been an excellent addition to the
development of the TLSP.
TĀŁTĀN SIGNAGE PROJECT
The BC | Canada 150: Celebrating B.C. Communities and
their Contributions to Canada grant program awarded
the Lands Department $50K to develop signage
throughout the Territory. Christine Creyke, along with
Kelly Edzerza-Bapty and Tsēmā Igharas (both of whom
assisted in designing the signage, visualization and
implementation of the project), built a monument-scaled
southern border Entrance sign reading “Tahltan Nation”.
The entrance sign is the first phase of the project.
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FORESTRY
Christine Creyke, Lands Director, has been in
communication with Rob McPhee on the development
of the Woodland License and has been working in the
background on best stewardship practices and what
could be incorporated into an IBA. This past December,
through the TLSP process, we held a forestry technical
planning session to develop stewardship practices that
will feed into the Forest Stewardship Plan (FSP) for the
Tahltan-owned Woodland License. Considerations for
wildlife and Tahltan land uses (i.e. trapping, hunting,
gathering berries and medicinal plants, etc.) of proposed
logging areas have been priority for the FSP direction.
ARCHAEOLOGY
After the 2018 Wildfires, discussions with the Province
began around developing a Rehab Plan for the
fireguards. The Lands Department and our archaeology
team (Duncan McLaren, Vera Asp, Johnny Bob, George
Kaufman, George Dennis, Brendan Gray) developed an
Archaeology Inventory Assessment (AIA) plan for all
fireguards. In May 2019, the archaeology team began
work near Telegraph Creek and found thirty new ancient
and historic sites and several significant obsidian tools.
Their work will be complete by the end of June 2019 and
their findings will be presented to the Nation.
The archaeology team applied for a grant with BC
Parks to do Ice Patch Archaeology on Mt. Edziza and
was successful in getting $22,000.00 to cover the
helicopter time and other expenses. The team was
supposed to conduct this project last summer but the
fires postponed them until July of 2019. They will be the
first to do this type of research in Tahltan Territory. Their
work should continue to bring exciting findings and
further support our Rights and Title claims.
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L A N D S D E PA R T M E N T A N D T H R E AT M E S S AG E
WATER MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT
In 2016, an AGA resolution was passed for the Tahltan
Central Government to begin working on a Water
Management Plan for Tahltan Territory. Since then, we’ve
taken small steps towards pro-active water monitoring
and overall water management. In 2017, we began
working on a monitoring program involving the Alaska
Department of Environmental Conservation, Fish and
Game and Natural Resources, the BC Ministries of Energy,
Mines, and Petroleum Resources, and Environment
and Climate Change Strategy. This collaborative project,
called the BC-Alaska Transboundary Rivers Monitoring
project, has our Guardians taking quarterly samples on
the lower Stikine and the Unuk Rivers.
Recently, Lands Director Christine Creyke was appointed
to the BC-Yukon Bilateral Water Management Committee
(BMC), in support of the implementation of the 2017
BC-Yukon Territory Bilateral Water Management
Agreement. The main purpose of the BMC is to administer
the Agreement and report on its achievements. Christine
will join the BMC, along with representatives from
the Government of BC, the Government of Yukon and
Indigenous representatives from other First Nations
within the Liard River watershed.
The Lands Department received a grant to hire a
University coop student, Siddiq Mahyildin, on a four-
month contract (May–August). Siddiq is a student in
the Master’s program with the Mining Engineering
Department at UBC; he will be responsible for collecting
and organizing all data (both private and public) from
mining projects and activities in Tahltan Territory. The
primary focus of Siddiq’s work will be developing an
exploration database to support analysis of exploration
activities in Tahltan territory with a focus on regional
groundwater (i.e. water management/stewardship, gap
analysis, etc.). Our hope is that the work developed by
Siddiq will assist the Lands Department with framing a
Water Management Plan.
Left: Tuya River.
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MONITORING MUSHROOM HARVESTING
The Lands Department developed a
mushroom harvesting management plan
to ensure the protection of our Land and
Resources. This plan ensures mitigation
against environmental impacts, implements
a permit system to Tahltan and non-Tahltan
harvesters, and assigned our Guardians to
monitor mushroom activities. The Guardians
will ensure all mushroom-harvesting
visitors to Tahltan Territory follow our rules
and guidelines (e.g. no ATVs, no soap in any
waterways, no visitors in the no-harvest
zone, etc.). The non-timber resource permit
we developed for morel mushrooms can be
transferred to other non-timber resources
(i.e. pine mushrooms, berries, medicinal
plants, etc.) if Tahltan membership decides
we should further monitor other plant
resources in Tahltan Territory.
EXPLORATION
In November, the Lands Department hired Shawn
Ducharme as the Lands and Resource Technician. Shawn
is a former employee of the Red Chris Environmental
team and husband to Trena Quock. Recently we’ve been
developing an ‘Exploration Framework’ as a tool for
Tahltan leadership to approach exploration activities
in Tahltan Territory. Our current tools include: maps
(mineral tenure), a database (referrals), Communications
Agreements, Exploration Agreements, and the Shared
Decision-Making Agreement with the Province of BC. The
Lands Department also developed an inspection report
to be used on all site visits by THREAT, Wildlife Guardians,
and Lands Department staff. The inspection form will be
linked to Lightship, our mapping platform used as our
referrals database. Accounts and access to Lightship
were recently developed for all Board of Directors
as well as Leadership. Lightship helps us improve
understanding of all projects, referral applications, and
how the Lands Department responds to the Province.
In July 2018, after hearing continuous community
concern, Christine Creyke, Norm MacLean, and two
provincial representatives inspected a Placer Mine on
the Barrington River. The provincial Mines Inspector did
not indicate any serious concerns with the operations
in relation to the permit conditions. Shawn Ducharme
will participate in all joint inspections with the Province
going forward. We have scheduled several days of
inspections for the Summer of 2019.
The Lands Department aims to address all
community concerns and encourages members
to document suspicious activities on the land
(e.g. with photos, GPS locations, etc.).
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L A N D S D E PA R T M E N T A N D T H R E AT M E S S AG E
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The Tahltan Heritage Resources Environmental Assessment Team (THREAT) continues to support the Tahltan Leadership and the Tahltan Lands department on referrals, implementation of environmental commitments in our Impact Benefit Agreements, management of strategic initiatives like the Klappan Plan and the Red Chris Management Agreement and permitting.
Right: Chantel Quock water sampling in Todaggin Lake, monitoring Red Chris Mine.
THREAT meetings. The feedback we receive helps us in our
review and assessment of projects. The team has several
tools for its work, including: the Tahltan Ancestral
study database (managed by Vera Asp), the THREAT
assessment process, technical experts and Tahltan
knowledge holders. Tahltan elders that have worked
with the team include Jerry Asp and Lee Marion.
In this past year, THREAT focused on a number of projects including:
∙ The Kutcho Project is a proposed copper-zinc mine
located in the eastern portion of Tahltan Territory
along the Jade Bolder Road. Kutcho Copper Corp is
working on advancing the project through feasibility
and permitting. Kutcho Copper Corp. provided a draft
project description to THREAT for review and comments.
A joint technical working group is being developed
with technical representatives from Tahltan, the Kaska
Nation, and Kutcho Copper Corp. THREAT is also
working on a collaborative environmental assessment
process with the Kaska for the Kutcho project.
∙ The Silvertip Project, located in the Rancheria area,
is a silver-zinc-lead mine. In 2017, the company
submitted permit amendment applications to change
its operations from seasonal to yearly. THREAT has
participated in the review process for these applications
Nalaine MorinTHREAT Project Manager
THREAT’s mission statement is:
∙ To support the protection of Tahltan environmental,
social, cultural, heritage and economic interests that
may be affected by industrial action;
∙ To assess potential impacts from new and existing
industrial development on Tahltan territory;
∙ To identify options for avoiding or mitigating impacts; and
∙ To ensure that Tahltan people are meaningfully
involved in permitting processes and project reviews.
Nalaine Morin is the Project Manager for THREAT. THREAT
is comprised of a team of Tahltan members and technical
experts. In 2019, we expanded our team to include Jamie
Davignon. We establish budgets and workplans for each
project, which we follow to support our work each year.
This work planning also helps us to understand and plan
for our resourcing needs. Roxanne Creyke (nee Ball) has
been our THREAT administrator for a number of years. In
2019, she identified and implemented a new timekeeping
and invoicing system that supports the team in tracking
time and expenses for each project.
Communications and engagement are important aspects
of the work done by THREAT for the Tahltan Nation.
We report back to leadership and the nation through
briefings, newsletters, presentations and community
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L A N D S D E PA R T M E N T A N D T H R E AT M E S S AG E
which included: reviewing the applications, participating in the
technical working group and facilitating a community meeting
in Dease Lake. A Tahltan Land Use and Occupancy study was also
developed for this project by the Tahltan Ancestral Study team
(Vera Asp, Duncan Mclaren, Brendan Grey and Rosemary Asp).
∙ The Galore Creek Project is still in care and maintenance but new
work has started on the project. Nova Gold sold their interests in
the project to Newmont and the new Galore Creek Project team
has been working to advance the project. This work includes
revisiting the project description, additional exploration activities,
reviewing environmental baseline data programs and preparing
to enter the environmental assessment process in 2020. THREAT
has reviewed the multi-year area-based permit application for the
project and participated in workshops with the company including
baseline reviews and road design.
∙ The Red Chris Mine has had management changes this year
including a new owner/operator for the project, Newcrest Mining
Limited. THREAT continues to manage a number of initiatives
established for this mine including implementing the Red Chris
Management Agreement, participating in any permit amendment
for the mine, and participating in the Independent Engineering
Review panel (IERP) update meetings. Red Chris submitted a
5-year mine closure plan update in June 2018; the review for this
update is still ongoing. The Red Chris Management Agreement
team held community meetings in Iskut with the Province
on September 24, 2018 to discuss the annual report, joint
inspections, and incident reporting for the mine. Representatives
from the Environment Department at the mine were also present
at the meeting. They answered questions from community
members regarding environmental concerns about the mine.
∙ The Klappan Management Board, established under the Klappan
Plan, met several times last year. During these meetings the
board discussed applications for activities in Zone C, addressed
community and stakeholder comments regarding the Klappan plan
and reviewed draft recommendations for land management in the
Sacred Headwaters zone. Tahltan members of the management
board include: Marie Quock, Chad Day and Nalaine Morin.
∙ The Northwest Projects (Forrest Kerr, McLymont and Volcano)
are all in operation. AltaGas is pursuing a two-year study to
understand the effects of reducing the instream flow requirements
at Northwest Projects. The purpose of the study is to evaluate a
possible operational change as part of an ongoing initiative to
increase operating efficiency at the projects. THREAT has reviewed
the proposed study and provided comments, participated in the
working groups and provided updates to the Tahltan Leadership.
Left: THREAT's new hire, Jamie Davignon.
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GUARDIAN PROGRAM
Jarett Quock has been the full-time Wildlife Guardian
since April 2016. Recently, Jarett was forced to take
medical leave. Clements Brace was hired as the second
full-time Wildlife Guardian, and Brianna Tashoots, a
2nd year Environmental Science student, was brought
on as a Wildlife Guardian until she returns to school in
December 2019.
COLLABORATIVE STEWARDSHIP FRAMEWORK
The Collaborative Stewardship Framework (CSF)
provides 3 million dollars over three years (2018–2020)
to the 3 Nations (Tahltan, Kaska, Tlingit). The intent
of this CSF is to build shared capacity to deliver upon
shared reconciliation and stewardship outcomes which
inform natural resource management processes. CSF
is intended to be a way of working with Indigenous
governments and communities to support collaborative
design and delivery of natural resource stewardship
in BC. Through the CSF work planning, we identified
our priorities and short and long-term goals. We also
developed a work plan moving forward. Wildlife, and
wildlife habitat, are the main focus of the CSF workplan.
Wildlife Department Message
Lance NagwanWildlife Director
With the additional funding we received, we were happy to
hire more seasonal Guardians. In the Fall of 2018, we hired
two seasonal Guardians from Iskut. We had planned to
hire two guardians from Telegraph Creek as well but with
the wildfire situation, we cancelled the Telegraph Creek
Guardian program for Fall 2018.
This Spring, we hired two Telegraph Creek Guardians
early to begin monitoring mushroom harvesting
activities. Our Iskut Guardians will be brought on when
hunting season starts. The increase in personnel has
allowed the Guardians to patrol a larger portion of
Tahltan Territory during the hunting season. Their role is
to monitor land use, hunting activity, and any violations
that occur within Tahltan Territory.
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W I L D L I F E D E PA R T M E N T M E S S AG E
PREDATOR PROGRAM
Predator management has been identified as a priority
through a number of different wildlife committees
and working groups, including the Northern Wildlife
Roundtable and the Fish and Wildlife Working Group.
Developing a Predator Management Plan, as part
of our overall Moose Management Plan, is on the
radar and ongoing.
Historically, Tahltan practiced predator management to
different degrees. Currently, trapping of wolves is on a
small scale – localized to individual traplines. Recently,
the Wildlife Guardians and other interested Youth
undertook intensive training held by Layser’s Kennel &
Contracting. This training program not only focused on
wolf trapping techniques but also wolf pack behavior
and overall pack removal.
The goal of starting a predator program is to ensure our
communities are safe, and to increase the abundance
of ungulate populations. Over the winter, the Guardians
trapped near Dease Lake, the Burn, and Klappan.
Guardians spent their winter days skinning and cleaning
wolf hides. It is undetermined what to do with the furs
at this point as we are not able to sell them. Some ideas
we have include donating to sewing groups or teaching
Youth fur tanning workshops.
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MONITORINGIn 2018, an association for successful outcomes in
moose regulation changes in the Skeena Region–
between 3 Nations, and BC–resulted in coordinated
discussions on developing a more standardized
approach for monitoring hunting and land use activities.
We collectively discussed an approach supporting
greater comparisons of results on licenced hunting and
land use during the hunting season and through each
Fish and Wildlife Working Group (FWWG).
The Guardians use the Lightship mapping platform to
collect their field data. Lightship is the mapping platform
the Lands Department uses for our Referrals database.
We have been collecting hunter surveys and ‘other’
observations (i.e. illegal kills, environmental concerns,
etc.). Monitoring resident hunters has been the focus of
the Guardian program for the past several years. More
recently we began monitoring other land activities and
started training to ensure we are monitoring those
activities appropriately.
The Guardians conduct all the water sampling for the
Transboundary Water Sampling Program on the Unuk
and Lower Stikine Rivers. The Lands Department
started working with the Province of BC on this project
in 2018 and recently renewed the agreement. Guardians
will continue water sampling as part of this project, and
hopefully expand the program to cover other areas in
Tahltan Territory.
The Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources
(MEMPR) and the 3 Nations held a workshop in April
2019 regarding joint inspections. The Guardians will be
working with the Lands Department on exploration site
inspections. The form the Guardians helped develop has
been linked to Lightship.
In 2018, the Guardians became more involved with
industry programs to collect information for projects
or baseline inventories. Both GigaMetals Inc. and
Kutcho Copper Corp. used Guardians to conduct
baseline inventories and sampling in 2018–19 (wildlife
inventories, water sampling, and archaeology sampling).
Regular site investigations and monitoring continued at
active mines such as Red Chris.
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W I L D E L I F E D E PA R T M E N T M E S S AG E
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W I L D E L I F E D E PA R T M E N T M E S S AG E
JADE BOULDER STONE SHEEP PROJECT
The project (Stone Sheep Seasonal
Movements, Mortality and Habitat in
Relation to the Industrial Resource Road
Use in the Caribou Pass and Dome Mountain
area) is entering its third year and has been
a collaborative effort between the TCG
and Tahltan Guide & Outfitters Association,
with the support of non-governmental
organizations and industrial partners such
as Kutcho Copper Corp. and Wild Sheep
Foundation. This project is providing critical
information on the seasonal and daily
movements of sheep in the Dome Mountain
area, particularly during periods of high
Industry activity along the Jade Boulder
Road. This information will assist in the
development of management direction
required for the area through the Jade
Boulder Working Group and/or Kutcho
Copper Corp environmental assessment
review, both commencing in 2019.
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HOW WILL CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT OUR WILDLIFE?
Our local and traditional knowledge tells of decreasing
snowfall and drier weather. Such changes may have
serious impacts on the abundance and distribution of
vegetation, fish, and wildlife. Tahltan Elders and community
members are especially concerned about the species most
culturally important species to our Nation.
After moose and salmon, hodzih (caribou) are among
the most important food sources for Tahltan. Of all
herds, the Tseneglode may be the most important
for sustenance today, in part due to ease of access.
This April, the Tahltan Central Government’s Wildlife
Department launched a community-based monitoring
program focused on the Tseneglode herd. The project
began with a team of wildlife experts collaring ten
hodzih from in order to track the Tseneglode herd’s
movement and behaviour. The team took samples
as well, to track the hodzih’s health and continue an
ongoing study led by the Tahltan Guide Outfitters
Association and the Province of British Columbia.
They are now installing weather stations to provide
corresponding climate data within the herd’s range.
The next phase of the project will be to establish culture
camps at Gnat Pass and Kutcho Creek. The camps fall
within the Tseneglode herd’s range, in an area seasonally
used by Tahltan members for traditional purposes.
The culture camps center on youth and elder interaction,
to ensure traditional knowledge is shared while on the land.
Educational activities will include scientific monitoring
methods, GPS navigation and communication equipment
training, the use of drones, and Tahltan bushcraft skills
including traditional survival and preparation. Participants
will join Wildlife Guardians in collecting climate data,
maintaining weather station, and surveying habitat.
For the next three years, the hodzih will teach us about
climate change.
Wildlife Guardians Message
Jarett QuockWildlife Guardian
Clements BraceWildlife Guardian
W I L D L I F E G U A R D I A N S M E S S AG E
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TSENEGLODE CARIBOU AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT
The project is designed to occur over three years
(2018–20). The focus of the first year will be on project
commencement, equipment purchase, deployment of
collars and weather stations, collection data, capacity
building, and community engagement. The following
year will focus on the land monitoring, Youth/Elder
engagement, and hosting culture camps. During the
third and final year we will wrap up monitoring, ensure
the Youth/Elder engagement is properly documented,
host a final culture camp, and report on the entire
three-year project. We hope the results will fund further
years for the project to continue in Tahltan Territory.
Project Objectives1. Assess long and short-term climate trends for the
Tseneglode Woodland Caribou Herd using traditional,
local, and scientific knowledge
2. Educate and train Tahltan to identify and monitor
climate change indicators
3. Bring Tahltan out on the land and encourage
Elder-Youth engagement and knowledge transfer
through culture camps
4. Ensure monitoring activities are producing information
that meets community needs and priorities
5. Report the findings of the study to our communities,
including short and long term trends for climate and
hodzih, recommendations for responses, and a range
of adaptations to consider
6. Strengthen community capacity and understanding of
climate change through an approach that integrates
scientific, traditional, and local knowledge. Enable our
communities to take immediate adaptation actions on
the foundation of better knowledge
In year one (fiscal 2018–19), we focused on deploying 10
collars on the Northern Mountain Population Tseneglode
Woodland Caribou Herd. The collaring occurred on
April 3, 2018 with TCG Wildlife Guardians involved in the
capture, handling, and collection of samples for 9 cow
and 1 bull caribou.
W I L D L I F E G U A R D I A N S M E S S AG E
Featured:
Clements Brace, Wildlife Guardian
Bill Jex, Provincial Wildlife Biologist
Dr. Caeley Thacker, Wildlife Veterinarian
Bill Oestreich, Outfitter and former Wildlife Director
William Oestreich, Bill's son
Fraser MacDonald
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MINERAL EXPLORATION PROGRAMS IN 2018–2019 HIGHLIGHTS
Please Note: In the 2018 season of the 8 companies
that reported statistics, the following was identified:
∙ 93 positions that were occupied by Tahltans
∙ $9,298,480 dollars in contract spend for
Tahltan Businesses
∙ in 2016 there were 3 identified Tahltan Contractors
in this industry
∙ in 2018 there were 10 identified Tahltan Contractors
in the Mineral Exploration Industry
∙ Negotiating an “Opportunities Agreement” these
agreements will outline specifically a process for
allowing Tahltan Businesses to be prepared to bid and
work on the project. There are no such agreements
that currently exist and the process is fairly informal,
however we are asking the companies to make them
formal for 2019.
∙ This does not include all the indirect spending in
local stores and hotels.
Adrian CarlickEmployment & Contracts Departmentemploymentdirector@tahltan.org
Employment & Contracts Message
18%OF FIRST NATIONSEMPLOYEES ARE
TAHLTAN
11
17
11
36%OF EMPLOYEESARE TAHLTAN
207
Coeur Mining Inc.“We have been working hard to increase our First
Nation employee numbers and we have gone
from 45 to 60 this year. This is currently 21% of
our total workforce (280 total), up from 15%.”
There are currently 10 Tahltans and 1 Tahltan-
Kaska working for Coeur Mining Inc.
Pretivm“There are currently 31 Tahltan members working
at the Brucejack mine, 14 with our Underground
Mine contractor PROCON and 17 directly for
Pretivm. All employees working for PROCON are
and Pretivm are permanent positions.”
Red Chris MineAs of May 2019, Red Chris Mine currently
employs 207 Tahltans in various positions
throughout Red Chris Mine, hiring 5 new
Tahltans in the last month, a 4.5% increase
since April 2019.
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HIGHLIGHTS IN THE TAHLTAN EMPLOYMENT AND CONTRACTS DEPARTMENT
∙ Put on a Job Fair with over 30 companies in attendance in Dease
Lake. Over 200 people attended and there were great prizes.
People have been hired as a result of attending the Job Fair; for
example, Couer Silvertip and Red Chris Mine took resumes and
hired Tahltans. In addition, several exploration companies will be
hiring people that showed up to the Job Fair.
∙ Developed and finalized a database that will collect resumes that
companies will have access to. This will enable a smoother process
for everyone once developed. I worked on this with Freda Campbell,
Education & Training Director.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM MEETING NEWCREST
∙ Had lengthy meetings with Newcrest staff and went over Sections 5:
Human Resources, Tahltan Nation and Training; Article 6: Workplace
Matters; and Article: 7 Tahltan Business Opportunities. The purpose
of this painstaking exercise was to give feedback so they could fully
understand what is working and what is not. This is the first time any
company had done this, so it certainly shows their dedication.
∙ Newcrest is very committed to the 40% number required in the IBCA
with Red Chris Mine.
∙ Negotiated creation of a position within the TCG for “Community Liaison”.
∙ Committed to hiring one more Tahltan HR person very soon. So that will
be two new positions that will go to Tahltans.
∙ Negotiated with Peter Arendt, CEO of TNDC, to potentially secure the
Drilling Contract, the Bus Services, the Air Travel and help create the
process for the TIA contract.
Top: Kelso Marion working at Red Chris Mine.
Above: Annual Dease Lake job fair hosted by the Tahltan Central Government in April 2019.
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Education & Training Message
The Education & Training Department came into being
on August 15, 2018. A resolution was put forward at
the 2017 TCG AGM which stated the following:
That the TCG collaborate with the other shareholders
(Tahltan Band & Iskut Band) of the Tahltan Heritage Trust
to begin accessing the interest funds from the Trust on an
annual basis and utilize such funds annually to help support
Tahltan students and trainees. The funds should be made
available to anyone with Tahltan ancestry in pursuit of
employment & training certificates, high school upgrading,
post-secondary studies, trades programs and any other
reasonable programs that help Tahltan members become
meaningfully employed in the workforce. A special education
and training board, made up of representatives of all three
government entities and other Tahltan members should be
established to create proper policies. Amendment – add a
three-year clause to revisit this resolution.
Freda CampbellEducation & Training Directoreducationdirector@tahltan.org
From this resolution, an Employment & Training Committee
was developed. It is comprised of Chad Norman Day
(Chair), Adrian Carlick, Ann Ball, Maureen Johnstone, Curtis
Rattray and Jolene Louie. The committee developed the
Education & Training Policy that can be found on the TCG
website, along with the application forms for short term
training courses and post-secondary/trades programs.
Importantly, anyone of Tahltan ancestry can apply
for funding for Short Term Certifications, for Post-
Secondary programs and for Trades training. Each
student is allowed a maximum of $2500 per year for
short term training certifications and $5000 per year for
post-secondary programs and trades programs. The
funding can come in the form of tuition, required books
& supplies, travel and/or a living allowance.
To qualify for funding an applicant must:
∙ Be of Tahltan ancestry;
∙ Be a confirmed registered member of the TCG;
∙ Be in good financial standing with the TCG, the
Tahltan Band and the Iskut Band (if applicable); and
∙ Be applying for funding for a program that meets the
program eligibility requirements set out in the policy.
When I started on August 15, 2018, I immediately started
funding short-term certificate students, post-secondary
students, and trades students for the 2018/2019
academic school year and reimbursing educational
costs as far back as May 1, 2018.
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E D U CAT I O N & T R A I N I N G M E S S AG E
As of May 31, 2019, the TCG Education & Training funding
program has spent $118,022.92 funding 50 certified TCG
members in the following manner:
CERTIFIED REGISTERED
MEMBER $
Short-Term Certifications
16 12,761.92
Post-Secondary 23 94,441.33
Trades 5 10,865.30
Totals 44 118,068.55
In September, I reviewed all the scholarships that the TCG
had to offer and a few that were in the works. The Red
Chris Development Company Ltd. and the Tahltan Guide
& Outfitters Association scholarships had yet to be run for
the 2018/2019 academic school year. We wanted to start
looking at running scholarships for each semester and
potentially encouraging students to enroll in areas where
the Tahltan Nation has skill gaps.
At the end of September, I travelled south to meet
with the educational institutions in the Northwest.
I visited the following:
Coast Mountain College – Prince Rupert campus
Coast Mountain College – Smithers campus
Coast Mountain College – Terrace campus
University of British Columbia – Terrace campus
Kitimat Valley Institute
My goal was to let them know of my position and to get
a better understanding of the educational opportunities
available to Tahltans in the Northwest. I was very
pleased to see that Coast Mountain College has a new,
state of the art, trades facility and I was happy to see
that they are working towards providing an education to
people in remote communities, utilizing a combination
of in-class time and video conferencing. Education is
changing and it is changing in a way that will provide
remote communities better access.
In October, I wrote a proposal to the Sector Labour
Market Partnerships program project. The proposal
was to hire a successful marketing company who could
help us develop a marketing strategy for the Tahltan
Skills Inventory, communicating the value of Tahltan
participation and the benefit it would have for Tahltan
members and the Tahltan Nation. It involved discussing
the Tahltan Skills Inventory, industry involvement, and
creating an oversight committee. The proposal was
submitted on October 26, 2018.
Above: NWACE Programme.
I also began planning the 2019 Dease Lake Bootcamp by
working with several exploration companies, Northpac,
and the Red Chris Development Company Ltd., to find out
the kind of certifications that they would like to see in their
entry level employees and requesting support letters to
submit with our proposal to TRICORP.
In October, I assisted Ann Ball with the Galore Creek
Mining Corporation Bursary Awards.
I was very pleased to see that Coast Mountain College has a new, state of the art, trades facility and I was happy to see that they are working towards providing an education to people in remote communities, utilizing a combination of in-class time and video conferencing. Education is changing and it is changing in a way that will provide remote communities better access.”
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In November, I attended a conference in Prince Rupert
held by TRICORP and discussed the possibility of having
a Bootcamp training session in Dease Lake in January
2019 and of the Tahltan participating in a Northwest
apprenticeship training program where students would
travel around the Northwest with contractors in the
construction trade as apprentices. With the construction
needed because of the 2018 Wildfires and the construction
required for IR 13, there is potential to participate.
When I returned from the conference, I sourced a
training provider for the 2019 Dease Lake Bootcamp
and began planning by securing instructors, dates
and venues. By the end of November, the Dease Lake
Bootcamp proposal was being finalized.
In December we ran the Red Chris Development Company
Ltd. and Tahltan Guide & Outfitters Association bursary
awards with a closing date of December 30, 2019.
On December 5, 2018, the 2019 Dease Lake Bootcamp
proposal was submitted to TRICORP. The final budget was
$191,816.45 to be funded by TRICORP and $49,433.93 in
kind to be funded by the Tahltan Central Government.
Also in December, I attended a Mining Industry Human
Resources Council meeting. MIHR has been tasked with
finding creative ways to encourage students to go into
careers in mining. In the future I am certain we will be
able to use this resource to support Tahltans developing
capacity in the mining sector.
On December 20th, we received approval for the 2019
Dease lake Bootcamp. The Bootcamp consisted of 23
workplace certification courses with rules designed to
encourage participation.
Recruiting for the Bootcamp began immediately in the
new year, we had a deadline of January 11th to submit
the final paperwork so we marketed the program
over the Christmas holidays and got busy visiting
communities signing people up as soon as we returned
to work. We were able to meet the deadline and it was
wildly successful, we had to cut off applicants because
we did not have the capacity to meet the demand.
The TCG also provided accommodation to Bootcamp
applicants who resided outside of Dease Lake. We
secured the temporary accommodation that was
provided to the evacuees from the 2019 Wildfires. One of
the reasons we took this on is we wanted to prove that, if
accommodation was provided for students who resided
outside of Dease Lake, we could increase participation
rates and success rates. The statistics below speak
for themselves, but this also doubled the amount of
work required to host the Bootcamp: rules had to be
communicated and enforced, rooms needed to be
booked and cleaned, and invoices had to be created.
Right: The Wildfire Training Courses were a compilation of 10 courses designed to produce Wildfire Fighters and Wildfire Medics.
Above: Freda Campbell and Belfrey Quock at the Dease Lake Job Fair.
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E D U CAT I O N & T R A I N I N G M E S S AG E
FUNDED SEATS SEATS ATTENDED ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATES DNC FAIL SUCCESS
TDG 16 16 100.00% 16 100.00%
OFA 1 16 16 100.00% 16 100.00%
TE 10 10 100.00% 10 100.00%
TE 6 6 100.00% 6 100.00%
WHMIS 16 16 100.00% 16 100.00%
Wildlife Awareness 16 16 100.00% 16 100.00%
ATV Rider Safety 8 8 100.00% 8 100.00%
ATV Rider Safety 8 8 100.00% 8 100.00%
Food Safe Level 16 12 75.00% 12 100.00%
H2S 16 15 93.75% 15 100.00%
Confined Space 16 15 93.75% 13 2 86.67%
Fall Protection 16 16 100.00% 16 100.00%
Industrial Fire Extinguiser 16 16 100.00% 16 100.00%
Ground Disturbance 16 16 100.00% 16 100.00%
General Radio Operator 10 10 100.00% 10 100.00%
Aerial Manlift 8 8 100.00% 8 100.00%
Forklift Safety 8 8 100.00% 8 100.00%
Skid Steer 8 8 100.00% 8 100.00%
Hoisting & Rigging 8 8 100.00% 8 100.00%
Helicopter Safety & Rigging 10 10 100.00% 10 100.00%
Overhead Crane 10 10 100.00% 10 100.00%
OFA Level 3 12 12 100.00% 11 1 91.67%
TCP 12 12 100.00% 12 100.00%
Chainsaw & Bucking 7 7 100.00% 6 1 85.71%
Chainsaw & Bucking 7 7 100.00% 7 100.00%
Airbrakes 16 11 68.75% 11 100.00%
Totals 308 297 97.36% 293 4 0 94.96%
The 2019 Bootcamp started on January 19, 2019 and
ran to March 22, 2019. There were 74 applicants and 49
participants in the 2019 Dease Lake Bootcamp. Of the
44 participants, 20 Tahltan were deemed “2019 Dease
Lake Bootcamp Grads” and their names were given to
the industry partners who committed to hiring the grads.
The list will also go to any other resource development
company in Tahltan Territory who requests it. At the
2019 Dease Lake Job Fair, every booth that was seeking
employees requested the list. We are excited to do the
employment statistics for the Bootcamp in the fall. We
plan on having the Dease Lake Bootcamp every year
until the demand for it falls. The statistics for the 2019
Dease Lake Bootcamp are below:
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Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the 2019 AME
Round Up because there was no one available who could
take over the Bootcamp in my absence. Next year we will
schedule the 2020 Bootcamp around the AME Round Up.
In February 2019, I attended the Moose Hide event in
Victoria with President Chad Day and Tahltan youth.
I also attended the Tahltan Socio-Cultural Working Group
and continued to facilitate the Bootcamp. Further, we
received word that we would be given the opportunity
to hold Wildfire Training Courses in Dease Lake due to
the 2018 Wildfires. I began to secure dates and venues.
We also started to seriously discuss holding the NWACE
Program in Dease Lake. We started talking about how
we would fill a class of 18 and the importance of having
accommodation in Dease Lake to support participation.
We were able to finalize the Wildfire Training Courses
on March 4th. In the first half of March 2019, I began to
recruit and sign up students for the Wildfire Training
Program and, the second half of March 2019, I recruited
and signed up students for the NWACE Program.
We created videos, visited communities each week,
and proactively recruited students any way we could.
The Wildfire Training Courses were a compilation
of 10 courses designed to produce Wildfire Fighters
and Wildfire Medics. The courses ran from March 26,
2019 – April 9, 2019. We tried to distribute the training
equally between the 3 communities of Dease Lake,
Telegraph Creek and Iskut. Once again, the TCG provided
accommodations by using the temporary accommodations
set up to accommodate the 2018 Wildfire evacuees, and
once again it doubled the work of hosting the training.
The Red Chris Development Company Ltd. and Tahltan
Guide & Outfitters Association’s bursary awards were
finalized in the first week of April and the winners
were announced. I also assisted AltaGas Ltd. with
their scholarship awards. They were finalized and
announced at the end of April.
The Dease Lake Job Fair happened on April 6, 2019 and it
would close the application period for the NWACE Program.
Belfrey Quock was hired to be the Program Coach for the
program and he and the program facilitators began the
process of selecting students for the program. We were
able to fill the classroom with Tahltan members and the
program started on April 24th and ran to June 12, 2019.
In April, I presented my program at an AME MinEx Talks in
Vancouver along with President Chad Day, Jerry Asp, Rob
McPhee, and Nalaine Morin. While in Vancouver, Gordon
Infanti, Communications Director, and I met with Matthew
Milovanoic, Senior Program Manager for the Labour
Market Partnership Project to discuss the Tahltan Skills
Inventory. Matthew assured us that the proposal would be
approved, despite the delay we were experiencing.
In May, I attended a meeting hosted by Pretivm to discuss
best practices in the communities they recruit from and
the barriers we experience getting community members
employed at Brucejack.
On May 7th, we received the official approval for the
Marketing Strategy for the Tahltan Skills Inventory and we
discussed the potential costs associated with the delay.
I also helped the NWACE Program plan their final dinner,
assemble a panel for the NWACE Students to present
their business plans, secure a keynote speaker and
provide a leadership invitation list for the final dinner.
Also in May, Adam Amir, Communications Coordinator,
and I visited the Red Chris Mine to take photos and
obtain some much-needed images of Tahltans working
in industry. The visit was a success and we have some
ideas for future videos.
In June, we completed the NWACE Program. It has been
a very busy 9 ½ months and I anticipate that our next
fiscal year will bring further education and training
opportunities for Tahltan members. I am excited to launch
the Tahltan Skills Inventory in the Fall. The Inventory
will help Tahltan members communicate their skills to
employers and find employment.
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E D U CAT I O N & T R A I N I N G M E S S AG E
Above: Freda Campbell at Red Chris Mine.
Left: When Herbert Henyu started working for TNDC Spatizi Construction in 1988, Kelso Marion wasn't even born yet. Kelso's father, Vern Marion, was the general manager, foreman and Herbert's boss. Thirty years later, Kelso Marion is the foreman and Herbert's boss.
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Communications Department
He also completed an audit of the Communications
Department and began re-building the department from
the base up. Foundational projects include:
∙ TCG Mailing List
∙ TCG Strategic Media List
∙ Staff Mailing List
∙ Communications Agreement List
∙ Communications Agreements Housekeeping
∙ TCG Horizon Scan
∙ Key Stats Document
∙ Organizing and Securing TCG’s Archives,
Media and Assets
∙ Updating and improving TCG’s media
production capacity
∙ Updating and redesigning TCG’ channels of
communication, including Facebook, the website, and
the newsletters
∙ Enhancing the security of TCG’s social media, website
and accounts, etc.
∙ TCG Branding Exercise
Gordon InfantiCommunications Directorcommunicationsdirector@tahltan.org
In 2018, Tahltan Central Government
(TCG) hired Gordon Infanti as the new
Communications Director.
Our new Communications Director had
a busy first number of months, focused
on establishing relationships with TCG
staff, Tahltan members, stakeholders and
industry partners.
The Communications Department’s main task is to help TCG and our fellow Departments communicate with Tahltan Membership. We provide posters, notifications, social media posts, and various forms of community outreach. We also assist Departments on collaborative project.”
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C O M M U N I CAT I O N S D E PA R T M E N T
COMMUNICATING FOR TCG & THE DEPARTMENTS
The Communications Department’s main task is to help TCG and
our fellow Departments communicate with Tahltan Membership.
We provide posters, notifications, social media posts, and various
forms of community outreach. We also assist Departments on
collaborative project. Specific examples include:
For the Lands Department, we created the “How to do Business in
Tahltan Territory” campaign, unveiled at the 2019 AME Roundup.
We are working with the Education & Training Department regarding
the marketing campaign for the upcoming Skills Inventory Database,
to be unveiled in the New Year.
For the Membership & Genealogy Department, we help ensure
the Tahltan Membership List is current. We assure channels of
communication with Tahltan Members remain open, accurate
and up-to-date.
For the Finance Department, we oversee the invoicing and billing of
Communications and Engagement Agreements with industry partners.
We have worked with the Wildlife Department and our Guardians to
disseminate their message and will continue to do so moving forward,
including assisting them with their video and photography capabilities.
We are working with the Employment and Contracts Department on
a Culture Sensitivity project.
We will be working with the new Culture & Heritage Department on
a number of things, including Elder video bios.
These are just a few of the examples of how the Communications
Department works with other TCG Departments.
DOING BUSINESS IN
Tahltan Territory
Central Government
IMPROVING CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
The rebuilt Communications Department focuses on continually
improving our methods and manners of communicating with
Tahltan Membership. We re-designed the Industry Newsletter
and renamed it the Industry Review. We re-designed the Quarterly
Newsletters and this Annual Report – all in an effort to provide
more compelling communication.
To continue improving, we are in the midst of a TCG branding exercise.
The exercise will help us ensure that the TCG brand is clear and
consistent across all Departments and towards the general public.
Central Government
INDUSTRY REVIEW 2019
SPRING NEWSLETTER
2019
Central Government
Doing Business in Tahltan Territory
Industry Review 2019
tahltan.org/2019-industry-review/
Spring Newsletter 2019
tahltan.org/2019-spring-newsletter/
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In January 2019, we added Adam Amir to
our team. Adam allows us produce our own
visual media in-house. With his help, we
now aim to communicate more through
video and visual storytelling. To date Adam
produced videos on:
∙ The 3 Nations Youth Delegation
to AME Roundup
∙ The TCG Special Assembly
∙ The Moose Hide Campaign
∙ Tahltan’s Historic Participation
at Hoobiyee 2019
∙ The All Native Hockey Tournament
∙ The Wildlife Guardian’s Caribou Collaring
We have long-term projects underway
regarding Tahltan’s natural and cultural
heritage and are open to suggestions for
future productions.
Videos are available to view here:
tahltan.org/videos
The 3 Nations Youth Delegation to AME Roundup
The Moose Hide Campaign
The All Native Hockey Tournament
The TCG Special Assembly
Hoobiyee 2019: Historic Tahltan-Nisga’a Alliance
The Wildlife Guardian's Caribou Collaring
The Communications Department’s primary
focus is to improve communications between
TCG and Tahltan Members, and between the
Tahltan Nation and stakeholders regarding
our Territory. Our second focus is to better
represent Tahltans to the greater public.
We build and nurture relationships with the
media. Through our efforts and outreach,
we help Tahltan stories find increasing
coverage. Here are a few examples of
Tahltan stories in the news:
1. Historic meeting of Nisga’a and Tahltan strengthen ties during Hobiyee (The Interior News – Feb 27, 2019)
2. Tahltan, Tlingit, Kaska youth participate in Vancouver mining conference (Terrace Standard – Feb 4, 2019)
3. Tahltan Strong benefit concerts raise more than $86k for Telegraph Creek (Yukon News – Oct 12, 2018)
4. Tahltan woman appointed to Canada’s gun advisory committee (Terrace Standard – Mar 5, 2019)
5. Tahltan Central Government reacts to $250K donation for wildfire recovery efforts (Terrace Standard – Jan 31, 2019)
6. Telegraph Creek reconstruction on schedule, gets fundraising boost (CBC – Dec 10, 2018)
7. Telegraph Creek reopens 102 days after evacuation order (CBC – Nov 15, 2018)
Look for an upcoming article by President
Chad Norman Day in this summer’s
Canadian Mining Journal, entitled
“Respecting Indigenous Title & Rights:
Meaningful Engagement and Collaboration”.
PROMOTING TAHLTANS’ MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
Right: TCG President Chad Norman Day and Nisga’a Lisims Government President Eva Clayton hold up the Nation-to-Nation Alliance Memorandum of understanding signed Feb. 22 in Gingolx.
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C O M M U N I CAT I O N S D E PA R T M E N T
ENGAGEMENT WITH INDUSTRY
TCG uses Communications & Engagement Agreements
to ensure that companies working in Tahltan Territory
meaningfully engage our Nation and respect our Title &
Rights. Our innovative and unique use of Communications
& Engagement Agreements offers an important example
to other First Nations navigating relationships with
industry. By President Day’s prerogative, any and every
company in Tahltan Territory must have a Communications
& Engagement Agreement. The Communications
Department oversees these Agreements. To date, fifteen
companies signed Communications & Engagement
Agreements. Eight more Agreements are in negotiation.
We have Communications and Engagement Agreements
with the following companies:
∙ GT Gold Corp.
∙ Skeena Resources Ltd.
∙ Giga Metals Corp.
∙ Garibaldi Resources Corp.
∙ Kutcho Copper Corp.
∙ Aben Resources Ltd. (Forrest Kerr)
∙ Etruscus Resources
∙ Metallis Resources Inc.
∙ Shaft Creek – Teck Resources and Copper Fox
∙ NorthPac Forestry
∙ SnipGold Corp. (Seabridge)
∙ Crystal Lake Mining Corp.
∙ Hudbay Minerals Inc. (Toronto)
∙ Golden Ridge Resources Ltd.
∙ Coeur Silvertip Holdings Ltd.
COMMUNICATIONS GOING FORWARDIf you visited the TCG Website lately, you
might have noticed its new look. In 2019, we
began a refresh. As a result, the website is
now more user-friendly and featuring more
of the information Members requested. For
example, under Events you will now find
a Calendar–synced to our Facebook page–
where you can easily keep find and follow
all upcoming Events. The refreshed website
also now includes a password-protected,
Members Only Section. Through this secure
page, we can now share private information,
including legal matters, live streams of
meetings, and other sensitive content
appropriate only for Tahltan Members. In
the future, this is the location we envision
a repository of Tahltan Nation specific
resources and information.
Meaningful engagement is no longer an option
in Tahltan Territory. It is a requirement.
Above: More than 40 youth from the Tahltan, Kaska, and Tlingit Nations pose for a photo at the top of the Teck Resources building in Vancouver during the Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) Roundup conference.
Tahltan, Tlingit, Kaska youth participate in Vancouver mining conference – Feb 4, 2019
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TSWG Update
BACKGROUND:
The Tahltan Socio-Cultural Working Group (TSWG) was
established in 2011 to fulfill specific commitments made
by the Province under the Northwest Transmission Line
Agreement. The TSWG includes representatives from
the Province, the Tahltan Central Government, Iskut
Band Council and Tahltan Band Council.
TSWG 2018/19 AT A GLANCE
Tahltan Socio/Cultural Working Group consists of
four internal groups:
1. TSWG Leadership Committee – TCG (Chad Day),
Iskut Band Council (Chief Marie Quock), Tahltan
Band Council (Chief Rick Mclean) and Province of
BC (Stuart Gail) and coordinator (Feddie Louie)
2. Co-chairs – Feddie Louie (Tahltans), Pamela Miller
(MIRR / Province representative)
3. Technical team – 2 band managers, Shana Dennis
and Maggie Dennis, and TCG Executive Director
Calvin Carlick
4. Project Leads or Directors – Language and Culture
(Edōsdi - Judy Thompson), Employment (Adrian
Carlick), Education (Freda Campbell), Research
(Brenda Ireland), Health and Social (Feddie Louie
and Jodi Payne)
Feddie LouieTWSG Leadlouie.feddie@gmail.com
The TSWG mandate is two-fold:
1. Prepare Tahltan citizens, their communities and the
Nation, to participate in and benefit from economic
development projects in their territory; and
2. Protect and preserve Tahltan culture and
society from the potential negative effects of
rapid development.
TSWG is co-chaired by Feddie Louie and Pamela
Millar (BC Ministry of Indigenous Relations and
Reconciliation – MIRR).
TSWG’s purpose is to conduct long-term planning and
implementation of specific initiatives across key priority
socio-cultural sectors within the Tahltan Nation:
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T S W G U P DAT E
TSWG 2018/19 PROJECTS:
Unity and Governance Tahltan Central Government, Tahltan Band Council, Iskut
Band Council work together through TSWG to improve
our communities and support our members.
Strategic Plan DevelopmentThe TSWG, with input from leadership, developed a
5-year strategic plan forging the path forward. Each
sector requires input from the communities. This will
be accomplished through the development of working
groups for each one.
Membership Database SystemsTSWG supported the finalization of the Tahltan
Membership Database. This proved invaluable
when it was used to identify and relay emergency
communications with Telegraph Creek evacuees.
Tahltan Protocols Research
A neutral contractor completed research on some
protocols around funerals, our clan systems, traditional
governance and other traditional practices. This research
will be vetted through the Elders prior to being written
into policies and procedure documents.
Health and Social Working GroupTSWG is in the process of developing a Health and Social
Working Group that consists of representation for the
frontlines of the three communities. This group oversees
the updating of the Tahltan Nation Health Plan, the
Traditional Wellness plan and the Mental Health Strategy.
It’s also developing a path forward for our child and
family services and centralized Tahltan Health Services.
Community revitalizationWe are organizing a working group to develop plans
to revitalize our communities and attract families back
to our Territory.
Above: Kimberley Marion and team.
TA H LTA N C E N T R A L G OV E R N M E N T A N N U A L R E P O R T – 2 0 1 9
55
Governance(includes coordinator, travel costs for team, AGA, special projects and admin)
30% $150,000
Language & Culture 24% $120,000
Education, Employment,
& Training
18% $90,000
Infrastructure 10% $50,000
Health 10% $50,000
Community Revitalization 8% $40,000
Strategic Planning
When the TSWG began our work in 2011, we identified
five (5) socio-cultural sectors that required direct
planning and implementation to minimize the negative
impacts of rapid development. These sectors include
education, language and culture, employment and
training, family and community development, health
and infrastructure (across all sectors).
In the summer of 2018, the TSWG met with leadership
to explore priorities and goals for the next five (5) years
and develop a plan to achieve these goals. This work is
in progress and will be presented early in the new year.
Community-based working groups to advise individual sectors
∙ Governance
∙ Health/Social Working Group
∙ Education/Training Working Group
∙ Language and Culture
∙ Employment
Employment and TrainingReport presented separately by TahltanWorks and
Education team
Language and Culture Report presented separately by Tahltan Language Team
FINANCIALS:
The $500,000 that funds TSWG comes directly from
MIRR, through an annual contract negotiated each year.
The financial breakdown of $500,000 is as follows:
Education (K-12) Health and Social Sectors
∙ Highlights include the Tahltan Nation Health Plan
revision to include Mental Health strategy and
Traditional Wellness Practises, Vision and Dental care,
and exploring options for health benefits coverage.
∙ Healthy Active Tahltans (HATs) initiative.
∙ Child and Family development strategy – SWWG (3
Nations – TKT) is currently working collaboratively
for the region and the newly formed Tahltan Health
and Social Working Group will develop a child and
family strategy for the Tahltan Nation, which will
work in conjunction with our collective vision and
holistic approach to provide support and services to
our members in coming years, including daycare and
early childhood development.
∙ Education (K-12) – working out how to implement the
SD87 and 3 Nation partnership agreement.
56
T S W G U P DAT E
Left: Brodie at school in Iskut.
Top: Young Tahltans participating in the HATs initiative.
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57
3 Nations Update
In November 2018, the 3 Nations’ positive work across
the region received recognition from the BC Government
with a Premier’s Award in the category of Innovation.
Hosted by Premier John Horgan, the 3 Nations and the
Province of BC were recognized for the unique, ground-
breaking partnership they developed in re-designing
their relationship in the spirit and intent of reconciliation,
the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
and the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action.
The 3 Nations were represented at the Premier’s Award
Ceremony by Tahltan, Kaska and Tlingit leadership,
Stikine Wholistic Working Group members and technical
representatives. A video, created by BC, showcased the
Tahltan, Kaska and Tlingit homeland, our people, and
our culture and highlighted the essence of our unique
regional partnership: https://3nations.org/events/
premiers-award-ceremony/
Following the successful meeting with the Premier
and Cabinet Ministers in 2018, the 3 Nations secured a
funding commitment of over $10,000,000 for a three-
year period, ending in 2021. The funding is to support
the 3 Nations in three areas:
1. 3 NATIONS GOVERNANCE
Now a registered Society with its own governance,
operational and financial policies and procedures,
the 3 Nations Society manages the funding received
from Government and distributes according to the 3
Nations programs.
The 3 Nations Society receives $500,000 every fiscal
year to carry out the work of the 3 Nations Society,
covering the technical team, leadership meetings,
human resources, strategic planning and administration.
The work of the 3 Nations (Tahltan, Kaska, Tlingit) continues
to grow and evolve significantly since the early days,
resulting in sustainable funding partnerships that ensure
the progress of the 3N model, collective solutions, and
lifting community and cultural strengths.
Above: The 3 Nations receieving the Premier’s Award in Innovation.
58
3 N AT I O N S U P DAT E
2. STIKINE WHOLISTIC WORKING GROUP (SWWG)
For the fiscal year 2018–2019, each 3 Nations community was
provided $150,000 throughout the fiscal year by the province (MIRR)
for SWWG programming as follows:
∙ Child and Family
Wellness Services;
∙ Land Based Supports;
∙ Traditional Ways;
∙ Community Engagement;
∙ Community Staff Resources;
∙ Men and Boys; and
∙ Capacity Development.
For the fiscal year 2019–2020, each 3 Nations community will be
provided an increase in funding: $405,500 for SWWG programming
as detailed above. The funding increase is due to contributions from
Canada in addition to those from the Province.
3. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Feddie Louie continues to lead the 3N efforts on creating new
opportunities for wildlife partnerships and changes on the land.
For the fiscal year 2018–2019, each Nation was provided the
guardian portion of their funds which was $177,320. The wildlife
co-management and traditional management practices will be
carried into fiscal 2019–2020 and allocated appropriately.
OTHER FUNDING: COLLABORATIVE STEWARDSHIP FRAMEWORK
The 3 Nations Society and British Columbia Collaborative Stewardship
Forum (“3NBC-CSF”) are involved in a 3-year pilot program by which
the Kaska, Tahltan, and Tlingit Nations have agreed with the Province
of BC on the co-design and the building of shared capacity with the
goal of shared management of land and resource values across the
traditional territories of the 3 Nations in the Province of BC.
This year the partnership accomplished the following:
∙ Co-design and the building of shared capacity with the goal of
shared management of land and resources across the traditional
territories of the 3 Nations;
∙ Financial and human resource capacity for the 3 Nations Guardian
program which allowed for an expanded role of the guardian program,
continued engagement with provincial representatives on hunting
and land use monitoring and establishment of study areas, seasonal
guardians and the purchase of necessary equipment and tools;
∙ Incorporation of working groups and community direction
priority setting;
Activities occurring in the Tahltan Nation and funded through this program include:
1. Community engagement and direction for caribou herd
priorities for inventories and management actions;
2. Development of moose population action plans
through community and guardian engagement;
3. Early winter Klappan moose inventory in 2019;
4. Morel mushroom harvesting management and
monitoring in the spring of 2019;
5. Tahltan Guardian monitoring of licensed hunters
and land use activities in the fall of 2019;
6. Joint monitoring patrols by Guardians and
Conservation Officer Service.
∙ Ability to address information gaps and the support of ongoing
joint programs such as the Cassiar Stone’s Sheep Program,
Carcross Caribou Herd Monitoring, Atlin Caribou Herd Monitoring
and wildlife health throughout the 3 Nations territories;
∙ Ability to support projects on understanding the success and
challenges of active co-management agreements with Indigenous
Nations and governments; or establishing agreements on a
common approach to monitor and assess licensed wildlife
harvesting using all sources of knowledge in the 3 Nations
collective territories.
The 2019–2020 year will consist of finalizing the enabling
agreement, continued meetings between the 3 Nations and
the Province of BC and continued community and leadership
engagement and direction to 3NBC-CSF.
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59
Staff and Contacts
# BASE DEPARTMENTS AND TITLES NAME EMAIL
EXECUTIVE
1 President Chad Norman Day president@tahltan.org
2 Telegraph Creek Vice President Heather Hawkins vicepresident@tahltan.org
3 Smithers Secretary Treasurer Adrian Carlick secretarytreasurer@tahltan.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
1 Telegraph Creek Carlick Alice Hamlin carlick@tahltan.org
2 Telegraph Creek Cawtoonma Christine Ball cawtoonma@tahltan.org
3 Iskut Eth’eni Carol Quock etheni@tahltan.org
4 Prince George Etzenlee Ken Edzerza etzenlee@tahltan.org
5 Terrace Good-za-ma Annita McPhee goodzama@tahltan.org
6 Dease Lake Quock Tina Van Mierlo quock@tahltan.org
7 Telegraph Creek Shoe-Kawk/Howd-A-Ghtte Lee Marion shoekawk@tahltan.org
8 Dease Lake Simgaltada Kimberley Marion simgaldtadta@tahltan.org
9 Telegraph Creek Stikine Claw/Thicke Melva Quock stikineclaw_thicke@tahltan.org
10 Terrace Thud ga Emma Carlick thudga@tahltan.org
ADMINISTRATION/STAFF
1 Terrace Executive Director Calvin Carlick executivedirector@tahltan.org
2 Terrace Finance Director Ginger Fuller financedirector@tahltan.org
3 Terrace Director of Culture and Heritage Sandra Marion culturedirector@tahltan.org
4 Dease Lake Office Assistant Shirley Nehass receptionist@tahltan.org
5 Dease Lake Finance Senior Clerk Cindy Dennis c.dennis@tahltan.org
6 Dease Lake Education & Training Director Freda Campbell educationdirector@tahltan.org
7 Dease Lake Lands Director Christine Creyke landsdirector@tahltan.org
8 Dease Lake Wildlife Director Lance Nagwan wildlifedirector@tahltan.org
9 Dease Lake Wildlife Guardian Jarett Quock wildlifeguardian@tahltan.org
10 Dease Lake Wildlife Guardian Clements Brace wg2@tahltan.org
60
S TA F F A N D C O N TAC T S
# BASE DEPARTMENTS AND TITLES NAME EMAIL
11 Dease Lake Dease Lake Community Director Carol Danielson DLCF@tahltan.org
12 Dease Lake Language Community Programs Manager & Language Coordinator
Odelia Dennis deaselanguage@tahltan.org
13 Dease Lake Language Assistant Lynda Edzerza deaselanguage2@tahltan.org
14 Iskut Employment Assistance Services Coordinator
Darcie Philana Louie eas@tahltan.org
15 Iskut Language Coordinator Patricia Louie iskutlanguage@tahltan.org
16 Iskut Language Assistant Tanya Louie iskutlanguage2@tahltan.org
17 Telegraph Creek Language Coordinator Pauline Hawkins telegraphlanguage@tahltan.org
18 Telegraph Creek Language Assistant Kitty Brown telegraphlanguage2@tahltan.org
19 Smithers Director of Employment & Contracts Adrian Carlick employmentdirector@tahltan.org
20 Smithers Membership & Genealogy Director Shannon Frank informationdirector@tahltan.org
21 Smithers Finance Junior Clerk & Information Assistant
Roxanne Ball roxanne.ball@tahltan.org
22 Prince George Land and Resource Technician Shawn Ducharme lands@tahltan.org
23 Prince George Language Director Judy Thompson languagedirector@tahltan.org
24 Vancouver Communications Director Gordon Infanti communicationsdirector@tahltan.org
25 Vancouver Communications Coordinator Adam Amir communicationscoordinator@tahltan.org
26 Vancouver Events Manager Kody Penner events@tahltan.org
27 Vancouver Language Projects Manager Amber Blenkiron languagemanager@tahltan.org
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TSWG
Admin /Finance
Employment / Contracts
LandsEducation/
TrainingWildlife
Culture /Heritage
CommunicationsGenealogy/
MembershipLanguage
Protocol Agreement
Governance Committee
Finance Committee
Elders Council
Youth Council
TCG BoardTNDC
Executive Committee
Executive Director
TCG Organizational Chart
POLICIES
1 2 3Government Human Resources Finance
Shareholder1/3
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S E C T I O N T I T L E
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