Gisele Martin — Our Tla ook Adventure Partners OUR FOOD 5th Annual Traditional Foods Conference Gisele was asked to share her powerful work of connecting to the food, land and culture of her territory. With her father at her side 2012 Final Report Gisele shared the importance of getting back to the land. She spoke of the importance of relationships within family. Gisele has learned many teachings and values from her father Joe Martin who encour- Tseshaht First Nation aged and supported her to reconnect with the land and stay on tradi- tional territory on her own. She reflected on the lessons she learned Port Alberni VICCIFN as she was on her own and living off the land. Sept. 28-29th, 2012 Network Vancouver Island and Community Coastal Communities Indigenous Foods Network (VICCIFN) Healing

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Coordinating Committee  Anne Robinson This conference would not have been possible  Elders Advisory without the hard work, and good hearts, of people - Kathy Robinson Tseshaht Elder -Julia and Simon Lucas Hesquiaht Elder from throughout the communities. A special thank -Nelson Keitlah—Ahousaht Elder you to NTC, Tseshaht First Nation, Anne Robinson Nutrition  Erin Rowsell and the Coordinating Committee. There are so  Ipswa (Douglas) Headworth  Matilda Atleo many people who helped create this event. We are  Norine Messer so grateful for your support, passion and expertise,  Fiona Devereaux especially our Elders. Kleco Kleco. Sustainability  Erin Hemmens To stay in touch with VICCIFN.  Diandra Jurkic-Wells About the Logo  Melody Charlie—Photographer Join the list serve at [email protected] or check out our Tseshaht depiction of waves, the beach, sea urchins, crab, and mussel  Helen Dufour website at www. Indigenousfoodsvi.ca shells. Val Gomez 2012 access and security. We

Feeding Our Future Activities Booths, Jam Making, Cedar Mat Making, Canoeing, Kids Activities, Generations Salmon BBQ, Community Tour, Indigenous Food Market

On behalf of the conference coordinating committee, we wanted to share with you a few highlights from the 5th Annual Conference on Traditional Foods of Vancouver Island First Nations. The theme of this year’s conference was “hayuuk#ap >aayaahaksak” Feeding the Day 1 Agenda Next Generations and was co-hosted by  Long House — Opening  Prayer Vancouver Island and Coastal Communi-  Welcome Song and Welcome— ties Indigenous Food Network (VICCIFN), Tseshaht  Elder’s Advisory the Nuu chah nulth Tribal Council (NTC)  Opening remarks: NTC — Cliff Atleo Huu pac^asaht and the Tseshaht First Nation in  Setting the Tone — Anne Robinson Port Alberni. This two-day gathering took Day 2 Agenda  VICCIFN  Keynote: Dr. Charlotte Cote  NCN Fishing Rights place on Friday, September 28th and Sat-  Elder’s Advisory ◦ Cliff Atleo urday, September 29th at the Maht Mahs  Jam Making: Annie and Dolly Watts ◦ Simon Lucas  Gisele Martin— Tla ook Adventures  Canoe pull and tour —Tyrone ◦ Richard Watts gym in Port Alberni, BC. Marshall  Cedar Mat Making — Mamie George  Community Tour ◦ Onsite Elder: Julia Lucas  Community Gardens:  Hooksum Outdoor School — Steve ◦ Ditidaht and Karen Charleson ◦ Maaqtusiis  First Nations Wildcrafters, BC — Keith Hunter ◦ Tla o quiaht  Peter Ross: What can we do?  Where do we go from here? What Protecting Traditional Foods from can each one of us do? Pollution ◦ VICCIFN  Keynote — Hugh Braker and ◦ Cliff Atleo VICCIFN Ha?uks^i>yak ◦ Simon Lucas — Elder recommen-  Dinner dations Honouring of Peter Ross and ◦ C. Anne Robinson Erin Rowsell  Presentations and Closing remarks  Dancing  Indigenous Food Market Long House Opening Our time at the conference started in the Long House with an Opening Prayer and Welcome Song and Welcome from the Pawacimyi> Elder’s Advisory. The use of the long house for teachings and utilizing the tradition of eating while ELDERS teaching was important to setting the tone. It is important to Elders panel: Kathy Robinson, Tseshaht Elder respect our Elders, Simon and Julia Lucas—Hesquiant Elder because they are our George Watts—Tseshaht Elder Cliff Atleo - NTC President teachers and keepers of Nelson Keitlah—Ahousaht Elder Tom Curley - Ha'wiih, Ehattesaht First Nation our identity as Aboriginal people. Dene Quote

Anne Robinson, Julia Lucas, Simon Lucas, George Watts, Cliff Atleo, Nelson Kietlah. Cedar Mat Setting the Tone People Power Making Each day began with a pawac, a Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. nest in which the Elders sit within Henry Ford their responsibility to h=ah=uupa After five conferences we have built some strong friendships. With this we also needed to honour a few people who have worked passionately in support of VICCIFN and to make the traditional foods conference happen. (teach/share/instruct) the next generations, and in this case all those present. It’s agreed that Honouring Peter Ross the common practice at times of Anne Robinson In late May 2013, DFO made the decision to close their national teaching/sharing/instruction is to feed those be- contaminants program. As a result staff of this program, most ing instructed. The belief is simply that as those notably Dr. Peter Ross have had their employment terminated. He being instructed take in the food, they take in has worked to study and inform Canadian governments, the “teaching” and when they “swallow it”, the communities, and local First Nations of the levels of contamination of seafood and the safe levels of Cedar Weaving teaching then becomes part of them. consuming these foods. His research has also focused on the disastrous impact of contaminants on marine mat making by Mamie environments. More specifically, Dr. Ross has provided a breadth of knowledge and understanding to George VICCIFN and area First Nations on identifying traditional foods that are safe to eat, and has encouraged their benefits over western foods. Dr. Ross played a large role in the

formation of VICCIFN’s annual Traditional Foods Conference. He has NTC Fishing Rights shared his experiences and knowledge, supporting the cross section Daycare welcome of traditional knowledge and scientific understanding of what ocean- based foods are safe to eat, and brought forth the impact of the western lifestyle on traditional food systems. We wish Peter so well in his new adventures. http://www.indigenousfoodsvi.ca/updates/viccifn -expresses-disappointment-at-the-closure-of-national-contaminants- program/. Peter offered setting up aan endowment through Raincoast Conservation Foundation. He wants to honour a food champion and leader each year. Thank you greatly! Don Hall, Program Manager of Uu-a-thluk gave a presentation on Nuu-chah-nulth Fishing Rights. In November of 2009, after a decade of legal preparations and 123 days in court, Nuu-chah-nulth people Honouring Erin Rowsell celebrated a great legal victory. That is when BC Supreme Court Jus- tice Nicole Garson ruled that Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations have an Erin Rowsell is a passionate and dedicated Aboriginal Right to harvest and sell all species food advocate. She has worked as the Com- Daycare children singing of fish in their territories. This is the first rul- munity Nutritionist for Aboriginal Health for ing of this kind in Canada. the North Island for the past 5 years. She has the deer hunting and ber- been a key member of VICCIFN since its in- ry picking songs. The 5 Nuu-chah-nulth Nations involved in this ception and we are so lucky and grateful as case have now spent over two years Erin plans to continue to work and be a key attempting to engage Canada in meaningful member of our working group. Thanks Erin negotiations to determine how this right will we value you greatly. be realized through the Department of Fish- Erin will be working as a key support in moving the conference around the eries and Oceans. At the same time Canada is appealing the ruling to the Supreme Court Island year to year. of Canada. If you would like to get involved with VICCIFN or planning the foods conferences please con- tact [email protected]. Cliff Atleo, President of NTC Living off the What can we do? Hugh Braker First Nations Protecting Traditional Hugh Braker, Tseshaht First Land Nation Chief Councillor Wildcrafters, BC Foods from Pollution Dr. Peter S. Ross is an eco- toxicologist who until recently Keith Hunter shared his work worked with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Peter has and passion. He and Anne spent the past several years charting pollution levels in employ traditional values in seafood, recording how much is eaten by coastal First Na- tions and evaluating the health benefits and risks of a sea- their wild crafting business as food diet. Peter reported that the levels of chemicals like well as being strong PCBs and PBDEs are relatively low in butter clams, Dunge- advocates for First Nations ness crab and sockeye, but higher in seals. Protecting forestry models and Nitanis Desjarlais and John Rampanen traditional seafoods from pollution is up to all of us. We traditional foods. Keith has

can make personal choices about shopping, household also been involved in teach- Indigenous Diet Challenges cleaners, recycling and the use of cars and boats. We can ing the Good act as stewards of our local environment John and Nitanis shared their Agricultural Practices experience of living for one year by protecting streams and coastal waters We can tell governments and industries As we feasted and nourished program around the on Indigenous Foods. Their region. challenge was to harvest, about our desire to protect traditional our bodies with the foods of preserve, hunt, gather, and trade seafoods from contamination by priority the territory Chief Councillor pollutants. Our government can work in- food to last a full winter. In Hugh Braker shared his Keith Hunter September 2009 at a B.C. Foods ternationally to protect the global environment passion for Aboriginal rights. Systems Network His words fuelled our minds conference in Chehalis, in We can make a difference! Hooksum Outdoor between the workshops a couple Peter Ross and spirits with the of ladies and I got to talking. importance of bringing voice School The Feast to the issues facing many First Raven Ann Potchka and Dawn Steve and Karen Marsden. ‘What if we were to eat Nations communities in Charleson shared their what our ancestors did and do it Canada . He shared how he experiences living and all ourselves... could we do it?’ has used his knowledge and running the Hooksum They decided to take the winter of skills as a lawyer to bring First 2009 to research what is actually Outdoor School in Nation issues to the highest Indigenous and what has been Hesquiaht Harbour on courts in BC and Canada. Introduced and then to spend the the wild West Coast of We were so inspired and Steve and Karen Charleson spring and summer gathering and Vancouver Island. to make it a challenge to grateful for his stories, pas- They have a goal to deliver "quality outdoor educa- encourage others to join in and sion and successes. tion through traditional indigenous knowledge, create a food sharing network as modern skills, respect and intimate connections to well. They shared, ‘this has been a challenge indeed but a powerful the natural world". For more information on We thank everyone who transformation for our family!’ Hooksum Outdoor School please see their website See more about the foods allowed shared with an open heart at www.hooksumschool.com. and their experiences at: and for all those that feed our mind, body and spirits.