Tatl’a Fall Newsletter — 2020 INTRODUCTION Message from the President . 1 Message from the Vice President . 3 Tahltan Day T-shirt . 5 Save the Dates . 6 COVID-19 Update . 7 Medevac Update . 8 New Tahltans . 11 Condolences . 12 Tahltan Nation Text Alert Service . 13 NEW STAFF Ann Ball – Employment & Contracting Director . 14 Pamela Labonte – Language Director . 15 Cassandra Puckett – Education & Training Director . 16 TAHLTAN ONTRACK Tahltan OnTrack . 17 TahltanWorks becomes Tahltan OnTrack . 19 DIRECTORS’ REPORTS Lands – Nalaine Morin . 21 Wildlife – Lance Nagwan . 23 Fisheries – Cheri Frocklage . 27 Culture & Heritage – Sandra Marion . 29 Education & Training – Cassandra Puckett . 30 Dease Lake Community Director – Freda Campbell . 33 Membership & Genealogy – Shannon Frank . .. 35 PERSONAL PROFILES Elder – Alice Hamlin . 37 Culture – Dale Campbell . 38 Healthy Active Tahltans – Mackenzie Dennis & Waylon Asp . 39 Inspiring Young Tahltans – Devon Lee Nole & Shanna Creyke . 41 TNDC TNDC Update . 43 TNDC Profile . 45 INDUSTRY UPDATE Tahltan Forestry Ltd . 48 Galore Creek Fishing Program . 49 Newcrest Red Chris Update . 51 Contents TAHLTAN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – FALL NEWSLETTER 2020 Message from the President The Wildlife Department went above and beyond this year by expanding their program to block off over twenty access points in Tahltan Territory and by hiring more seasonal staff to assist in our collective goal to keep recreationalists and hunters away from our vulnerable communities. We anticipate these collective efforts, coupled with robust communication from our government and media partners, helped limit recreational and hunter traffic by at least fifty to seventy- five percent as compared to other years. We were highly disappointed by the lack of support offered by the Province in limiting traffic into our communities, but this did not stop us from taking Chad Norman Day This was a very challenging fall season unlike anything matters into our own hands to help keep our local we had ever experienced. The ongoing vulnerabilities President, Tahltan Tahltan people safe. Central Government in our homeland during the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the influx of resident hunters during As the economy, small businesses and employment the hunting season created a very stressful situation numbers suffer across the world with the continuation for Tahltan Territory. of the COVID-19 era, it’s important we as Tahltan people acknowledge how blessed we have been to not only I commend everyone who assisted us in keeping our keep COVID-19 out of Tahltan Territory, but to have communities safe and thank our people for your continued accomplished this without significant impacts to the vast majority of our local workers. Red Chris Mine, patience as we consistently take measures to limit the Brucejack Mine, a thriving mineral exploration industry, traffic and activities in and around our local communities and all our Tahltan governments and entities worked together to ensure our employees were safe and could of Iskut, Dease Lake and Telegraph Creek. continue to provide for their families; we must applaud the considerable efforts made by all stakeholders and I am truly excited to welcome some new members partners. Our success with safety and sustaining a to the TCG Family. Ann Ball will be taking over as the healthy economy in Tahltan Territory is unprecedented Employment & Contracting Director, Pamela Labonte in BC and we achieved this accomplishment together. has become our new Language Director, and Cassandra Puckett is joining us as our new Education & Training Director. These three women come into their respective roles with a vast amount of experience that will surely propel the TCG Team and our Tahltan Nation to the next level. I want to thank Adrian Carlick for his dedication to the TCG when he was employed in the Education & Contracting role and wish him well on his new endeavours working with Industry. The growth of our central government’s capacity and team will not stop here and I encourage everyone to review several new job postings for the TCG in the near future. 1 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Below: One of the many COVID-19 Restriction gates erected by the Tahltan Guardians. For those Tahltan entrepreneurs and workers that live outside our homeland who have had their livelihoods negatively impacted, we encourage you to reach out to our TCG Team and consider returning to the homeland and taking advantage of the contracting and employment opportunities available to our people. I understand that mining and camp life are not for everyone, but maybe they can offer you some interim solutions and relief if you are otherwise going through some financial struggles at home. For others, perhaps this is a perfect opportunity to upgrade your education or pursue post-secondary studies online. As a reminder, TCG’s Education & Training Department is very flexible and offers up to $10,000 per year and additional scholarship/bursary opportunities to a plethora of students and/or trainees. Improving our governance internally within the TCG and laterally with other Tahltan entities continues to be a focus, particularly in this time period of so much economic growth and capacity building. Over the winter season, following the election of the new Tahltan Band Chief and Council, we fully intend on signing a historical TNDC Protocol Agreement, Tahltan Heritage Trust Protocol Agreement, and aim to robustly update the TCG Governance Manual and the Tahltan Nation Protocol Agreement. All of these agreements, policies and processes therein are extremely important for us to maintain certainty, unity and accountability with our leaders, entities and personnel across the Tahltan Nation’s governments and entities. In closing, I would like to welcome all the new Tahltans who were born this last quarter and express my condolences for those of you who have lost a loved one. Klane Nedischā. TAHLTAN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – FALL NEWSLETTER 2020 Message from the Vice President The theoretical framework the TCG follows is that all Leaders are independent, equal, and autonomous. Another key element of our system requires a collective decision, with ideally a consensus approach. To achieve this, we need to learn to have an open conversation with a goal to build a common understanding. The TCG has a governance framework in which the organization follows a set of procedures when incidents are brought to its attention. Following this process, the Board as a collective group makes a decision. Within a situation, there can be complicated factors which the Board needs to consider. TCG is committed to building its internal capacity to support its growth. To provide members with a channel to address their concerns, we created a complaints process, led by a Complaints Committee. The Complaints Committee is tasked with coordinating a third-party Ken Edzerza The recent months have seen two of our Nation’s investigation to provide a report that outlines the facts, with a focus on evidence as opposed to opinion. Vice President, Tahltan organizations, TCG and TNDC, hold virtual annual Central Government general meetings, which saw both Leaders present what we consider successful years and bright futures. Once an investigation is triggered, TCG must meet certain standards, called ‘Administrative Fairness’. The process As we pass the 110th Anniversary of the Tahltan of administrative fairness is guided by a fact-based Declaration, our Nation finds itself in a period of approach, which takes time to gather the information from all parties involved, in a transparent way. growth with exciting potential, but we are also experiencing internal conflict. These forces can Unfortunately, the outcome of a conflict resolution process will not always please everyone. Regardless either make our collective future better or carry of the outcome, the decisions need to be respected us into a future of conflict. The wisdom will be how even if one does not agree with them. TCG assures we navigate the next 10 years. our members that we take concerns seriously, and will follow protocols, committed to the principle that any Holding a leadership position within our government complaints must be supported by the facts. comes with a commitment to being open, honest and transparent to our members while also addressing In conclusion, there is a saying that a lie only becomes their concerns. With this commitment in mind, I wish a truth when people want it to be. to address feedback that has been shared by some members. While respecting confidentiality, I will strive to respectfully address concerns as best as I can. Right: A Chief Nanok window etching, based off a portrait by Carmen Dennis, is part of the new entrance at Dease Lake School. The other door features the 1910 Declaration. 3 SECTION TITLE 4 TAHLTAN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – FALL NEWSLETTER 2020 110th Anniversary of our Declaration – T-shirt To recognize Tahltan Day and the 110th Anniversary of our Declaration, we had 1000 special edition T-shirts printed. Due to COVID-19 we could not gather to celebrate and gift these shirts at our gathering. Therefore, we gave away these shirts in a different way, a way that includes Tahltans who otherwise might not have come back home to celebrate. T-shirts were available in Iskut, Dease Lake, Smithers, Telegraph Creek, Terrace, Vancouver (Lower Mainland), and Whitehorse, the locations where the most Tahltans reside. The sizes available – in limited quantities – were as follows: Adult XXL, Adult XL, Adult L, Adult M, Adult