Campbell River Aboriginal Community

Mapping PresentationLaloni Everitt

Kwakiutl Nation

My name is Laloni Everitt. For my mapping proposal, I have chosen to use the Aboriginal Community in Campbell River which are from the Kwakiutl Nation. I have been raised in the Comox Valley most of my life. I am Métis descent however, I have many friends , family members, and my own 2 children are from the Kwakiutl Nation, on their dads side of the family.Due to the loss of culture, my children and many other Kwakiutl people no very little about there cultural heritage, beliefs, value systems, and cultural traditions.As a service provider, working cross culturally with First Nations people, this means to me is to gain an understanding of the culture, traditions, and history.It is also important to look at the power imbalances associated with my role, social location, and power differences within different organizations.

History Kwakiutl NationThe Kwakiutl term and context is confusing, the term can be used to address a language, a dialect, an assembly of social groups, or a single tribe that originally comes from Fort Rupert. Over time the groups have relocated to areas throughout the Campbell River area, Quadra Island, and the Comox Valley.

The Kwakiutl people over history were groups of people that merged together due to significant factors that took place over time, due to the changes in demography, economic conditions, seasonal patterns, geo-political movements, warfare, fur trade, gold explorations, and the establishment of the Hudson Bay company trading post in Fort Rupert. As a result four groups moved to the area; Kwakiutl, Walas, Kwisa, and Komkuitus into Fort Rupert. Another group formed were the movement of Ligwilda'xs group to Quadra Island ( Cape Mudge) and other groups formed at Comox B.C. around 1847. This was the formation of the Kwakiutl nation.

St Michael Residential School

1877-1974St Michaels Residential school opened in 1877 in Alert Bay, nearby Fort Rupert Kwakiutl territory. This was part of the assimilation process developed by the missionary policy, implemented through the Anglican church missionaries. The vast majority of children attending residential schools were “status Indian” (as defined by the Indian Act). For government, the ultimate goal remained the assimilation of educated native peoples into the non-aboriginal world. The procedure was known as enfranchisement, by which graduates of the system would apply and qualify for citizenship. In doing so, they would lose their Indian status and benefits but, with a small start-up grant, they were expected to succeed in the mainstream world of the Canadian/European society. After 45 years of operation, St Michaels closed the doors in 1974. Many Kwakiutl residents from Campbell River are residential school survivors from St Michaels resident school.

History of Intergenerational Trauma

Indian Act Child Welfare

Residential Schools Traditional Culture

Intergenerational trauma

NationNegative stereotypes

Social policies promote colonialism

Lack of support for holistic programs and services

Lack of support in community for self determination Individual

Lack of belonging to family, community and nation

AbandonmentLack of cultural belief systemsInability to sustain personal or

intimate relationshipsInvolvement of mental health

systemsHistory of substance abuse

Involvement of criminal justice systems

Low self esteem

FamilyChronic abuse

Lack of emotional bondingAlcohol and Drug AbuseNegative stereotyping

Irregular contact with family members

CommunityAlcohol and drug use

Lack of cultural opportunities including language

History traditional values and spirituality

Low Levels of Social Capital including trust reciprocal helping relations and

social engagement

Revitalization of the Potlatch

The potlatch is a significant cultural and social feature of the Kwakiutl people. It addressed all major aspects of social life: economically, politically, religious, and social organizations for Kwakiutl people. It is marked by institution which sponsors rituals, social transfers of titles, marriages, first menstruations, corrections of wrong doings, and social transfers of hierarchy order through gift giving, songs, dance, masks, and ceremonies. The ceremonies were divided into two, sacred winter ceremonies and sacred summer ceremonies. The winter ceremony was inclusive only to nobility and spiritual powers according to rank, the summer ceremony was open for anyone. Hudson bay blankets were a significant feature in the Potlatch ceremony. The Potlatch was outlawed in Canadian law prohibited the potlatch in 1884, tribes in British Columbia lost a central and unifying ceremony. Potlatching is now legal and is being revitalized in the Kwakiutl Nation.

Negative Media CoverageDue to many traumatic events in the Kwakiutl district, it has caused significant damage to the community through negative media attention.Often times, the media paints a picture, focusing on the poor health and negative social/ cultural portrayals and impacts First Nation people and provides a deficit paradigm which is the main focus on First Nations people across Canada.Research is now using Aboriginal leaders that are working on capturing community voices and actions, that are relevant to Aboriginal communities across Canada.The review and research projects are using participatory research and community involvement, incorporation of traditional knowledge, culturally appropriate, and community based research in communities.

Best PractisesUntil recently, the trend has been following Western models of leaderships in communities, in regards to leadership, organization, and community development. New best practise models now can be found through the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and Aboriginal Best Practise Awards of Distinction.

Other community development is through the revitalization of Language through the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Performance Art Network of Native Earth Performing Arts, and Aboriginal Multi Media Society.

The Kwakiutl people are in the midst of getting their own multi media society up and going in the Campbell River area.

Aboriginal Framework for Social Inclusive Services and Programs

• Community Centered Model• Strengths and Resiliency• Deeply rooted in traditional

Practises• Community Engagement• Strong leadership, fosters success

and embraces asset based and capacity focus opposed to deficient model

• Promotes healing and wellness• Sacred Circle of Life• Seven Sacred Teachings• Aboriginal Code of Ethics and

Aboriginal protocols.

Seven Sacred Teachings

Community NeedsRespectful RelationsSocial InclusionAccessibility to Food and SecurityPublic SafetyHealth and Well BeingShelter and HomelessnessChild, Youth, and FamiliesCommunity DevelopmentCulturally Specific to First Nations Traditions, Beliefs and WorldviewCulturally Appropriate Models

" The Indigenous way is about teaching how to be,

not what to do"

Aboriginal ways of knowingVisionsHistorical ContextExperiencesRelationshipsLand SpiritIndividualFamilyCommunityNationPolitical SystemsSocial SystemsEconomyEnvironmentNatureBalance HarmonyInterdependenceCollective Decision MakingInterconnection of all things

Primary Building Blocks

PrimaryIndividuals, Youth, Elders, Cultural, Teachers, Spiritual

Leaders, Families, Community, Nation.Strong Relationships to engage community members, from youth to Elders, in reassertion of fundamental belief structures, values, and ceremonial practises.

Taking back and Revitalizing “our own ways” will ensure Aboriginal people will continue to re-connect

their traditions and practises and strengthen the sacred circle of life

The world view and teachings from the Sacred Circle of life provides vision, strength, and healing.

The teachings and wisdom is guided by Elders that helps to understand humanity and the impact of relationships and the environment, which is a crucial element in identifying cultural Identity.

Cultural teachings and practises, using the Aboriginal perspective strives to achieve healing healthy families and strengthening our communities.

The Community based model is where Aboriginal people are involved in healing their own traditions, repairing, and restoring traditional knowledge and asserting their collective identity and power.

The Sacred circle of Life provides an awareness that each of us are part of a family, community, and a nation.

The Sacred circle of Life represents continuity and the interconnection of all living things.

Secondary Building Blocks• Campbell River Aboriginal Visioning Group • First Nations Circle Network• Aboriginal MCFD & Child mental health• Kwakiutl District Band Office• KDC Health• Laichwiltach Family Life Society• MCFD Aboriginal Supported Child Development• Aboriginal Youth and Mental Health• FASD Key Worker: Mary Katherine Bellamy• North Vancouver Island Sundance Committee• Aboriginal Elders, and traditional Healers.• All Nations Healing Rooms• Schools, Colleges• Libraries• Parks, recreational areas• John Howard North Island• Campbell River Arts Counsel• Salvation Army• Ann Elmore Transition House• Second Chance Recovery House for Men• Campbell River First Nation bands• Campbell River Family Services• Delta Resources• Island Jade Society• Foster Parents Association• Campbell River Child Care Society• Campbell River District and Community Living• Banks

Potential Building Blocks

Potential Truth and reconciliation Commission.

Aboriginal Healing FoundationInter-Tribal Health Vancouver Island

Public Health and Safety CommissionFour Worlds International Aboriginal Commission

Canadian Aboriginal PortalNAAADAP

Turtle Island Native Network

Reaching in and Looking Out in Aboriginal

OrganizationsOften times Aboriginal organizations use a process of “ Reaching in and Looking out” for the health and wellness of their organizations.

By reaching in, it is a way of reaching into the organization that acknowledges the gifts of the people working within the organization which helps to strengthen the goals and objectives. This process shows the organization ways to acknowledge areas that need improvement in response to the changing world around us.

Looking out is a way of looking out of the organization to acknowledge that we don't know everything, that there is still much learning and growth that needs to go on and that as one organization, we cannot meet the needs and unique problems for Aboriginal individuals, families, and communities.

The reaching in and looking out is a continuous process that includes monitoring, review, evaluation, reflection, reaffirmation and renewal, all which involves a commitment to time, including networking in the community at large.

This approach to the health and wellness is consistent with traditional teachings and the guiding principles as they relate to the seven sacred teachings of humility, respect, wisdom, honesty, truth, love, and bravery.

These seven sacred teachings help us understand relationships between individuals, families, and community combined with the Sacred Circle of Life Teachings, help guide us in our behaviours as we move in and out of the various environments in which we function.

Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF) Around The Healing From The Legacy Of Residential Schooling

• Community healing is connected to individual healing. Rebuilding family and community support networks will help stabilize the healing of individuals have experienced childhood trauma and family disruption.

• Culture is good medicine. Culture-based outreach and healing mediated by survivors, local personnel and Elders has proven successful in reaching individuals who had previously resisted interventions.

• Resilience in individuals and communities can be tapped. Healthy individuals in distressed communities were found to be good at promoting change.

• It takes time to heal. AHF funding was limited to a few years, which proved to be enough to get the healing process started in many of the communities where projects were conducted, but not enough to see complete healing.

• Services must be put in place and kept in place to encourage individual healing and help communities with their healing journeys. Typically, programs are short-term and project- based, but research indicated that services using local capacity and Indigenous knowledge are effective and economical.

• As individuals and communities heal, the depth and complexity of needs can be seen, creating generating demand for training.

Community Development & Assets of the People

Wise Practises

Identity and culture

Strategic vision and Planning

Collaboration and Partnerships

PerformanceEvaluation

Accountability and Stewardship

Governance and Management

Leadership

External Relationships

Revision of Aboriginal Nationhood

Solution orientated focus that is community driven.

Train staff to be culturally sensitive and integrate aboriginal traditions and service providers are part of our delivery systems.

Develop innovative, culturally appropriate solutions, rather than adapting existing programs and services, when working with Aboriginal people.

Understanding and identifying problems; similarities and differences regarding geographical locations in comparisons to reserves or urban locations.

Programs need to be developed by Aboriginal Leaders and service providers.

Outside support systems professional areas beyond the scope the program and in our aboriginal communities...

First Nations Self Governance• Strategic vision• Meaningful information sharing.• Participation in decision making.• Territorial integrity• Respect for spirit of land• Expansion for jurisdiction• Rule of law• Transparency and fairness• Results based organizations• Cultural alignment of institutions• Effective intergovernmental relations• Human resource capacity• Financial management capacity• Performance evaluation• Accountability and reporting• Diversity of revenue sources

Native American Quotes

All My Relations