Khaye Winter Newsletter — 2021 INTRODUCTION Message from the President . 1 Message from the Vice President . 3 Save the Dates . 4 COVID-19 Updates . 5 Memorandum of Understanding . 9 Tahltan Stewardship Initiative . 11 New Tahltans . 15 Condolences . 16 NEW STAFF Adam Amir – Director of Multimedia . 17 Ombrielle Neria – Communications Specialist . 18 TAHLTAN ONTRACK Tahltan OnTrack . 19 TahltanWorks becomes Tahltan OnTrack . 21 FEATURE Tahltan Nation & Silvertip Mine Impact-Benefit Agreement . .. 23 DIRECTORS’ REPORTS Lands – Nalaine Morin . 26 Wildlife – Lance Nagwan . 27 Fisheries – Cheri Frocklage . .. 29 Language – Pamela Labonte . 31 Culture & Heritage – Sandra Marion . 33 Education & Training – Cassandra Puckett . 35 Employment & Contracting – Ann Ball . 37 Membership & Genealogy – Shannon Frank . .. 38 Dease Lake Community – Freda Campbell . 39 PERSONAL PROFILES Elder – Allen Edzerza . 41 Culture – Stan Bevan . 42 Healthy Active Tahltans – Lane Harris & Brandi MacAulay . 43 Inspiring Young Tahltans – Megan Rousseau & Nathan Nole . 45 UPDATES TNDC Update . 47 Treaty 8 Update . 49 Contents 1910 Declaration of the Tahltan Tribe WE THE UNDERSIGNED MEMBERS OF THE TAHLTAN TRIBE, speaking for ourselves, and our entire tribe, hereby make known to all whom it may concern, that we have heard of the Indian Rights movement among the Indian tribes of the Coast, and of the southern interior of B.C. Also, we have read the Declaration made by the chiefs of the southern interior tribes at Spences Bridge on the 16th July last, and we hereby declare our complete agreement with the demands of same, and with the position taken by the said chiefs, and their people on all the questions stated in the said Declaration, and we furthermore make known that it is our desire and intention to join with them in the fight for our mutual rights, and that we will assist in the furtherance of this object in every way we can, until such time as all these matters of moment to us are finally settled. We further declare as follows: FIRSTLY – We claim the sovereign right to all the country of our tribe—this country of ours which we have held intact from the encroachments of other tribes, from time immemorial, at the cost of our own blood. We have done this because our lives depended on our country. To lose it meant we would lose our means of living, and therefore our lives. We are still, as heretofore, dependent for our living on our country, and we do not intend to give away the title to any part of same without adequate compensation. We deny the B.C. government has any title or right of ownership in our country. We have never treatied with them, nor given them any such title. (We have only very lately learned the B.C. government makes this claim, and that it has for long considered as its property all the territories of the Indian tribes in B.C.) SECONDLY – We desire that a part of our country, consisting of one or more large areas (to be selected by us), be retained by us for our own use, said lands and all thereon to be acknowledged by the government as our absolute property. The rest of our tribal land we are willing to relinquish to the B.C. government for adequate compensation. THIRDLY – We wish it known that a small portion of our lands at the mouth of the Tahltan river, was set apart a few years ago by Mr. Vowell as an Indian reservation. These few acres are the only reservation made for our tribe. We may state we never applied for the reservation of this piece of land, and we had no knowledge why the government set it apart for us, nor do we know exactly yet. FOURTHLY – We desire that all questions regarding our lands, hunting, fishing, etc., and every matter concerning our welfare, be settled by treaty between us and the Dominion and B.C. governments. FIFTHLY – We are of the opinion it will be better for ourselves, also better for the governments and all concerned, if these treaties are made with us at a very early date, so all friction, and misunderstanding between us and the whites may be avoided, for we hear lately much talk of white settlements in the region and the building of railways, etc., in the near future. Signed at Telegraph Creek, B.C., this eighteenth day of October, nineteen hundred and ten, by NANOK, Chief of the Tahltans NASTULTA, alias Little Jackson GEORGE ASSADZA, KENETL, alias Big Jackson And eighty other members of our tribe. TAHLTAN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – WINTER NEWSLETTER 2021 Message from the President Everywhere I look, the TCG Team in each of our departments continues to grow, complete amazing work, and is moving our people forward. Each Director and their respective staff should be commended for their hard work and dedication to our Tahltan Nation. We are very lucky to have a collaborative team and I truly respect, admire, and appreciate each one of them. I want to personally thank them for their ongoing dedication to our Government, Nation and Team! The Employment & Contracting Department, led by Ann Ball, is picking up steam by expanding the OnTrack initiative and building processes to verify and support Tahltan entrepreneurs and businesses. I encourage prospective Tahltan workers and entrepreneurs to learn of all the opportunities and tools available to you through the TCG. Our government is here to advocate for you, provide you with opportunities, and to help you succeed. Chad Norman Day I hope everyone had a safe and loving holiday season The TCG recently signed an Impact Benefit Agreement in their respective households. Although 2020 (IBA) with Couer Mining on the Silvertip Mine, which President, Tahltan Central Government was a very successful year for the Tahltan Central is a project that hopes to be back in operations in the Government (TCG) and the Tahltan Nation, it was coming months. TCG and Couer have a shared vision also steeped in unprecedented challenges amid this of empowering Tahltan workers, entrepreneurs and COVID-19 pandemic. We as a Nation have overcome companies while working together to mitigate the project’s so much, and together we will get through this. negative impacts to the environment. Negotiations with other companies will also begin soon, which will include As has been the trend for the past year, we must updating the Galore Creek IBA (originally signed by the continue to acknowledge and thank all those essential Tahltan Nation in 2005) and beginning discussions for a workers who allow us to function through this difficult possible IBA with Skeena Resources, which may lead to time, as well as all of those working in the background the reopening of the Eskay Creek Mine. Every negotiation to make sure we can get through this pandemic as completed by the TCG and the ratification process required safely as possible. thereafter depends on a variety of factors. All our local Tahltan communities and the Tahltan Nation Emergency Management Committee have been working hard to keep COVID-19 out of our homeland and their efforts have paid off. I am so proud and relieved that our Tahltan communities were amongst the first in Canada to receive the first dosages of COVID-19 vaccinations. Further vaccinations are being delivered throughout the country every day and I look forward to having myself and our family vaccinated when it is our turn. 1 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT The Tahltan Stewardship Initiative (TSI) We have made significant efforts to also improve is an incredibly important initiative our lateral governance and collaborations with the Tahltan Band Council (TBC), Iskut Band Council (IBC), which continues making progress Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC) under the TCG’s Lands Director, and the Tahltan Heritage Trust (THT). Our three Tahltan governments recently signed a new protocol Nalaine Morin. TCG is strengthening agreement with TNDC and the TCG will have a seat our commitment to land and resource on the TNDC Board of Directors moving forward. stewardship by creating the TSI. All land We feel this step will help increase collaboration and accountability between TNDC and their vital use planning initiatives that enable relationships with Tahltan governments, our local us to fulfill our inherent stewardship Tahltan communities, the Province, industry partners responsibilities for Tahltan Territory will and others. We have also taken steps to work with the THT and are hopeful the trustees will begin creating fall under the TSI umbrella. In addition, structures to spend the interest funds from the THT in other negotiations with the Province 2021 and every year thereafter. via the Shared Prosperity Agreement Several years ago, I began the Healthy Active Tahltans and the Government-to-Government (HATs) initiative and we have been supporting Tahltan Agreement continue to protect more teams, visiting local schools, funding fitness initiatives in Tahltan Territory, and showcasing individual HATs areas and are improving environmental in our quarterly TCG newsletters. Unfortunately, 2020 mitigation measures and laws. was not a good year for HATs. We could not visit the schools and most fitness activities and tournaments Following our announcement that the TCG was going to that commonly included several Tahltan teams (ie. begin taking wildlife management into our own hands Yukon All-Native Hockey Tournament) were cancelled. through robust predator management, I am happy to We will bounce back stronger than ever in 2021and report our Tahltan hunters and Wildlife Department have have already made plans to fundraise for renovation already harvested about 50 predators (Black Bear, Grizzly projects for the fitness gyms/spaces in Telegraph Bear and Wolves). All such harvests were utilized in a Creek, Dease Lake and Iskut. As per usual, the TCG culturally respectful and appropriate way.