Kwakwaka'wakw

There are a few items up for negotiation that are disagreeable within the BC Treaty process and I believe should be opposed by our people. I will expand these topics over the upcoming weeks to elaborate my stance and how they will negatively impact us and more importantly, our future generations. Taxed! - Need I go further? Well I will soon enough... Private Property - the issues that arise out of private property. Becoming more western and exploitative rather than sustainable and more Kwakwaka'wakw Municipal style government - a look into self government Sell off 90%+ of our lands for a rock bottom, dirt-cheap price…and then the Canadian government can still legally infringe on what little we have left after. Withdraw from future legal claims despite recent successes in going the legal route (Chilcotin have regained 50% control over their lands, a landmark case that still needs in depth study). Put control of fishery limits ...

The Kwakwaka’wakw are located on the North East of Vancouver Island as well as part of the adjacent mainland. The traditional Kwakwaka’wakw diet includes salmon, herring, eulachon, halibut, berries and to a lesser extent, goats, seals, and porpoises. The Kwakwaka’wakw social structure was organized into extended family units or ‘na’mima, which means “of one kind”. Each ‘na’mima had ranked positions or offices that came with many responsibilities and privileges. There were approximately four ‘na’mima to each of the seventeen tribes. The Kwakwaka’wakw had a comprehensive and stable governing process prior to the Indian Act, in which they successfully managed limited resources, settled legal matters and disputes within a constantly evolving traditional culture. Despite the focused legislative campaign against the core of their identity, the Kwakwaka’wakw continue to thrive and practice the traditional ceremonies given to them by their ancestors. The Kwakwaka’wakw trace thei...

Everything the Creator gave to us in the beginning is ours. We need to start asserting ourselves as a people, as a nation. But through this treaty process instead of taking ownership and taking control of our lives as a people, we are bargaining our rights away. Its like we have been given scraps from the 'masters' table for our whole life and suddenly we hear a knock on the door and we are told that the food, the table and the whole place actually belongs to us. I use 'master' simply because as a community we have come to think that we are dependent on the government and cannot get out from underneath it. What would you do when you found this out? Probably kick them out, a totally justifiable action considering! But no, we are an incredibly generous people. We don’t want to kick them out because they are our neighbours and the Settlers that live among us deserve respect, just as we demand respect for ourselves. This is despite everything we have gone thro...