Volume 10, Issue 1 FEBRUARY 2016 Skowkale-Yakweakwioose-Tzeachten-Aitchelitz-Skawahlook- Popkum--Leqamel Stó:lō Xwexwilmexw Treaty Association UPDATE

Temtl’i:q’es “S’ólh témexw te íkw’elò. Xólhmet te mekw’stám ít kwelát.” Time when hands stick to things in cold “This is our land. We have to take care of everything that belongs to us.”

The Community Outreach Team

Who are we? We get the information out to community members through our dvds, handouts, Cathy Hall Cathy Hall SXTA Treaty Outreach Super- newsletters, annual community gatherings, Outreach Supervisor visor and Liaison for the Skawahlook First Kitchen Table Gatherings (KTG’s) and Nation and . One-on-One sessions. Brandee Hall Outreach Liaison for the What are KTG’s and One-on-Ones? Skowkale First Nation, , Yakweakwioose First Nation, and KTG: Some members prefer to have a Aitchelitz First Nation. more personal meeting to update their fam- ilies on treaty or they may have missed the Emily Kelly Outreach Liaison for the big community meetings so choose to Brandee Hall Leq'á:mél First Nation. gather their families in the comfort of their Outreach Liaison Joy Hall Outreach Assistant Liaison for all own homes. The host may also choose to regions. host their KTG at the local community hall or we can arrange for the use of our main What do we do? hall or meeting room here in Building 10. The SXTA recognize the importance of We will accommodate their requests and keeping our community members up-to- provide dinner or snacks, depending on the date on the progress of our treaty as well as time of their gathering. The host will be gather feedback from our community mem- presented with a gift and the attendees Joy Hall will have their names put into a big draw Outreach Liaison bers. (could be an i-pad, $500 Walmart gift card, It is our community members who will ulti- etc.) that will be drawn every three mately vote to ratify our final treaty agree- months. ment reached by our leaders through our negotiating team. One-on-ones: We can take you out for coffee or lunch and discuss and update you The Treaty Outreach Team will provide our on the SXTA treaty. community members information to make an informed decision at the time of ratifica- KTG’s and One on Ones can be booked with Emily Kelly tion, as well as let our negotiating team your community outreach worker. We can Outreach Liaison know what our community members want. schedule a time that is convenient for you! Continued on page 2 Stó:lō Xwexwilmexw Treaty Association UPDATE

Treaty Update from page 1 Events we coordinate! The Outreach team also attend the Lands Working Group The Outreach team coordinates all the treaty information meetings and the SXTA Workshops! events and gatherings for the SXTA community, youth, The SXTA Place Names Tours and councils as well as assists with engagement forums with local governments and our Sto:lo non-treaty First The Outreach coordinate three different Place names Tours. Nations. The three tours are The Upriver Tour, The Downriver Tour, and the Chilliwack River Valley Tour. All three The Youth Forum tours are narrated by Naxaxalhts’i, Sonny McHalsie our The Youth Forum happens between February and April of Stó:lō Historian. The tours leave Stó:lō Nation at approxi- each year and is for students in grades 10-12 in School mately 8am and return at approximately 4pm. The tour Districts #33 & #75. We always have a fun theme for provides snacks throughout the day as well as lunch. Join each Youth Forum! The students enjoy a field trip away us on one, or all of our tours and learn about the place from school to come and learn about our SXTA treaty names all throughout our Stó:lō traditional territory! More through our Outreach and Treaty Negotiating Teams! We information on the next tour on the back page! have a lot of great door prizes like i-pads, GoPros, Beats Submitted by Brandee Hall, Outreach by Dre just to name a few! Annual Community Update Meetings There are annual community gatherings held for all of the 7 communities in treaty.

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Mini Series: Treaty Refreshers 2 of 3

This treaty refresher will focus on the Indian Act.

What is the Indian Act? The Indian Act is a federal legislation designed to give effect to the authority of Canada over “Indians and lands reserved for the Indi- ans.” The Indian Act was based to consult with the First that aboriginal people What is the challenge on what European belief? Nations. We are receiving were unable to manage that we face because of The Indian Act was based less and less every day their own affairs. the Indian Act? on the European belief that without our knowledge The challenge we face is Aboriginal people couldn’t through government cut- Under the Indian Act, changing the mindset that look after themselves. backs to several programs listed below are just a we have become so accus- and services provided few of the things that under the Indian Act. tomed to living under the What does the Indian Act the Department of Indi-

Indian Act. mean to Stó:lō? an Affairs has authority Does the Federal Gov- over: The Indian Act means that ernment require permis- The Treaty will be our Stó:lō are not self-  Who is eligible to have a sion to amend the Indian launch-point for what? governing citizens and are status card Act?  Reserve lands The treaty will be our managed by the Federal launch-point for “de- Government. Under the NO.  Property on reserve lands programming” the Indian Indian Act the Minister has  How bands are governed and managed Act mentality. final say over decisions by The Federal and Provin-  Wills and estates the bands. cial government used to Submitted by Emily Kelly, How do we need to see believe that: Outreach ourselves under Treaty? When can the Federal Aboriginal people needed We need to see ourselves Government amend to be civilized, protected, as self-governing people. (change) the Indian Act? prepared to join European society (assimilation) and Any time with no obligation

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Stó:lō Xwexwilmexw Treaty Association Stó:lō Xwexwilmexw Treaty Association (SXTA) Reps:

SXTA Outreach Team Aitchelitz First Nation— Chief Angie Bailey Building #10, 7201 Vedder Road Skowkale First Nation—Councilor Jeff Point/Willy Hall Chilliwack, B.C. V2R 4G5 Tzeachten First Nation—Councilor Lawrence Roberts / Chief Glenda Campbell

Phone: 604-824-2435 Popkum First Nation—Councilor Harry Murphy / Chief James Murphy Fax: 604-824-0278 Yakweakwioose First Nation—Grand Chief Frank Malloway / Councilor Terry Horne E-mail: [email protected] Skawahlook First Nation—Chief Maureen Chapman / Councilor Deb Schneider www.sxta.bc.ca Leq’á:mél First Nation—Chief Alice Thompson / Councilor Sandy Mcdonald

ATTENTION MEMBERS OF: Skawahlook; Leq’á:mél; Yakweakwioose; Popkum; Skowkale; Tzeachten; Aitchelitz. Note: Ages 16 yrs+

YOU ARE INVITED to join us on the

“Chilliwack River Valley” SXTA Tour sponsored by the Stó:lō Xwexwilemexw Albert (Sonny)McHalsie Treaty Outreach Program. Naxaxalhts’i Cultural Advisor Dress appropriately (layers) and wear for the comfortable shoes suitable for mild Stō:ló Xwexwilmexw Treaty hiking. Don’t forget your camera, Associaton (SXTA) binoculars, & umbrella! Narrator for SXTA sponsored Tours This full day tour begins at 8:45 a.m. in front of Stó:lō Nation Building #7 at If you have any questions Kwikw’alith’a (Coqualeetza) located in Please call Emily: 604-824-5315 Caves Chilliwack Lake Sardis at 7201 Vedder Road. THE NARRATED PLACE NAMES TOUR The tour starts from Kwikw’alith’a and we will go throughout Chilliwack Enjoy this new tour of the Chilliwack River Valley departing from Kwikw’alith’a (Coqualeetza) destined for following the Chilliwack River and its scenic Chilliwack Lake, B.C. creeks and sloughs. Listen and learn about the unique relationship between the Stó:lō, “the River People”, their land and their We will travel through Skowkale and environment through the narratives provided by Naxaxalhts’i, who has studied Halq’eméylem Place Names Tzeachten with a stop at Tim Horton’s, for over 21 years. then on to Vedder Road and turn off at Listen and see first hand the special significance of Halq’eméylem place names from the recent award win- Chilliwack Lake Road. ning Stó:lō Nation publication titled A Stó:lō - Historical Atlas.

A brief stop at Tamihi Creek. We will Learn about the three main dialects of and the many micro-dialects of each, and the two main then stop for a scenic hike and a picnic aspects of Stó:lō oral history including Sxwōxwiyám and Sqwelqwel, and learn about the unique relationship lunch at Chilliwack Lake. the Stó:lō maintain with their environment through their Shxwelí, or “spirit, life force”. Special stops of interests may include Sxótsaqel “sacred lake” or “something that’s sacred” (Chilliwack Lake); On the way back we make a couple of a short hike to the Chipmunk Caves off Chipmunk Creek Forest Service Road; Iy’oythel “always a mouth” or stops: first a short hike to the Chipmunk “good mouth”, Allison Pools recreation site, where pithouses were located; and we hear about many other Caves near Ford Mountain Correctional Halq’eméylem Place Names. Centre and then to Allison Pools. YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER (for catering purposes and LIMITED SEATING) Then back to Kwikw’alith’a (Coqualeetza) around 4:00 pm. STÓ:LŌ XWEXWILMEXW TREATY ASSOCIATION OUTREACH

NOTE: Itinerary subject to changes. Mail: Bldg. 10—7201 Vedder Road, Chilliwack, B.C. V2R 4G5

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